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This series looks in detail at British Woodland, from its origin, to the depleted expanse remaining today. In addition to their environmental value, parts of many woodlands have through the centuries been coppiced, a benign practice favourable to wildlife. However, more recently, with commercial forestry, vast conifer plantations have sprung up, scarring the countryside. As deciduous woodland becomes scarce, it is under greater pressure. Included in this series are two ancient and well loved forests which are of immense value to wildlife, so that management is crucial to protect the environment and cope with visitor density.
Download the Woodlands 2011 Lectures Brochure
Download the Woodlands 2011 Reading List
The Ancestry of British Woodlands - Martin Ingrouille - 14 Oct 11
The Special Relationship - Jeremy Dagley - 21 Oct 11
Paris and Pignut - Keith Kirby - 28 Oct 11
Pests and Pathogens - Joan Webber - 04 Nov 11
Woodland Management Dilemmas - Shelley Hinsley - 11 Nov 11
Management and Conservation - Donald Thompson - 18 Nov 11:
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At the Nagoya Conference in November 2010, governments agreed challenging targets: to at least halve the loss of natural habitats, increase both land and sea areas designated as nature reserves, and increase aid budgets for this. But the 2002 Rio target to slow biodiversity loss by 2010 was not achieved and the present rate of extinction is believed to be as great as that in the five periods of mass extinction in the geological record. What must we do to halt the loss? In this series we ask what causes the losses and what more is needed to meet international targets?
Download the World Biodiversity in Crisis 2011 Lectures Brochure
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'The Evil Quartet' - Dave Dawson - 11 Feb 11
Protecting the Best Areas - Charles Besançon - 18 Feb 11
Making Space for Nature - John Lawton - 25 Feb 11
Agri-environment Schemes - Nigel Boatman - 04 Mar 11
Towards Fair and Sustainable Fisheries - Aniol Esteban & Rupert Crilly - 11 Mar 11
Lecture notes unavailable
Invasive Species - Richard Cuthbert - 18 Mar 11
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The broad effects of climate change are established, but the biodiversity and ecology of oceans have not yet been adequately researched and are little understood. We already know that there is a wonderful diversity of life in our oceans, which will play a vital role in our future climates, foods and minerals. New discoveries on the ocean floor show us a world we had never imagined, one we can still care for. The skills to understand and adequately monitor changes in the oceans depend upon a sound knowledge of ecosystems, including life-cycles of the species found there. This series looks at oceans, their biodiversity and their future.
Download the Seas for Life 2010 Lectures Brochure
Download the Seas for Life 2010 Reading List
Vulnerable Ecosystems in the Deep Ocean - Alex Rogers - 15 Oct 10
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The Chagos Archipelago - Rachel Jones - 22 Oct 10
Additional Readings
Lundy Island - Paul Biggin - 22 Oct 10
Additional Readings
Living Seas - Kirsten Smith - 29 Oct 10
Plankton Biodiversity - Peter Burkill - 05 Nov 10
The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt - Agatha De Boer - 12 Nov 10
Life at Volcanic Vents - Jon Copley - 19 Nov 10
The series will explore the immense diversity of soil types derived from varying geology, topography, climate and organic material and their importance to the continuance of life on earth. The vital role of micro and macro organisms of the soil will be included. The function of the soil as a medium for plant growth in natural habitats and modifications to soil fertility necessary for agriculture and horticulture will be covered, as well as reclamation of damaged soils.
Download the Soil 2010 Lectures Brochure
Managing Soil Physical Conditions in Agriculture - Richard Godwin - 12 Feb 10
Soil Water Management - Gordon Spoor - 19 Feb 10
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Turning the Tables: When Fungi Host Plants - Martin Bidartondo - 26 Feb 10
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Maintaining Soil Fertility - Guy Barter - 05 Mar 10
Impacts of Food Production on Soils - Keith Goulding - 12 Mar 10
Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Nutrient Cycling - Richard Bardgett - 19 Mar 10
This series of lectures focuses on the importance of being able to define and identify the natural world, with examples of the need and uses of giving species a name, and organising them into systems of classification. The introductory overview will review uncertainty in the numbers of species on Earth and their extinction rates, and survey how resulting problems can be addressed for effective conservation action. Subsequent lectures will highlight the importance of taxonomy to fungi, forensics, invertebrates, and control of illegal use of endangered species. In the final session a panel of experts will review how the next generation of naturalists can be inspired, and will discuss how to encourage more people to enter the field of taxonomy, where there is a critical shortage.
Download the Taxonomy and Biodiversity 2009 Lectures Brochure
Taxonomy, Systematics & Conservation Biology - Robert May - 16 Oct 09
The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi - Lynne Boddy - 23 Oct 09
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Illegal Use of Endangered Species - Monique Simmonds - 30 Oct 09
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Botany, palynology and mycology - Patricia Wiltshire - 06 Nov 09
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Taxonomy, Natural History and the Digital World - Malcolm Scoble - 13 Nov 09
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Panel Presentation and Discussion: Inspiring New Naturalists and Taxonomists - 20 Nov 09
Working with Children - Gail Bromley
Higher Education - David Streeter
Professional Taxonomy - Mike Fay
Water is the basis of all life, yet now its quality for all habitats is compromised by human activities. As a result, climate change threatens increased quality and supply problems, and more flooding, with profound impacts on wildlife and people. This series examines water ecosystems and habitats from London to the national level, their degradation, restoration and management, the challenge of new legislation to deal with new problems, and perhaps some positive solutions.
Download the Freshwater Habitat 2009 Lectures Brochure
The State of River Ecosystems - Steve Ormerod - 13 Feb 09
Water Management for Nature Conservation - David Gowing - 20 Feb 09
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Practical Action for Freshwater Conservation - Paul Raven - 27 Feb 09
Freshwater Nature Conservation and Pollution - Alastair Burn - 06 Mar 09
Lecture notes unavailable
Climate Change and Freshwater Ecosystems - Rick Battarbee - 13 Mar 09
The Future of Freshwaters - Brian Moss - 20 Mar 09
Birkbeck, University of London in conjunction with the Ecology and Conservation Studies Society. Increased and competing pressures on our use of land: - for wildlife, water supply and management, food production, biofuels and biomass, carbon stewardship, transport, housing and recreation – pose an escalating environmental challenge at every level. What is our long term vision for land use in the UK, and how can we achieve this?
Download the Land Use 2008 Lectures Brochure
Whose Land is it Anyway? - Philip Lowe - 17 Oct 08
The Big Brownfield Biodiversity Botch - Matt Shardlow - 24 Oct 08
Integrated River Basin Management - Pam Gilder - 31 Oct 08
Sustainable Cities - Pete Massini - 07 Nov 08
Eco-Towns - Peter Hall - 14 Nov 08
What does the nation need from land? - Tony Burton - 21 Nov 08
This series will examine some of the extreme problems caused world wide by global warming. After a scene setting introduction of human interactions on the biosphere, lectures will discuss permafrost melt and decay of peat bogs; coral reef breakdown with coastal effects; polar ice melt; water stress, drought and starvation in Africa; and the effects on tropical forest ecology. Local human populations will be profoundly affected in many ways, which could lead to migrations of ecological refugees.
Download the Global Impacts of Climate Change 2008 Lectures Brochure
Lecture notes unavailable for this series.
Climate change is causing a significant and increasing impact on UK wildlife. Some species are under stress, while others are expanding their range. What new species will arrive in Britain? This must have profound consequences for conservation and management. Appropriate actions need to be discussed and developed now. This lecture series will inform the debate. Knowledgeable national experts will review topics such as phenology – the timing of natural events. They will present details of the effects of climate change on species such as birds, woodlands, plants, invertebrates and aquatic life. Implications for the future management of open spaces and the environment will be debated.
Download the British Wildlife and Climate Change 2007 Lectures Brochure
Lecture notes unavailable for this series.
Sustainability and conservation are of literally vital importance to our future. Human demands on Earth’s resources threaten the life support systems on which the future of our own species – and of countless others - depends. The significance of climate change is increasingly recognized. These complex, interlocking issues force us to consider urgently how best we can live within environmental limits; but the right strategic actions are hotly debated. This lecture series will inform that debate. An introductory overview of global warming and world issues will be followed by lectures describing aspects of particular relevance for the UK: energy use; fresh water resources; land use; urban waste; the sea around us. Problems will be posed and solutions proposed.
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Major landowners and administrative agencies have responsibility for managing large tracts of the countryside. The policies of these organizations have great importance in the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity. With increasing isolation of many nature reserves and other conservation sites, it is significant that major players at the national level deal with land in large blocks, giving scope for a more integrated approach to their conservation commitments.
Download the Conservation on the Grand Scale 2006 Lectures Brochure
Lecture notes unavailable for this series.