Professional summary
Research Interests
Sustainable Land Use for climate and biodiversity
I am a science project manager and researcher with a focus on ways to support transitions to sustinable land management. The projects I work on and lead provide evidence for real-world application of sustainable practices and support future policy development to the benefit of our natural environment, while being fiesable for implementation.
I am passionate about developing sustainable and applicable land management and farming practices - aiming to gather evidence and promote ways of sustainably managing land that is not only beneficial for nature and the environment, but importantly is viable for the business enterprise. Owning a 12-acre smallholding, being involved in entrepreneurial start-up businesses (such as creating the One Pound Challenge) and being a farmers son - I have a drive to ensure that my science is applicable to the real world, communicated well and developed by engaging with the people it will impact and hopefully benefit. Therefore, I enjoy connecting with farmers and land managers to hear their experiences of innovative nature-based farming - collating these experiences alongside high quality scientific data and monitoring - to ultimately help inform policy direction and share knowledge.
Previously, I have mostly worked on projects with a soil and water interaction focus - primarily carbon and nutrient pathways across a landscape from field to lake (and sometimes as far as to the sea), with a particular interest in sediment and water interactions driven by land-use and/or climate change. With a PhD background in limnology - carbon sequestration and algal response to nutrient and climate changes - I have since been involved with peat land, salt marsh and soil carbon projects.
Communication
A key part of my work is increasingly to manage projects and communicate the key findings in ways that is accessible to all interested parties. I believe clear communication through a variety of platforms is vital to bring people together, to share knowledge and ultimately move forward to a better future of sustainable environmental management - where we work in harmony with nature.
The application of good impactful science requires a variety of voices to be brought together to develop a narrative that will change the way we manage the land and environment - uniting people to a common goal - rather than keeping science, policy and business as separate silos that often clash, although their aims ultimately are the same - to create a productive healthy environment.
Furthermore, high-quality communication to the genal public is vital to lead the way in changing the narratives on environmental, economic and social issues. I am increasingly fascinated by the role of various media outlets in their ability to guide and shape the narratives of science communication - I believe communication should be hope filled and inspiring to see a state shift in people's approach to engaging with our natural environment - my own personal attempt to provide this hope and inspiration comes through a social media presence and YouTube channel following life on my 12-acre small holding in rural North-West Wales on the island of Anglesey (Paradwys Diaries - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUcKVPvuCeczPVE6qw-NQTw).
Current projects and activities
I hold a number of project management and oversight positions, ensuring each deliver their objectives with staff engaged and working collaboratively, while administration and finance documentation is maintained efficiently. Through these roles I continue to build working networks to communicate and manage stakeholder relationships for effective and impactful work, while looking for opportunities to explore new work opportunities.
The projects and networks I currenlty work in are:
Enhanced Rock Weathering Greenouse Gas Removal Demonstrator, Plynlimon - Project Manager - An experiment to test the Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) potential of Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) in upland grasslands via the application of a basalt rock dust over a 3-year period. This project is a major demonstrator in the Enhanced Rock Weathering project as part of the high-profile Government funded UKRI GGR programme (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/sustainable/news/2021/may/greenhouse-gas-removal-programme-wins-ps30million-government-funding). I manage the Plynlimon demonstrator site in the long-term UKCEH Plynlimon Research Catchments. The purpose is to measure the impact of crushed silicate rocks in a paired catchment experiment (each headwater catchment ~5ha each) applied at a rate of 20tonnes per ha each year for 3 years. The aim of the study is to quantify the impact to soil carbon, GHG flux, water, grazing stress and vegetation following application on 3.5ha of land.
Plynlimon Research Catchments - Site Manager - Linked to the GGR Rockdust project above, I also oversee the long-term Plynlimon Research Catchments, continuing the 60+ years of research at the site. The Plynlimon research catchments are two, almost identical, adjacent uplands catchments, with the exception that one is used for grazing sheep while the other is mostly under plantation conifer forestry. Intensive and long-term monitoring within the catchments underpins a wealth of hydrological and hydro-chemical research. The combined datasets include river flow, rainfall, cloud and stream hydro-chemistry, meteorology and a variety of detailed spatial datasets representing the topography, soils and rivers of the catchments. I also oversee the Beddgelert and Llyn Llagi field sites for the Upland Waters Monitoring Network (UWMN).
FABulous Farmers - Project Manager - I co-lead the UKCEH contribution to the EU INTERREG funded FAB Farmers project. FAB, or Functional agrobiodiversity (FAB) is the biodiversity that are usefull for agriculture when considering the whole cycle of a land use and co-benefits of farming practice. They can include targeted measures of biodiversity in and around the field to improve pollination, pest management, soil and water quality on the farmland. UKCEH leads the scientific assessment of the impact of FAB measures on farms across North-West Europe.
Environment and Rural Affairs Monitoring & Modelling Programme (ERAMMP) - Communications and programme management support - I help increase the impact of ERAMMP communications of outputs and stakeholder network engagement. ERAMMP delivers a programme of monitoring and modelling collecting data from across the Welsh landscape and links any changes to their impacts on a wide range of benefits including their economic consequences. The programme is a key source of evidence to support Welsh Governemnt Natural Resources Policy.
Sustainable Church Land Netwok - Science Lead - I am part of a number of networks and small projects supporting the policy and decision making for major land holders in the UK as they find ways to sustainably transition their land towards more sustainable practices. This has begun with developing a network aiming to guide the Church of England towards impactful decisions on how to manage their vast land holdings.
UKCEH Public Engagement with Research (PER) - Committee representitive for Bangor site - Internally I represent one of the four UKCEH sites on the PER committee, helping develop PER strategy and impact for the benefit of UKCEH and our science.
Brief CV
2022 - Present: Soils & Land-use Science Project Manager (B5), UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor
2020 - 2022: Soil & Water Scientist (B6, research associate), UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor
2018 - 2019: Wetland Biogeochemist (B6, maternity cover), Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor
2018: Ozone Research Assistant (B7), Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor
2014 - 2018: PhD studentship (funded by CENTA), Geography and Environment, Loughborough University
Qualifications
2018 - PhD Lake biogeochemistry, Geography and Environment, Loughborough University
2013 - BSc 1st class (hons) Geography and Sport Science, Loughborough University
Publications
Maskell, L., A. D. Radbourne; L. Norton; S. Reinsch; J. Alison; L. Bowles; K. Geudens; D. A. Robinson (in review) Functional Agro-Biodiversity: An evaluation of current approaches and outcomes in an EU context.
Robinson, D.A., Nemes, A., Reinsch, S., Radbourne, A.D., Bentley, L., Keith, A.M. (2022) Global meta-analysis of soil hydraulic properties on the same soils with differing land use. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158506
Dai, L., Xu, Y., Harmens, H., Duan, H., Feng., H., Hayes, F., Sharps, K., Radbourne, A., Tarvainen, L.(2021) Reduced photosynthetic thermal acclimation capacity under elevated ozone in poplar (Populus tremula) saplings. Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15564
Evans, C., et al (2021) A novel low-cost, high resolution camera system for measuring peat subsidence and water table dynamics. Frontiers in Environmental Science (Soil Processes). https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.630752
Hayes, F., Harmens, H., Sharps, K., Radbourne, A. D. (2020). Ozone dose-response relationships for tropical crops reveal potential threat to legume and wheat production, but not to millets. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2020.e00482
Keaveney, E.M., Radbourne, A.D., McGowan, S., Ryves, D.B., Reimer, P.J. (2020). Source and quantity of carbon influence its sequestration in Rostherne Mere (UK) sediment: a novel application of stepped combustion radiocarbon analysis. Journal of Paleolimnology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-020-00141-1
Ryves, D.B., Leng, M.J., Barker, P.A., Snelling, A.M., Sloane, H.J., Arrowsmith, C., Tyler, J.J., Scott, D.R., Radbourne, A.D., Anderson, N.J. (2020). Understanding the transfer of contemporary temperature signals into lake sediments via paired oxygen isotope ratios in carbonates and diatom silica: Problems and potential. Chemical Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119705
Radbourne, A.D., Ryves, D. B. (2020). Experimental assessment and implications of long-term within-trap mineralization of seston in lake trapping studies. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods. https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10369
Radbourne, A. D., Evans, C., Monteith, D. (2019). Evaluation of three sub-programmes in the Swedish National Air Monitoring Programme. Swedish Environment Protection Agency comissioned report. http://www.naturvardsverket.se/upload/miljoarbete-i-samhallet/miljoarbete-i-sverige/miljoovervakning/Luft/ceh-sepa-report-2019.pdf
Radbourne, A. D., Ryves, D. B., Madgwick, G., Anderson, N. J. (2019). The influence of climate change on the restoration trajectory of a nutrient rich deep lake. Ecosystems. doi.org/10.1007/s10021-019-00442-1
Harmens, H., Hayes, F., Sharps, K., Radbourne, A., Mills, G. (2019). Can reduced irrigation mitigate ozone impacts on an ozone-sensitive African wheat variety? Plants, 220; doi: 10.3390/plants8070220
Radbourne, A. D., Elliott, J. A., Maberly, S. C., Ryves, D. B., Anderson, N. J. (2019). The impacts of changing nutrient load and climate on a deep, eutrophic, monomictic lake. Freshwater Biology, 64, 1169– 1182. doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13293
Lacey, J. H., Leng, M. J., Vane, C. H., Radbourne, A. D., Yang, H. & Ryves, D. B. (2018). Assessing human impact on Rostherne Mere, UK, using the geochemistry of organic matter. Anthropocene, 21, 52-65. doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2018.02.002
Radbourne, A. D. (2018). Disentangling the impacts of nutrient enrichment and climatic forcing as key drivers of change at Rostherne Mere. PhD Thesis, Loughborough University. See Loughborough Repository.
Radbourne, A. D., Ryves, D. B., Anderson, N. J. & Scott, D. R. (2017). The historical dependency of organic carbon burial efficiency. Limnology and Oceanography, 62, 1480 - 1497. doi.org/10.1002/lno.10512
Data Publications
Radbourne, A.R.; Ryves, D.B.; Anderson, N.J.; Scott, D.R. (2018). Organic carbon burial calculation using sediment trap and sediment core records from Rostherne Mere, Cheshire, UK (1360-2016). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/8616c1a0-6c6d-441c-9b10-8464dc4ee346
Radbourne, A.D.; Ryves, D.B.; Anderson, N.J. (2018). Lake and catchment nutrient, ecology and hydrology monitoring of Rostherne Mere, Cheshire, UK (2016-2017). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/5c6b2bcb-6b10-4c57-a595-ce94a655e709
Radbourne, A.D.; Ryves, D.B; Anderson, N.J. (2018). Sediment trap diatom assemblages from Rostherne Mere, Cheshire, UK (2004-2017). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/16f52064-a19d-4cf5-a388-aff04a592179
Radbourne, A.D.; Elliott, J.A.; Maberly, S.C.; Ryves, D.B.; Anderson, N.J. (2018). Potential future scenarios of nutrient and climate change using the model PROTECH at Rostherne Mere, Cheshire, UK (2016-2100). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/2f0eae1c-1512-4823-9cbe-cb54f05ee996
Other publications of note
Radbourne, A. D. (in progress, 2023) An improved churchyard carbon assessment using citizen science. Church of England commissioned study.
Radbourne, A. D. (2022) Review of Decision Support tools for FAB implementation. EU Interreg FAB Farmers project
Radbourne, A. D., Feeney, C. & Robinson, D. A. (2022) Rapid assessment of Church of England Churchyard carbon and management.
Lead compiler on 14 WOCAT sustainable Land Management technology publications. See: https://qcat.wocat.net/en/wocat/list/?type=wocat&filter__qg_funding_project__funding_project=1059
Radbourne, A. D (2020) Decision support toolkit. An information toolkit for the EU Interreg FAB Farmers project.
Radbourne, A. D., Reinsch, S., Robinson, D. A., Norton, L., & Maskell, L. (2020) Review of decision support tools for FAB solutions. A report as part of the EU Interreg FAB Farmers project.
Radbourne, A. D., Burden, A., Williamson, J., & Evans, C. (2020) Peatland Monitoring Manual. A detailed protocol deliverable for the SMS Peatland project.
Radbourne, A. D., Evans, C., Monteith, D. (2019). Evaluation of three sub-programmes in the Swedish National Air Monitoring Programme. http://www.naturvardsverket.se/upload/miljoarbete-i-samhallet/miljoarbete-i-sverige/miljoovervakning/Luft/ceh-sepa-report-2019.pdf
Radbourne, A. D. & Ryves, D. B. (2019). Secrets deep within: exploring the sediment archive (ch. 11). In; Wall & Wall (eds), Rostherne Mere: Aspects of a wetland nature reserve. Wildlife, people and science through time.
Radbourne, A. D. & Ryves, D. B. (2017). Natural England Report: Management implications of legacy phosphorus replenishment at Rostherne Mere.
2018 - PhD Lake biogeochemistry, Geography and Environment, Loughborough University
2013 - BSc 1st class (hons) Geography and Sport Science, Loughborough University
Publications
Maskell, L., A. D. Radbourne; L. Norton; S. Reinsch; J. Alison; L. Bowles; K. Geudens; D. A. Robinson (in review) Functional Agro-Biodiversity: An evaluation of current approaches and outcomes in an EU context.
Robinson, D.A., Nemes, A., Reinsch, S., Radbourne, A.D., Bentley, L., Keith, A.M. (2022) Global meta-analysis of soil hydraulic properties on the same soils with differing land use. Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158506
Dai, L., Xu, Y., Harmens, H., Duan, H., Feng., H., Hayes, F., Sharps, K., Radbourne, A., Tarvainen, L.(2021) Reduced photosynthetic thermal acclimation capacity under elevated ozone in poplar (Populus tremula) saplings. Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15564
Evans, C., et al (2021) A novel low-cost, high resolution camera system for measuring peat subsidence and water table dynamics. Frontiers in Environmental Science (Soil Processes). https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2021.630752
Hayes, F., Harmens, H., Sharps, K., Radbourne, A. D. (2020). Ozone dose-response relationships for tropical crops reveal potential threat to legume and wheat production, but not to millets. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2020.e00482
Keaveney, E.M., Radbourne, A.D., McGowan, S., Ryves, D.B., Reimer, P.J. (2020). Source and quantity of carbon influence its sequestration in Rostherne Mere (UK) sediment: a novel application of stepped combustion radiocarbon analysis. Journal of Paleolimnology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-020-00141-1
Ryves, D.B., Leng, M.J., Barker, P.A., Snelling, A.M., Sloane, H.J., Arrowsmith, C., Tyler, J.J., Scott, D.R., Radbourne, A.D., Anderson, N.J. (2020). Understanding the transfer of contemporary temperature signals into lake sediments via paired oxygen isotope ratios in carbonates and diatom silica: Problems and potential. Chemical Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119705
Radbourne, A.D., Ryves, D. B. (2020). Experimental assessment and implications of long-term within-trap mineralization of seston in lake trapping studies. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods. https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10369
Radbourne, A. D., Evans, C., Monteith, D. (2019). Evaluation of three sub-programmes in the Swedish National Air Monitoring Programme. Swedish Environment Protection Agency comissioned report. http://www.naturvardsverket.se/upload/miljoarbete-i-samhallet/miljoarbete-i-sverige/miljoovervakning/Luft/ceh-sepa-report-2019.pdf
Radbourne, A. D., Ryves, D. B., Madgwick, G., Anderson, N. J. (2019). The influence of climate change on the restoration trajectory of a nutrient rich deep lake. Ecosystems. doi.org/10.1007/s10021-019-00442-1
Harmens, H., Hayes, F., Sharps, K., Radbourne, A., Mills, G. (2019). Can reduced irrigation mitigate ozone impacts on an ozone-sensitive African wheat variety? Plants, 220; doi: 10.3390/plants8070220
Radbourne, A. D., Elliott, J. A., Maberly, S. C., Ryves, D. B., Anderson, N. J. (2019). The impacts of changing nutrient load and climate on a deep, eutrophic, monomictic lake. Freshwater Biology, 64, 1169– 1182. doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13293
Lacey, J. H., Leng, M. J., Vane, C. H., Radbourne, A. D., Yang, H. & Ryves, D. B. (2018). Assessing human impact on Rostherne Mere, UK, using the geochemistry of organic matter. Anthropocene, 21, 52-65. doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2018.02.002
Radbourne, A. D. (2018). Disentangling the impacts of nutrient enrichment and climatic forcing as key drivers of change at Rostherne Mere. PhD Thesis, Loughborough University. See Loughborough Repository.
Radbourne, A. D., Ryves, D. B., Anderson, N. J. & Scott, D. R. (2017). The historical dependency of organic carbon burial efficiency. Limnology and Oceanography, 62, 1480 - 1497. doi.org/10.1002/lno.10512
Data Publications
Radbourne, A.R.; Ryves, D.B.; Anderson, N.J.; Scott, D.R. (2018). Organic carbon burial calculation using sediment trap and sediment core records from Rostherne Mere, Cheshire, UK (1360-2016). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/8616c1a0-6c6d-441c-9b10-8464dc4ee346
Radbourne, A.D.; Ryves, D.B.; Anderson, N.J. (2018). Lake and catchment nutrient, ecology and hydrology monitoring of Rostherne Mere, Cheshire, UK (2016-2017). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/5c6b2bcb-6b10-4c57-a595-ce94a655e709
Radbourne, A.D.; Ryves, D.B; Anderson, N.J. (2018). Sediment trap diatom assemblages from Rostherne Mere, Cheshire, UK (2004-2017). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/16f52064-a19d-4cf5-a388-aff04a592179
Radbourne, A.D.; Elliott, J.A.; Maberly, S.C.; Ryves, D.B.; Anderson, N.J. (2018). Potential future scenarios of nutrient and climate change using the model PROTECH at Rostherne Mere, Cheshire, UK (2016-2100). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/2f0eae1c-1512-4823-9cbe-cb54f05ee996
Other publications of note
Radbourne, A. D. (in progress, 2023) An improved churchyard carbon assessment using citizen science. Church of England commissioned study.
Radbourne, A. D. (2022) Review of Decision Support tools for FAB implementation. EU Interreg FAB Farmers project
Radbourne, A. D., Feeney, C. & Robinson, D. A. (2022) Rapid assessment of Church of England Churchyard carbon and management.
Lead compiler on 14 WOCAT sustainable Land Management technology publications. See: https://qcat.wocat.net/en/wocat/list/?type=wocat&filter__qg_funding_project__funding_project=1059
Radbourne, A. D (2020) Decision support toolkit. An information toolkit for the EU Interreg FAB Farmers project.
Radbourne, A. D., Reinsch, S., Robinson, D. A., Norton, L., & Maskell, L. (2020) Review of decision support tools for FAB solutions. A report as part of the EU Interreg FAB Farmers project.
Radbourne, A. D., Burden, A., Williamson, J., & Evans, C. (2020) Peatland Monitoring Manual. A detailed protocol deliverable for the SMS Peatland project.
Radbourne, A. D., Evans, C., Monteith, D. (2019). Evaluation of three sub-programmes in the Swedish National Air Monitoring Programme. http://www.naturvardsverket.se/upload/miljoarbete-i-samhallet/miljoarbete-i-sverige/miljoovervakning/Luft/ceh-sepa-report-2019.pdf
Radbourne, A. D. & Ryves, D. B. (2019). Secrets deep within: exploring the sediment archive (ch. 11). In; Wall & Wall (eds), Rostherne Mere: Aspects of a wetland nature reserve. Wildlife, people and science through time.
Radbourne, A. D. & Ryves, D. B. (2017). Natural England Report: Management implications of legacy phosphorus replenishment at Rostherne Mere.