Lecturer in Ecosystem Services
Office: B43, LEC II
Phone: +44 (0)1524 510211
Email: c.stevens[at]lancaster.ac.uk
Lancaster Environment Centre page
Research
My research is concerned with understanding how global environmental change impacts on plant communities, soil ecology, soil biogeochemistry and plant-soil interactions. The majority of my research is focussed on herbaceous systems. I have a particular interest in the impacts of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on grasslands and have published widely on this topic. I use a variety of approaches to address ecological questions from small scale experiments to regional surveys.
I am an associate editor for the journal Functional Ecology.
Current and recent projects
Temporal variation in biodiversity and ecosystem services (T-BESS)
In collaboration with John Hodgson, Simon Smart and Phil Grime, this project will assess changes in ecosystem service provision from calcareous grasslands between 1965 and the present day. This project will use a variety of proxies for ecosystem service delivery based on plant traits and species composition. This project is funded by NERC under the BESS programme.
Building a tree-scape of sulphur pollution in China
This project aims to map sulphur pollution in China using tree cores collected as part of a regional study. Sulphur is locked within individual tree rings during growth, thereby presenting a fixed chemical signature of sulphur loading to the atmosphere which can be identified through its unique isotopic signature. This project is being conducted in collaboration with Peter Whynn and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Review of the effectiveness of on-site habitat management to reduce atmospheric nitrogen deposition
This project is funded by Natural Resources Wales, Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage, The Department of Environment Northern Ireland and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. The project aims to evaluate the potential for on-site management to reduce the impacts of nitrogen deposition in a range of habitats. The project is being conducted in collaboration with CEH and Manchester Metropolitan University.
Evidence for shifts in plant species diversity along N deposition gradients: a first synthesis for the United States
This project, funded by the USGS and led by the universities of California and Colorado aims to investigate the impacts of nitrogen deposition on plant diversity in the US. The project draws upon multiple data sources from across the US to add to knowledge base for US critical loads.
Nutrient Network
Nutrient Network (Nutnet) is a global research cooperative where partners run the same experiment across the globe. Our experiment is focussed on the major global concerns of nutrient status and herbivore activity. I am responsible for the Lancaster UK experimental site and am a member of the authorship committee. A Science Magazine profile of the network can be found here: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/334/6054/308.summary
UK N print nitrogen footprint calculator
A recently completed project, funded by the NERC Macronutrients Programme, has been to develop a UK nitrogen footprint calculator. This project was conducted in collaboration with the University of Virginia. You can calculate your nitrogen footprint here: http://www.n-print.org/sites/n-print.org/files/footprint_java/index.html#/home; and read more about the project here: http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=1464[/gn_spoiler]
Current research students
I currently convene modules EBIO201 Populations to Ecosystems, EBIO342 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution and ECOL413 Using the National Vegetation Classification, as well as contributing to teaching on other modules, including EBIO211 Data Collection and Analysis and project modules.
Publications
Please click here to view my publication list.
