Ecosystem Dynamics

Our Research

The Lincoln Centre for Water and Planetary Health aims to understand ecosystem dynamics using a variety of techniques for spatial and temporal scale reconstructions to determine global patterns, ecological response, long-term change, and ecosystem function.

Lake Aquatic Ecosystems: Climate Driven Dynamics

We are interested in understanding long-term climate driven relationships between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through high-resolution multi-proxy palaeoecological data.

Lake Aquatic Ecosystems: Hydrodynamics of Large Lakes

LCWPH has used a three-dimensional thermo hydrodynamic model, Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC), to model the thermal behaviour of Lake Ontario (springwarming, thermal bar formation, and summer stratification). The aim is to understand how climatic changes influence the thermal bar that directly effects the fish habitats and near shore ecosystem.

Global Vegetation Dynamics

We are using satellite derived parameters related to vegetation to detect stresses related to water and contaminants.

Fish Habitats

The extent to which environmental context mediates the bioaccumulation of biotransported contaminants by stream resident organisms is poorly understood. Our results highlight that contaminant transport by a migratory organism can have substantial consequences for recipient ecosystems. We are interested in modelling fish habitats in large lakes.

Fire Disturbance

We are interested in studying the impact of fire disturbance on ecosystem response and dynamics of on terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Floodplain Ecosystems

Riverine flood plains are among the world’s most threatened ecosystems. We are currently looking at vegetation changes over the past 30 years along the contaminated river corridors.


Key Personnel and Expertise

Dr Dilkushi de Alwis Pitts - Surface Dynamics

Dr Kristen Beck - Quaternary Scientist and Biogeographer

Dr Theresa Mercer - environmental biogeochemistry, biogeography, ecosystem services, soil science, waste management, environmental pollution, environmental policy, climate policy

Publications (with LCWPH affiliation)

Team Members Publications 
Kristen Beck 

Beck, Kristen, Fletcher, Michael-Shawn, Gadd, Patricia, Heijnis, Henk, Saunders, Krystyna and ZawadzkiAtun (2019) The long-term impacts of climate and fire on catchment processes and aquatic ecosystem response in Tasmania, Australia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 221 . p. 105892. ISSN 0277-3791 

Fletcher, M.-S., Bowman, D.M.J.S., Whitlock, C., Mariani, M., Beck, K.K., Stahle, L., Hopf, F., Benson, A., Hall, T., Heijnis, H., & Zawadki, A. (2021) The influence of climatic change, fire and species invasion on a southern temperate rainforest system over the past 18,000 years. Quaternary Science Reviews106824 

Beck, K.K., Mariani, M., Fletcher, M-S., Schneider, L., Gadd, P.S., Heijnis, H., Saunders, K.M. & Zawadki, A. (2020) The impacts of intensive mining on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems: a case study from cool temperate Tasmania, Australia Environmental Pollution, 114695. DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114695 

Theresa Mercer  Norton BA, Bending GD, Clark R, Corstanje R, Dunnett N, Evans KL, Grafius DR, Gravestock E, Grice SM, Harris JA, Hilton S, Hoyle H, Lim E, Mercer TGPawlett M, Pescott OL, Richards JP, Southon GE and Warren PH. (2019). Urban meadows as an alternative to short mown grassland: effects of composition and height on biodiversity. Ecological Applications 29(6), pp. 1095–1115. 
Alex Lechner 

Chen, HL, T.K. Nath, S. Chong, V. Foo, C. Gibbins, A.M. Lechner (2021) The plastic waste problem in Malaysia: management, recycling and disposal of local and global plastic waste. SN Applied Sciences. 

de la Torre, J.A., E.P. Wong, A.M. Lechner, N. Zulaikha, A. Zawawi, P.A. Patah, S. Saaban, B. Goossens, A. Campos-Arceiz (2020) There will be conflict – agricultural landscapes are prime, rather than marginal, habitats for Asian elephants. Animal Conservation.  

Lourdes, K.T., C.N. Gibbins, P. Hamel, R. Sanusi, B. Azhar, A.M. Lechner (2020) A Review of Urban Ecosystem Services Research in Southeast Asia. Land. 10(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10010040  

Ern Ang, M.L., D. Arts, D. Crawford, B.V. Labatos, K.D. Ngo, J.R. Owen, C. Gibbins, A.M. Lechner (2020). Socio-environmental land cover time series analysis of mining landscapes using Google Earth Engine and web-based mapping. Remote Sens. Appl. Soc. Environ. 100458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2020.100458  

Lechner, Alex, Gomes, Rachel L., Rodrigues, LuceliaAshfold, Matthew J., Selvam, Sivathass Bannir, Wong, Ee Phin, Raymond, Christopher M., Zieritz, Alexandra, Sing, Kong Wah, Moug, Peter, Billa, Lawal, SagalaSautCheshmehzangi, Ali, Lourdes, Karen, AzharBadrul, Sanusi, Ruzana, Ives, Christopher D., Tang, Yu-Ting, Tan, David T., Chan, Faith Ka Shun, Nath, Tapan Kumar, Sabarudin, Nur Aliya Binti, Metcalfe, Sarah E., Gulsrud, Natalie M., Schuerch, Mark, Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa, Macklin, Mark and Gibbins, Chris (2020) Challenges and considerations of applying nature-based solutions in low- and middle-income countries in Southeast and East Asia. Blue-Green Systems, 2 (1). pp. 331-351.  

McKenna, P.B., A.M. Lechner, S. Phinn, P.D. Erskine (2020) Remote sensing of mine site rehabilitation for ecological outcomes: A global systematic review. Remote Sens. 12, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12213535  

Teo, H.C., A.M. Lechner, S. Sagala, A. Campos-Arceiz (2020) Environmental Impacts of Planned Capitals and Lessons for Indonesia’s New Capital. Land 9, 438. 

Paul A, T.K. Nath S.J. Noon, A.M. Lechner (2020) Public Open space, Green exercise and well-being in Chittagong, Bangladesh. Urban Forest and Urban Greening 55:126825. doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126825 

Teo, H.C., A. Campos-Arceiz, B. Li, M. Wu, A. Lechner (2020) Building a Green Belt and Road: A Systematic Review and Comparative Assessment of the Chinese and English-Language Literature. PLoS One 15.  

Lechner, A.M., L.N.H. Verbrugge, A. Chelliah, M. Ang, C.M. Raymond (2020) Rethinking tourism conflict potential within and between groups using participatory mapping. Landscape and Urban Planning, 203 

Ng, L., A. Campos-Arceiz, S. Sloan, A.C. Hughes, D. Tiang, B. Li, A.M. Lechner (2020) The scale of biodiversity impacts of China's Belt and Road Initiative in Southeast Asia. Biological Conservation. 248 

Jamhuri, J., M.A. Edinoor, N. Kamarudin, A.M. Lechner, A. Ashton-Butt, B. Azhar (2020) Higher mortality rates for large- and medium-sized mammals on plantation roads compared to highways in Peninsular Malaysia. Ecol. Evolhttps://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6827 

 

Projects

Team Member Project 
Kristen Beck 

palaeoecological perspective on the ecological implications of seawall removal at Gibraltar Point, UK Funded by QRA Quaternary Research Fund (Awarded £1250 in 2020) 

Fire Impacts on Peatland Carbon Sequestration Awarded £2351.68 by SoG SEED CORN fund 2020 

Disentangling Southern Hemisphere climate and environmental interactions of the late Pleistocene Funded by National Environmental Isotope Facility, Natural Environment Research Council in 2020 (NEIF # 2229.0320) 

Alex Lechner Nature-based Solutions for Urban Disaster Mitigation in Middle-Income Countries. The Royal Academy of Engineering £20,000

Contact Us

School of Geography, College of Health and Science
University of Lincoln, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7DW

Tel: +44(0)1522 835820