Professional summary
Research Interests
My research focuses on the analysis of large spatial and temporal datasets to inform macro-ecological theory and applied landscape management. For example, I have used long-term data from the UK Butterfly Monitoring scheme to investigate how species’ responses to climate change are mediated by landscape structure (investigating extreme weather event impacts, buffering of these impacts through topographic and habitat diversity, and re-colonisation after local extinctions through well-connected landscapes).
I am also interested in bridging the gap between theory and application, by providing tools to help decision makers to better integrate biodiversity conservation into mainstream economics. For example, I have worked on developing spatiotemporal indicators for national biodiversity and ecosystem services and, more recently, on producing indicators for the resilience of ecosystem services provided by species.
* Note *: From 1st September 2015 I will be based at the University of Reading (Associate Professor in Landscape Ecology)
Brief CV
Senior Scientific Officer (Ecological Modeller) CEH Wallingford 2011 –present Higher Scientific Officer (Ecological Modeller) CEH Wallingford 2007- 2011 PhD Ecology of Ant-Aphid Interactions Imperial College London 2004-2008 BSc Zoology (First) Imperial College London 2000-2003
Commissions of Trust & Awards • Expert reviewer: IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), Climate Change 2013: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability • Winner of 2013 Marsh Award Early Career Entomologist, Royal Entomological Society, UK. http://www.marshchristiantrust.org/Early_Career_Entomologist • Technical Report Author for UK Biodiversity Climate Change Impacts Report Card http://www.lwec.org.uk/resources/report-cards/biodiversity • Reviewer for 24 different ISI journals including Ecology Letters, Global Change Biology.
Qualifications
Selected publications
Oliver, T.H., Marshall, H.H., Morecroft, M.D., Brereton, T.M., Prudhomme, C. & Huntingford, C. (in press). Interacting effects of climate change and habitat fragmentation on drought-sensitive butterflies. Nature Climate Change
Roy, D.B., Oliver, T.H., Botham, M.S., Beckmann, B., Brereton, T., Dennis, R.L.H., Harrower, C., Phillimore, A.B. & Thomas, J.A. (online early). Differences in butterfly emergence dates between populations suggests local adaptation to climate. Global Change Biology
Oliver, T.H. & Morecroft, M.D. (2014). Interactions between climate change and land use change on biodiversity: attribution problems, risks, and opportunities. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 5, 317-335
Fox, R., Oliver. T, H., Harrower, C., Parsons, M.S., Thomas, C.D. & Roy, D.B. (2014). Long-term changes to the frequency of occurrence of British moths are consistent with opposing and synergistic effects of climate and land use changes. Journal of Applied Ecology, online early.
Oliver, T.H., Stefanescu, C., Paramo, F., Brereton, T. & Roy, D.B. (2014). Latitudinal gradients in butterfly population variability are influenced by landscape heterogeneity. Ecography, online early. doi: 10.1111/ecog.00608
Oliver, T. H., Brereton, T. & Roy, D. B. (2012) Population resilience to an extreme drought is influenced by habitat area and fragmentation in the local landscape. Ecography, 36, 579-586.
Oliver, T. H., Smithers, R. J., Bailey, S., Walmsley, C. A. & Watts, K. (2012) A decision framework for considering climate change adaptation in biodiversity conservation. Journal of Applied Ecology, 49, 1247-1255.
Oliver, T. H., Gillings, S. G., Girardello, M., Rapacciuolo, G., Brereton, T., Siriwardena, G. M., Roy, D. B., Pywell, R. F. & Fuller, R. J. (2012) Population density but not stability can be predicted from species distribution models. Journal of Applied Ecology, 49, 581-590.
Oliver, T. H., Thomas, C. D., Hill, J. K., Brereton, T. & Roy, D. B. (2012) Habitat associations of thermophilous butterflies are reduced despite climatic warming. Global Change Biology, 18, 2720-2729.
Oliver, T. H., Roy, D. B., Brereton, T. & Thomas, J. A. (2012) Reduced variability in range-edge butterfly populations over three decades of climate warming. Global Change Biology, 18, 1531-1539.
Powney GD, Chapman D, Roy DB, Oliver TH (2011) Measuring functional connectivity using long term monitoring data. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2, 527-533.
Oliver T.H., Roy D.B., Hill J.K., Brereton T. & Thomas C.D. (2010). Heterogeneous landscapes promote population stability. Ecology Letters, 13, 473-484.
Oliver T.H., Hill J.K., Thomas C.D., Brereton T. & Roy D.B. (2009). Changes in habitat specificity of species at their climatic range boundaries. Ecology Letters, 12, 1091-1102.
Selected publications
Oliver, T.H., Marshall, H.H., Morecroft, M.D., Brereton, T.M., Prudhomme, C. & Huntingford, C. (in press). Interacting effects of climate change and habitat fragmentation on drought-sensitive butterflies. Nature Climate Change
Roy, D.B., Oliver, T.H., Botham, M.S., Beckmann, B., Brereton, T., Dennis, R.L.H., Harrower, C., Phillimore, A.B. & Thomas, J.A. (online early). Differences in butterfly emergence dates between populations suggests local adaptation to climate. Global Change Biology
Oliver, T.H. & Morecroft, M.D. (2014). Interactions between climate change and land use change on biodiversity: attribution problems, risks, and opportunities. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 5, 317-335
Fox, R., Oliver. T, H., Harrower, C., Parsons, M.S., Thomas, C.D. & Roy, D.B. (2014). Long-term changes to the frequency of occurrence of British moths are consistent with opposing and synergistic effects of climate and land use changes. Journal of Applied Ecology, online early.
Oliver, T.H., Stefanescu, C., Paramo, F., Brereton, T. & Roy, D.B. (2014). Latitudinal gradients in butterfly population variability are influenced by landscape heterogeneity. Ecography, online early. doi: 10.1111/ecog.00608
Oliver, T. H., Brereton, T. & Roy, D. B. (2012) Population resilience to an extreme drought is influenced by habitat area and fragmentation in the local landscape. Ecography, 36, 579-586.
Oliver, T. H., Smithers, R. J., Bailey, S., Walmsley, C. A. & Watts, K. (2012) A decision framework for considering climate change adaptation in biodiversity conservation. Journal of Applied Ecology, 49, 1247-1255.
Oliver, T. H., Gillings, S. G., Girardello, M., Rapacciuolo, G., Brereton, T., Siriwardena, G. M., Roy, D. B., Pywell, R. F. & Fuller, R. J. (2012) Population density but not stability can be predicted from species distribution models. Journal of Applied Ecology, 49, 581-590.
Oliver, T. H., Thomas, C. D., Hill, J. K., Brereton, T. & Roy, D. B. (2012) Habitat associations of thermophilous butterflies are reduced despite climatic warming. Global Change Biology, 18, 2720-2729.
Oliver, T. H., Roy, D. B., Brereton, T. & Thomas, J. A. (2012) Reduced variability in range-edge butterfly populations over three decades of climate warming. Global Change Biology, 18, 1531-1539.
Powney GD, Chapman D, Roy DB, Oliver TH (2011) Measuring functional connectivity using long term monitoring data. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2, 527-533.
Oliver T.H., Roy D.B., Hill J.K., Brereton T. & Thomas C.D. (2010). Heterogeneous landscapes promote population stability. Ecology Letters, 13, 473-484.
Oliver T.H., Hill J.K., Thomas C.D., Brereton T. & Roy D.B. (2009). Changes in habitat specificity of species at their climatic range boundaries. Ecology Letters, 12, 1091-1102.