Biography
I am a PGR based in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Leeds working with Dr Cat Scott, Professor Piers Forster and Dr Steve Arnold, investigating the atmospheric and climatic impacts of forest expansion in the UK. I previously completed my Undergraduate in Environmental Science and Masters in Climate Change and Environmental Policy at the University of Leeds. I am passionate about communicating science with wider audiences and public engagement.
Qualifications
2019 – 2021: Masters in Climate Change and Environmental Policy, University of Leeds
2016 – 2019: Undergraduate in Environmental Science, University of Leeds
Research Interests
- Woodland expansion
- Biosphere-atmosphere interactions
- Ecosystem services
- Ecosystem resilience under climate change
Project Title
Exploring the climate side-effects and co-benefits of an expansion of UK forests.
Supervisors
Dr Cat Scott, Professor Piers and Dr Steve Arnold.
Funding
Panorama NERC DTP, 2021
Project outline
With a pressing need to limit temperature rise below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels to mitigate the most severe effects of climate change, trees have gained lots of attention. Trees have the potential to help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing this in their biomass. However, we know trees have a range of other interactions with the atmosphere and climate. Ambitious tree planting targets, both in the UK and internationally can help us to remove emissions from the atmosphere, but I am interested to see how planting on a large scale may interact with other processes, such as surface albedo and atmospheric chemistry, and hope to explore the potential net impact that forest expansion may have on the climate.