I am a Lecturer in Woodland Management and member of the Forestry@Bangor teaching team. I am module organiser for the Woodland Conservation (DXX-2025) and Forestry Study Tour (DXX-2016) and assist with Forestry in the 21st Century (DXX-1003). My background was in arboriculture and horticulture. I moved to North Wales in 2011 to begin my forestry journey completing a BSc degree in Forestry. I then worked breifly for UKCEH before commencing a PhD in 2016 investigatng the role of plant microbe symbiosis on belowground cycling on carbon in temperate forests, particularly mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria. My research interests include forest mycology, susyainable tree nursery production and heritage apples and orchards. I am also the Woodland Manager of Llyn Parc Mawr Community Woodland, part of Newborough Forest, Anglesey's largest woodland.

Module organiser for:

  • DXX-2024 Woodland Conservation
  • DXX-2016 Forestry Study Tour

Module contributor on:

  • DXX-1003 Forestry in the 21st Century
  • DXX-1006 Making Snowdonia
  • DXX-3701 Research Project
  • DDL-4204 Forest Ecosystems
  • DXX-1007 Academic Tutorial
  • DXX-3301 Forest Ecology
  • DXX-4517 Forest Ecology and Resources
  • DDL-4201 Social Issues in Forestry
  • DDL-4202 Silviculture
  • DDL-4205 Inventory, Assessment and Monitoring
  • DDL-4536 Urban Forestry
  • DDL-4999 MSc Dissertation
  • DXX-1001 Ecosystem Function and Services
  • DXX-2004 Silviculture and Inventory

2021

2023

  • BU-IIA Funded Project: Linking tree nursery practice to windthrow risk in UK forestry

    Current UK tree nursery practices include many tree propagation methodologies (e.g., vegetative propagation, undercut bare root, and cell grown seedlings) nearly all of which have been shown to alter root architecture and morphology compared to naturally grown trees(Feng et al., 2022).

    The overarching aim of this proof-of-concept project is to determine how wind-firmness of trees is affected by the routine root pruning operations of UK tree nurseries.

    Funding awarded through the Bangor University Innovation and Impact Award (Research Wales Innovation Funding). Value = £34,909

    1 Aug 2023 – 31 Jul 2024

    Activity: Other (Contributor)
  • NERC cross-disciplinary research for Discovery Science Funded Project: Looking through the superlens at the impact of ozone on tree seed germination, establishment and mycorrhization.

    Globally, afforestation is proposed as a nature-based solution to meet Net Zero targets. However, recent evidence suggests that ground-level ozone (O3), formed during photolysis of precursors such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), can decrease net primary productivity (NPP) of plants by 50% with serious implications for ecosystem function and sustainability. Afforestation and ecosystem restoration using natural regeneration and direct seedling are reliant on the continued viability of seed and successful establishment of forests is highly dependent on the mycorrhizal fungal symbiont that facilitates the acquisition of nutrients, improves resilience and connects plants via common mycorrhizal networks. This study will investigate the effect of ground-level O3 on tree seed germination, mycorrhization and seedling viability using cutting-edge visualisation and compound analysis techniques.

    Value=£20,000

    1 Jan 2023 – 30 Apr 2023

    Activity: Other (Contributor)