Hi my name is Louise Smith and I am an upcoming PhD student with QUADRAT. I will be based at Aberdeen University within the School of Geosciences. I did both my undergrad and my postgrad in Germany to save on tuition fees. My undergrad was a BSc in Environmental and Resource Management at the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg. During my undergrad I discovered a great interest in Ecology and corresponding fields such as conservation. My thesis was on the effects of microplastics on bivalves. Therefore, I did my postgrad in Ecology at the University of Bremen where I conducted several research projects into coastal plant conservation and biodiversity. I have been interested in historical ecology since my postgrad. The information that we can gain within this field is endless and it can help us to fill in gaps in our biodiversity knowledge as well as inform future conservation projects. The severe decline in biodiversity globally needs to be addressed. My project will hopefully show how humans have influenced the landscape hundreds of years ago and what ecosystem changes have originated from this. Additionally, it might establish a framework of how to identify landscape changes which have originated from undocumented post-medieval colonies.
QUADRAT Sponsors and Partners
National Trust
NFU Scotland
The Crown Estate
SEPA
Northern Ireland Environment Link
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Syngenta
Ireland Brownfield Network
Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR)
Marine Scotland
Belfast City Council
JNCC
RSPB Scotland
Mourne Heritage Trust
Aberdeen City Council
DAERA
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
RSPB NI
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar & Marine Research
Volcanic Basin Petroleum Research
Loughs Agency
National Biodiversity Data Centre Ireland
Pacific Seafoods Group
Botanaeco
NOAA Fisheries
Siskin Asset Management
SAERI Falklands Limited
Bioversity International
Aberdeen Harbour Board
Carl Zeiss Microscopy Ltd
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS)
SAERI
Geological Survey NI
Forestry and Land Scotland
National Trust for Scotland
Environment Agency
Ulster Wildlife
Causeway, Coast & Glens Heritage Trust
Scottish water
Historic Environment Scotland
Ulster Farmers’ Union
The R&A
NI Water
BGS
Bumblebee Conservation Trust
CB Dennis Trust
Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute
Wildbyte Technologies
Tilhill Forestry
James Hutton Institute
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
Arup
National Trust NI
3DEO
Shetland Amenity Trust
Forest Research Scotland