Landscape Ecology
Key staff: Debbie Bartlett
Environmental conservation is increasingly focused on management at the landscape scale and the imperative of integrating management across habitat types and natural areas. This encompasses both the maintenance of rural livelihoods in traditional areas and, since the foot-and-mouth outbreak and the consequent reduction in livestock numbers, the replacement of commercial grazing with conservation herds. Current research is examining the role of coppice-woodland management with respect to both wildlife and rural livelihoods. Other active research areas are historical landscape ecology and animal welfare in conservation grazing.
Recent projects
- Animal welfare issues in conservation grazing, focusing on upland and coastal habitats, carried out for Natural England and The Wildlife Trusts.
- Exploring and raising awareness of the role of farming and local food production in the Surrey Hills, one of the first Areas of Outstanding Beauty to be designated in England.
- Historic landscape assessment of the ‘Darwin at Downe’ proposed World Heritage Site.
- The Bedgebury Forest Landscape Archaeology project. Working with the Forestry Commission and local people to record woodland archaeology and provide management recommendations to conserve cultural and natural heritage.
Publications
Bartlett, D. (2000). Conservation as comm
erce? Landscape Design, 292, 24–25.
Bartlett, D. (2000). The World is run by those who turn up. Ecos, 21 (2), 37–42.
Bartlett, D. (2004). Wood work (coppice woodland management). Landscape. 23–24.
Bartlett, D. (2005). The Blean Initiative. Landscape. 16–17.
Bartlett, D. (2005). Natural England – prospects for landscape, people and planning. Ecos, 27, 109–110.
Bartlett, D. (2007). The coppice industry. Training and development in the South East. Quarterly Journal of Forestry, 101 (4) 285–290.
Bartlett, D. (2007). Coppice industry training and development in the South East. In: Coppice for the 21st Century. Conference report, NWCG.
Bartlett , D. and Bannister, N. (2006). Exploring your Woodlands History: A Guide for Woodland Owners and Managers. Forestry Commission.
Bartlett, D. The White Horse of Folkestone – desecration or overreaction? Ecos, 23 (1), 23–24.