Lindsay Maskell Lindsay Maskell2

Dr Lindsay Maskell

Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Lancaster Environment Centre
Library Avenue
Bailrigg
Lancaster
LA1 4AP
T: +44 (0)1524 595800
F: +44 (0)1524 61536
E-mail: Dr Lindsay Maskell
 

Vegetation scientist: Project leader for Defra-funded Darwin project, "Towards integrated assessment of biodiversity in Belize" –- 2005 until present. Work package leader in Countryside Survey for WP6-integrated assessment

Research interests

The Land-Use systems research group at CEH Lancaster aims to quantify and understand the factors that have shaped recent large-scale change in terrestrial ecosystems in Britain and Europe. Our emphasis is on understanding the impact of human activities including the global change phenomena of climate change, air pollution and land use.

We do this by carrying out large scale surveys e.g. Countryside Survey.

I have been heavily involved in methodological development, organisation and analysis of Countyryside Survey 2007, the latest in a series of nationwide land-use and vegetation surveys.

I am a vegetation scientist and my interest lies in studying changing plant species distribution patterns as well as understanding and explaining habitat change. I have a particular interest in:

  • Invasive species (native and non-native), plant community interactions and relationship to anthropogenic disturbance
  • Nitrogen deposition and impacts on plant communities
  • Tropical forests - relationship between land use and diversity, project in Belize, Central America
  • Integrated assessment - working across disciplines to determine impacts on ecosystem services.

Brief CV

  • 2007: Work package leader in Countryside Survey for WP6-integrated assessment
  • 2005-present: Project leader for Defra-funded Darwin project, "Towards integrated assessment of biodiversity in Belize"
  • 2001-present: Vegetation analysis of large-scale Countryside Survey data
  • 2003-present: PhD in vegetation dynamics at University of Sheffield
  • 2002: Leader of CEH component for Defra project to review and evaluate literature to advise on botanical methodology for agri-environment schemes
  • 2003: European-scale work on impacts of land abandonment and succession on biodiversity as part of the MIRABEL II project for the European Topic Centre
  • 1999-2002: Non-indigenous species and biodiversity. URGENT thematic programme and INVASS project
  • 1996-2001: Research into the presence and influence of viruses in wild populations of Brassica oleracea
  • 1995-2002: Salt marsh research
  • Botanical surveys including Phase II/NVC Survey of Salisbury Plain Training Area, Countryside Survey 2000, Farmscale Field Trials and habitat mapping in tropical forests in Central and South America
  • 1999 Scientific Project Officer for Raleigh International, Belize
  • 1993-1994 Msc Ecology, UCNW, Bangor

Selected publications

See also the NERC Open Research Archive

Maskell, Lindsay C, Smart, Simon M, Bullock, James M, Thompson, Ken, Stevens, Carly J. 2010 Nitrogen deposition causes widespread loss of species richness in British habitats. Global Change Biology, 16 (2). 671-679. 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02022.x

Stevens, C J, Maskell, L C, Smart, S M, Caporn, S J M, Dise, N B, Gowing, D J C. (2009) Identifying indicators of atmospheric nitrogen deposition impacts in acid grasslands. Biological Conservation, 142 (10). 2069-2075. 10.1016/j.biocon.2009.04.002

Chytry, Milan, Pyšek, Petr, Wild, Jan, Pino, Joan, Maskell, Lindsay C, Vila, Montserrat. (2009) European map of alien plant invasions based on the quantitative assessment across habitats. Diversity and Distributions, 15 (1). 98-107. 10.1111/j.1472-4642.2008.00515.x

Chytry, M, Maskell, L C, Pino, J, Pysek, P, Vila, M, Font, X, Smart, S M. (2008) Habitat invasions by alien plants: a quantitative comparison between Mediterranean, subcontinental and oceanic regions of Europe. Journal of Applied Ecology 45, 448–458.

Maskell, L C, Bullock, J M, Smart, S M, Thompson, K and Hulme, P E. (2006) The distribution and vegetation associations of non-native plant species in urban riparian habitats. Journal of Vegetation Science 17, 499-508.

Maskell, L C, Firbank, L G, Thompson, K, Bullock, J M and Smart, S M. (2006) Interactions between non-native plant species and the floristic composition of common habitats. Journal of Ecology 94, 1052-1060.

Smart, S M, Thompson, K,  Marrs, R H,  Le Duc, M,  Maskell, L C and Firbank, L G. Biotic homogenization and changes in species diversity across human-modified ecosystems. (2006) Proc. Roy. Soc. B. 273, 2659-2665.

Smart, S M, Bunce, R G H., Marrs, R, LeDuc, M, Firbank, L G, Maskell, L C, Scott, W A, Thompson, K & Walker, K. (2005) Large-scale changes in the abundance of common higher plant species across Britain between 1978, 1990 and 1998 as a consequence of human activity: tests of hypothesised changes in trait representation. Biological Conservation 124, 355-371.

Smart, S M, Clarke, R C, Bunce, R G H, Van de Poll, H M, Robertson, E J, Shield, E R. and Maskell, L C. (2003) National-scale change in the condition of British vegetation, an analysis of sample-based surveillance data from the Countryside Surveys of Great Britain in 1990 and 1998. Journal of Environmental Management 67, 239-254.

Maskell, L C and Raybould, A F. (2001) The decline of Spartina alterniflora  (poaceae) in the British Isles. Watsonia, 23, 391-400.