Category: SciencePage 3 of 29
Latest science blog posts from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Research supporting the health of UK forests and biodiversity. Professor Chris Quine is Chief Scientist of Forest Research, the research agency of the Forestry Commission and the UK’s…
Bringing the underground into the limelight. Dr Andrea Britton is a plant and soil ecologist specialising in alpine ecosystems and the impacts of nitrogen deposition and climate change….
Learning by doing. Professor Chris Spray is a self-confessed nature enthusiast, never happier than when his feet are in a wetland, his binoculars round his neck and with…
Combining genetics and ecology to save species from extinction. Dr Aline Finger is a conservation geneticist at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). Her work focuses on generating…
While the Edinburgh Biomes Project involves the more noticeable decanting of both Victorian Palm Houses and the Front Range Glasshouses, there are several research collections going through an equally significant change behind the scenes.
Fostering resilience through genetic diversity and co-development. With global environmental change accelerating, resilience is crucial. And genetic diversity is central to species’ resilience. Jeanette Hall pioneers the use…
Capturing complexity in measures of biodiversity. “My introduction to measuring biodiversity came during my PhD research at the University of Ulster, when I set out to compare ancient…
Advancing understanding of deep water habitats to support long-term management and conservation. Professor Murray Roberts is a marine biologist studying the biology and ecology of deep-sea (cold-water) corals….
Exploring interactions between farming and biodiversity. Professor Davy McCracken is an agricultural ecologist who has spent over 30 years studying farming and biodiversity interactions and advising on agriculture…
Harnessing ecological knowledge for sustainable agriculture. Professor Rob Brooker is a plant ecologist working at sites across Scotland. His research focuses on the interactions between plants, which can…
Leading large-scale research into grazing impacts on upland biodiversity. Professor Robin Pakeman’s wide-ranging ecological research spans plant functional traits, the diets of Soay sheep, long-term vegetation change and…
The reality of climate change is that we will lose almost all our large wych elm trees after a long history in the British Isles spanning some 9,000…
Combining research and community action to secure a future for seagrass. Marine scientist Dr Richard Lilley started his research career studying sustainable supply chain management in small-scale capture…
In the spirit of Black History Month, we are sharing the story, otherwise untold, of Dr Archibald Hewan, a 19th century Black doctor and naturalist. Born in Jamaica…
Modelling marine ecosystems for conservation and sustainability. As leader of the Oceanography Group within the Marine Scotland Directorate of the Scottish Government, Dr Alejandro Gallego coordinates the observation…
18 August 1928 – 7 August 2022 Ian Charleson Hedge, who passed away peacefully last month at the age of 93, was an exceptional botanist and long-time lynchpin…
Revealing the hidden impact of plant pests and pathogens. Plant and soil ecologist Dr Ruth Mitchell studies how human activities – such as land use, grazing pressure and…
Improving understanding of climate change impacts. Global change ecologist, Professor Alistair Jump explores the impacts of climate on ecological systems, our dependence on and our place within them….
The small adder’s-tongue fern has a single leaf not much bigger than your little fingernail. Apart from this easily overlooked leaf, the only other visible part of the…
On the 4th of July 2021, water ingress from a burst drainpipe above the reception of our Science building on Inverleith Row made its way into the RBGE…