Mr. Charlie Stratford | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Professional summary

Research Interests

Charlie's research background is in wetland hydro-ecology, and he was a member of the hydro-ecology and wetlands group at the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), now UKCEH, for 15 years. The focus of his early research was the hydrological processes that link wetland habitats to their surroundings. His research has naturally evolved with an increasing focus on the benefits that wetland habitats provide to people, and understanding the underpinning characteristics of habitats from which these benefits are derived. In 2016, Charlie was awarded a Knowledge Exchange Fellowship by the Natural Environment Research Council, to support regional-scale policy and decision makers in including natural capital and ecosystem services in their processes.

During 2017 and 2018, Charlie managed CEH’s Water Evidence Review Consortium contract for Defra and oversaw the design and delivery of five evidence reviews. With UKCEH colleague, James Miller, he has delivered evidence review training courses for a range of audiences. Charlie also led CEH’s 2017 systematic review of the influence of catchment forestry on river flooding. Since 2017 he leads UKCEH’s engagement with the water sector, working at the interface between research, policy and application. In 2022, Charlie was appointed UKCEH Head of Research and Business Development.

Charlie maintains close links to academia and is assistant editor of the journal Mires and Peat, represents UKCEH in the UK Water Partnership, the Floodplain Meadows Partnership, and sits on the UK WFD Wetland Technical Advisory Group.

Brief CV

2022 - Head of Research and Business Development, UKCEH
2017 to 2022 - Water Sector Engagement Manager, UKCEH
2001 to 2017 - Wetland Hydrologist, CEH.

Selected recent projects:

Somerset Levels and Moors: Assessment of the impact of water level management on flood risk (2014) Client: Somerset Drainage Boards Consortium. Role: Project manager and wetland hydrologist. Assessment of the impact of raised water level schemes on flooding.
River Glen Integrated Catchment Management Study (2014) Client: South Lincolnshire Fens Partnership. Role: Project manager and wetland hydrologist. Assessment of current and future water management.
The Hydro-Ecology of English Sand Dunes (2013) Client: Natural England. Role: Project manager and wetland hydrologist. Botanical survey of the main English sand dune wetlands. Hydro-ecological conceptualisation and monitoring of key sites.
Monitoring and Assessment of Environmental Impacts of Droughts (2012) Client: Environment Agency. Role: Wetland hydrologist – coordinating wetland section. To assess and summarise the current literature on the ecological impacts of droughts and to provide guidance on improved monitoring of drought related habitat stress.
Chimney Meadows Floodplain Restoration (2012) Client: BBOWT and NERC. Role: Project manager and wetland hydrologist. To monitor the impact of floodplain restoration techniques and using a combination of observed and modelled data, assess the different techniques against future climate scenarios.
Great Fen Project (2012) Client: Natural England, Environment Agency and the Wildlife Trusts. Role: Wetland hydrologist. The restoration of up to 37 km2 of wetland between Huntingdon and Peterborough with the aim of delivering benefits for society, biodiversity and the local economy.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Environmental Geoscience, University of Bristol (2:1)

Selected publications

Publications

Stratford Charlie; Rooney Paul; , 2017, Special issue – coastal dune slack hydro-ecology. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 21, 573-576
Redhead J.W.; Stratford C.; Sharps K.; Jones L.; Ziv G.; Clarke D.; Oliver T.H.; Bullock J.M.; , 2016, Empirical validation of the InVEST water yield ecosystem service model at a national scale.
Stratford Charlie; Brewin Phil; Acreman Mike; Mountford Owen; , 2015, A simple model to quantify the potential trade-off between water level management for ecological benefit and flood risk. 15, 150-159
Old, G.H.; Naden, P.S.; Rameshwaran, P.; Acreman, M.C.; Baker, S.; Edwards, F.K.; Sorensen, J.P.R.; Mountford, O.; Gooddy, D.C.; Stratford, C.J.; Scarlett, P.M.; Newman, J.R.; Neal, M., 2014, Instream and riparian implications of weed cutting in a chalk river. Ecological Engineering, 71, 290-300
Peh Kelvin S.-H.; Balmford Andrew; Bradbury Richard B.; Brown Claire; Butchart Stuart H.M.; Hughes Francine M.R.; Stattersfield Alison; Thomas David H.L.; Walpole Matt; Bayliss Julian; Gowing David; Jones Julia P.G.; Lewis Simon L.; Mulligan Mark; Pandeya Bhopal; Stratford Charlie; Thompson Julian R.; Turner Kerry; Vira Bhaskar; Willcock Simon; Birch Jennifer C.; , 2013, TESSA: A toolkit for rapid assessment of ecosystem services at sites of biodiversity conservation importance. Ecosystem Services, 5, 51-57
Curreli, A.; Wallace, H.; Freeman, C.; Hollingham, M.; Stratford, C.; Johnson, H.; Jones, L., 2013, Eco-hydrological requirements of dune slack vegetation and the implications of climate change. Science of the Total Environment, 443, 910-919
Palmer-Felgate, Elizabeth J.; Acreman, Mike C.; Verhoeven, Jos T.A.; Scholz, Miklas; Maltby, Edward; Stratford, Charlie J.; Newman, Jonathan; Miller, James; Coughlin, Deborah, 2013, How effective are reedbeds, ponds, restored and constructed wetlands at retaining nitrogen, phosphorus and suspended sediment f. Environmental Evidence, 2
Palmer-Felgate, Elizabeth J.; Mortimer, Robert J.G.; Krom, Michael D.; Jarvie, Helen P.; Williams, Richard J.; Spraggs, Rachael E.; Stratford, Charlie J., 2011, Internal loading of phosphorus in a sedimentation pond of a treatment wetland: Effect of a phytoplankton crash. Science of the Total Environment, 409, 2222-2232
Stratford, Charlie J.; Acreman, Mike C.; Rees, H. Gwyn, 2011, A simple method for assessing the vulnerability of wetland ecosystem services. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 56, 1485-1500
Clerici, Santiago, J; Palmer-Felgate, Elizabeth J.; Mortimer, Robert J.G.; Krom, Michael D.; Jarvie, Helen P; Williams, Richard J.; Spraggs, Rachel E.; Stratford, Charlie J., 2011, Response to Letter to the Editor "Aerobic phosphorus release from shallow lake sediments". Science of the Total Environment, 409, 4642-4643
Palmer-Felgate, Elizabeth J.; Bowes, Michael J.; Stratford, Charlie; Neal, Colin; Sally, MacKenzie, 2011, Phosphorus release from sediments in a treatment wetland: Contrast between DET and EPC0 methodologies. Ecological Engineering, 37, 826-832
Piniewski, Mikolaj; Acreman, Michael C.; Stratford, Charles J.; Okruszko, Tomasz; Gielczewski, Marek; Teodorowicz, Mariusz; Rycharski, Marek; Oswiecimska-Piasko, Zuzanna, 2011, Estimation of environmental flows in semi-natural lowland rivers - the Narew basin case study. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 20, 1281-1293
Acreman, M.C.; Harding, R.J.; Lloyd, C.; McNamara, N.P.; Mountford, J.O.; Mould, D.J.; Purse, B.V.; Heard, M.S.; Stratford, C.J.; Dury, S.J., 2011, Trade-off in ecosystem services of the Somerset Levels and Moors wetlands. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 56, 1543-1565
Acreman, M. C.; Blake, J. R.; Booker, D. J.; Harding, R. J.; Reynard, N.; Mountford, J. O.; Stratford, C. J., 2009, A simple framework for evaluating regional wetland ecohydrological response to climate change with case studies from Great Brit. Ecohydrology, 2, 1-17
Fisher, J.; Stratford, C., 2008, Does reconnection mean restoration for an oxbow lake, Hungary?. International Journal of River Basin Management, 6, 201-211
Duranel, A.J.; Acreman, M.C.; Stratford, C.J.; Thompson, J.R.; Mould, D.J., 2007, Assessing the hydrological suitability of floodplains for species-rich meadow restoration: a case study of the Thames floodplai. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 11, 170-179
Acreman, M.C; Fisher, J.; Stratford, C.J.; Mould, D.J.; Mountford, J.O., 2007, Hydrological science and wetland restoration: some case studies from Europe. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 11, 158-169
Acreman Mike C.; Blake James R.; Carvalho Laurence R.; Dunbar Mike J.; Gunn Iain D.M.; Gustard Alan; Jones Ian D.; Laize Cedric; Maberly Stephen C.; Mackay Eleanor B.; May Linda; Mountford J. Owen; Spears Bryan M.; Stratford Charlie J.; Thackeray Stephen J.; Winfield Ian J.; , 2015. Ecohydrology. In: John C., (eds.) , Progress in modern hydrology: past, present and future. Wiley Blackwell, 267-301. .
Duenas, Manuel A.; Stratford, Charlie; Mackenzie, Sally, 2007, Nutrient dynamics in a semi-natural treatment reedbed. In: Constructed Wetlands Conference: reducing rural pollution risk, University of Edinburgh, Scotland., 5-6 December 2007
Bowes Michael; Read Daniel; Nicholls David; Armstrong Linda; Stratford Charlie; Rees Gwyn; , 2021, River Windrush turbidity investigation: results of water quality catchment surveys (July 2020 to January 2021).