I am a conservation scientist, working across disciplines to understand the difficult trade-offs we negotiate in biodiversity and environmental conservation, with the aim of finding solutions that offer benefits for people, biodiversity and the wider environment.

I have led ecological field surveys to assess evidence trade-offs and win-wins for biodiversity, livelihoods and carbon in smallholder plantation landscapes in Southeast Asia, but also use a variety of economic and spatial modelling approaches to understand how land use change affects biodiversity, people and climate at larger scales.

Location: Thoday Building, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University (currently working from home)

Email: e.warrenthomas@bangor.ac.uk

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ElliWoTo

Website: www.ewarrenthomas.com

• PhD: Rubber plantations in the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot: habitat loss, biodiversity and economics
  University of East Anglia, 2013–2018
• MSc: Conservation Science
  University College London, 2010–2011
• BA: Biological Sciences
  Oxford University, 2007–2010

2023

• PublishedForests are breaking up in the tropics but coming together elsewhere – here’s what it means for wildlife and the climate
  Warren-Thomas, E., 7 Aug 2023, The Conversation.
  Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article
• PublishedHigh-resolution maps show that rubber causes substantial deforestation
  Wang, Y., Hollingsworth, P. M., Zhai, D., West, C., Green, J. M. H., Chen, H., Hurni, K., Su, Y., Warren-Thomas, E., Xu, J. & Ahrends, A., 18 Oct 2023, In: Nature. 623
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedLand degradation neutrality: Testing the indicator in a temperate agricultural landscape
  Thomas, A., Bentley, L., Feeney, C., Lofts, S., Robb, C., Rowe, E. C., Thomson, A., Warren-Thomas, E. & Emmett, B., 15 Nov 2023, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 346, p. 118884
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedRegional sets of diverse, specialized ground beetle and plant assemblages recolonise China’s restored temperate forest landscapes
  Axmacher, J. C., Sang, W., Brennan, E., Diekman, M., Liu, Y., Marples, A., Shi, H., Sui, Z., Sun, X., Warren-Thomas, E., Yang, X., Yu, Z., Bai, F., Li, L., Wang, C., Wang, X. & Zou, Y., 1 Dec 2023, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 549
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedRubber's inclusion in zero-deforestation legislation is necessary but not sufficient to reduce impacts on biodiversity
  Warren-Thomas, E., Ahrends, A., Wang, Y., Wang Mei Hua, M. & Jones, J. P. G., 1 Sept 2023, In: Conservation Letters. 16, 5, e12967.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedThe importance of capturing management in forest restoration targets
  Jung, M., Lesiv, M., Warren-Thomas, E., Shchepashchenko, D., See, L. & Fritz, S., 14 Aug 2023, In: Nature Sustainability . 6, 11, p. 1321-1325 5 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedTropical forest loss from growing rubber trade is more substantial than previously thought – new research
  Warren-Thomas, E. & Ahrends, A., 21 Nov 2023, The Conversation.
  Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Article

2022

• PublishedNo evidence for trade-offs between bird diversity, yield and water table depth on oil palm smallholdings: Implications for tropical peatland landscape restoration
  Warren-Thomas, E., Agus, F., Akbar, P. G., Crowson, M., Hamer, K. C., Hariyadi, B., Hodgson, J. A., Kartika, W. D., Lopes, M., Lucey, J. M., Mustaqim, D., Pettorelli, N., Saad, A., Sari, W., Sukma, G., Stringer, L. C., Ward, C. & Hill, J. K., 1 May 2022, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 59, 5, p. 1231-1247 17 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2021

• PublishedFruit trees and herbaceous plants increase functional and phylogenetic diversity of birds in smallholder rubber plantations
  Jayathilake, H. M., Warren-Thomas, E., Nelson, L., Dolman, P., Bumrungsri, S., Juthong, W., Carrasco, L. R. & Edwards, D. P., May 2021, In: Biological Conservation. 257, 109140.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedRubber Agroforestry: Feasibility at Scale
  Wang Mei Hua, M., Warren-Thomas, E. & Cherico Wanger, T., 18 May 2021, Mighty Earth. 130 p.
  Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report › peer-review
• PublishedSmallholder perceptions of land restoration activities: rewetting tropical peatland oil palm areas in Sumatra, Indonesia
  Ward, C., Stringer, L. C., Warren-Thomas, E., Agus, F., Crowson, M., Hamer, K., Hariyadi, B., Kartika, W. D., Lucey, J., McClean, C., Nurida, N. L., Petorelli, N., Pratiwi, E., Saad, A., Andriyani, R., Ariani, T., Sriwahyuni, H. & Hill, J. K., 1 Mar 2021, In: Regional Environmental Change. 21, 1, 1.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2020

• PublishedEnvironment and Rural Affairs Monitoring & Modelling Programme (ERAMMP): ERAMMP Report-32: National Forest in Wales - Evidence Review. Report to Welsh Government (Contract C210/2016/2017)
  Beauchamp, K., Jenkins, T., Alison, J., Bathgate, S., Bell, C., Braban, C. F., Broome, A., Bursnell, M., Burton, V., Dickie, I. A., Doick, K. J., Evans, C. D., Fitch, A., Griffiths, R., Hall, C., Healey, J., Jones, L., Keith, A. M., Kerr, G., Kuyer, J., Maskell, L. C., Matthews, R. W., Morison, J., Nicoll, B., Nisbet, T., O'Brien, L., Old, G. H., Pagella, T., Perks, M. P., Robinson, D. A., Saraev, V., Smart, S. M., Smith, A., Siriwardena, G. M., Swetnam, R. D., Thomas, A. R. C., Tye, A., Valatin, G., Warren-Thomas, E., Wong, J. & Emmett, B. A., 28 Aug 2020, 46 p. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology .
  Research output: Other contribution
• PublishedEnvironment and Rural Affairs Monitoring & Modelling Programme (ERAMMP): ERAMMP Report 32: National Forest in Wales - Evidence Review: Annex 7, Integrated Assessment. Report to Welsh Government (Contract C210/2016/2017).
  Emmett, B. A., Healey, J., Warren-Thomas, E. & Wong, J., 28 Aug 2020, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology . 14 p.
  Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report › peer-review
• PublishedImproving the accuracy of land cover classification in cloud persistent areas using optical and radar satellite image time series
  Lopes, M., Frison, P.-L., Crowson, M., Warren-Thomas, E., Hariyadi, B., Kartika, W. D., Agus, F., Hamer, K. C., Stringer, L., Hill, J. K. & Pettorelli, N., 1 Apr 2020, In: Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 11, 4, p. 532-541
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
• PublishedRubber agroforestry in Thailand provides some biodiversity benefits without reducing yields
  Warren-Thomas, E., Nelson, L., Juthong, W., Bumrungsri, S., Brattström, O., Stroesser, L., Chambon, B., Penot, É., Tongkaemkaew, U., Edwards, D. P. & Dolman, P. M., Jan 2020, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 57, 1, p. 17-30 14 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedWading through the swamp: what does tropical peatland restoration mean to national-level stakeholders in Indonesia?
  Ward, C., Stringer, L. C., Warren-Thomas, E., Agus, F., Hamer, K., Pettorelli, N., Hariyadi, B., Hodgson, J., Kartika, W. D., Lucey, J., McClean, C., Nurida, N. L., Saad, A. & Hill, J. K., 1 Jul 2020, In: RESTORATION ECOLOGY. 28, 4, p. 817-827
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2019

• PublishedA comparison of satellite remote sensing data fusion methods to map peat swamp forest loss in Sumatra, Indonesia
  Crowson, M., Warren-Thomas, E., Hill, J. K., Hariyadi, B., Agus, F., Saad, A., Hamer, K. C., Hodgson, J. A., Kartika, W. D., Lucey, J., McClean, C., Nurida, N. L., Pratiwi, E., Stringer, L. C., Ward, C. & Pettorelli, N., 1 Sept 2019, In: Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. 5, 3, p. 247-258
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedLarge-scale α-diversity patterns in plants and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) indicate a high biodiversity conservation value of China's restored temperate forest landscapes
  Zou, Y., Sang, W., Bai, F., Brennan, E., Diekman, M., Liu, Y., Li, L., Marples, A., Shi, H., Sui, Z., Sun, X., Wang, C., Wang, X., Warren-Thomas, E., Yang, X., Yu, Z. & Axmacher, J. C., 10 Aug 2019, In: Diversity and Distributions. 25, 10, p. 1613-1624 12 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2018

• PublishedProtecting tropical forests from the rapid expansion of rubber using carbon payments
  Warren-Thomas, E. M., Edwards, D. P., Bebber, D. P., Chhang, P., Diment, A. N., Evans, T. D., Lambrick, F. H., Maxwell, J. F., Nut, M., O’Kelly, H. J., Theilade, I. & Dolman, P. M., 2018, In: Nature Communications. 9, 1, 911.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2017

• PublishedSpatial distribution of Bertholletia excelsa in selectively logged forests of the Peruvian Amazon
  Rockwell, C. A., Guariguata, M. R., Menton, M., Arroyo Quispe, E., Quaedvlieg, J., Warren-Thomas, E., Fernandez Silva, H., Jurado Rojas, E. E., Hideki Kohagura Arrunategui, J. A., Meza Vega, L. A., Quenta Hancco, R., Revilla Vera, O., Valera Tito, J. F., Villarroel Panduro, B. T. & Yucra Salas, J. J., 1 Mar 2017, In: Journal of Tropical Ecology. 33, 2, p. 114-127
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2016

• PublishedGeometrid moth assemblages reflect high conservation value of naturally regenerated secondary forests in temperate China
  Zou, Y., Sang, W., Warren-Thomas, E. & Axmacher, J. C., 15 Aug 2016, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 374, p. 111-118
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2015

• PublishedDiversity patterns of ground beetles and understory vegetation in mature, secondary, and plantation forest regions of temperate northern China
  Zou, Y., Sang, W., Wang, S., Warren-Thomas, E., Liu, Y., Yu, Z., Wang, C. & Axmacher, J. C., 1 Feb 2015, In: Ecology and Evolution. 5, 3, p. 531-542
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedIncreasing Demand for Natural Rubber Necessitates a Robust Sustainability Initiative to Mitigate Impacts on Tropical Biodiversity
  Warren-Thomas, E., Dolman, P. M. & Edwards, D. P., 1 Jul 2015, In: Conservation Letters. 8, 4, p. 230-241
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
• PublishedNut Production in Bertholletia excelsa across a Logged Forest Mosaic: Implications for Multiple Forest Use
  Rockwell, C. A., Guariguata, M. R., Menton, M., Arroyo Quispe, E., Quaedvlieg, J., Lima, C. F. I. F. R., Fernandez Silva, H., Jurado Rojas, E. E., Kohagura Arrunategui, J. A. H., Meza Vega, L. A., Revilla Vera, O., Quenta Hancco, R., Valera Tito, J. F., Villarroel Panduro, B. T. & Yucra Salas, J. J., 13 Aug 2015, In: PLoS ONE. 10, 8
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2014

• PublishedAmphibian diversity on floating meadows in flooded forests of the Peruvian Amazon
  Upton, K., Warren-Thomas, E., Rogers, I. & Docherty, E., 31 Jan 2014, In: Herpetological Review. 45, 2, p. 209-212 4 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedGround beetle assemblages in Beijing's new mountain forests
  Warren-Thomas, E., Zou, Y., Dong, L., Yao, X., Yang, M., Zhang, X., Qin, Y., Liu, Y., Sang, W. & Axmacher, J. C., 15 Dec 2014, In: Forest Ecology and Management. 334, p. 369-376
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Addressing the unintended consequences of tropical forest restoration for people and biodiversity

  01/06/2020 – 25/09/2024 (Finished)

Addressing the unintended consequences of tropical forest restoration for people and biodiversity.

I currently hold a NERC-IIASA Collaborative Fellowship to conduct systems-analysis based research into the potential outcomes of forest restoration initiatives in tropical regions. I am based at Bangor University, but work closely with colleagues at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria, particularly in the Integrated Biosphere Futures and Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation research groups.

I am working to improve and extend IIASA's Global Biosphere Management Model (GLOBIOM), and integrate with deforestation models developed by Dr Isabel Rosa at Bangor University, to better represent land use change dynamics at the national and sub-national level, and to model the potential outcomes of forest restoration policies through processes such as leakage and market feedbacks. I will assess outcomes of forest restoration policies for carbon, biodiversity and liveilhoods, and seek to identify policy solutions that avoid unintended consequences, such as displaced deforestation and net biodiversity loss.

This research is focussed on Colombia, working with collaborators at the Instituto Humboldt, and the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.

Tropical peatland restoration - University of York

Prior to joining Bangor University, I spent two years as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of York, studying tropical peatland restoration in Sumatra, Indonesia for a Newton Fund project. I worked with an inter-disciplinary research team spanning social scientists, GIS and remote sensing specialists and soil scientists from the UK and Indonesia. I led field teams to conduct ecological surveys of oil palm smallholdings and forests growing on peat, and conducted modelling of landscape connectivity for forest-dependent wildlife species.

Find out more about this project here: https://www.york.ac.uk/yesi/research/resilient-ecosystems/tropical-peatland-restoration/

Rubber plantations in Southeast Asia - livelihoods, biodiversity and carbon - University of East Anglia

My PhD research focussed on rubber plantations (Hevea brasiliensis) as a driver of deforestation in Southeast Asia, with two broad strands. Firstly, assessing the importance of rubber plantation expansion as a driver of land use change, and the potential for carbon payments (e.g. through REDD+) to offer a financially attractive alternative to deforestation for rubber. Secondly, I conducted ecological fieldwork to assess the potential for agroforestry to improve biodiversity values in high-yielding rubber farms, without impacting farmer livelihoods.

I continue to contribute to sustainability initiatives around natural rubber production.