Dr Jake Bicknell
Lecturer in Conservation Biology
About
Dr Jake Bicknell is a conservation scientist broadly interested in conservation of biodiversity throughout the globe and across taxonomic groups. Much of his work focuses on degraded tropical forests, primarily in Guyana and Borneo, but he has also conducted research across Europe, Africa and central America.
Dr Jake Bicknell is a member of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology.
Ever wondered: Is it too late to save our planet? | Why is our planet so special? | How can I help? Find out by watching Dr Bicknells' TEDx talk.
Research interests
Environmental change in tropical forests
- Species and assemblage responses to logging (reduced-impact logging in particular), conversion (for palm oil, mining etc), habitat fragmentation, climate change and urbanisation.
- Focus on vertebrates, in particular birds and mammals, but also fish and invertebrates such as dung beetles.
- Habitat restoration, in particular forest restoration following conversion or degradation, and the role of seed dispersers in aiding restoration (especially birds).
- Relationships between biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services, particularly carbon in forests.
Conservation practice and policy
- Conservation planning, implementation and protected area development.
- Land-use planning to mitigate the impacts of habitat change on biodiversity. Dr Bicknell has recently focused on riparian buffers in palm oil plantations.
Other
- Human wellbeing benefits derived from experiencing biodiversity in tropical cities.
- Environmental change in relationship to infrastructure development, and how to minimise impacts to biodiversity.
- Reconciling food production with biodiversity conservation in tropical areas.
- Bioacoustics and their use in assessing biodiversity responses to land-use change.
- The role of local communities in conserving tropical forests.
- All things conservation-related in Guyana.
Teaching
Undergraduate
- HECO3030: Survey and Monitoring for Biodiversity
- WCON5050: Key Issues in Conservation Science
- WCON5350: Tropical Conservation Science Field Course
- WCON5380: Data Analysis for Conservation Biologists
- WCON5390: Applied Ecology and Conservation
Postgraduate
Supervision
Current PhD students
- Sean Glynn (primary supervisor with Dr Matthew Struebig and Professor Zoe Davies): After the gold rush: Vertebrate Communities in Abandoned Gold Mines and Implications for Restoration
- Will Hayes (primary supervisor with Professor Zoe Davies and Dr Janine Robinson): Predicting and navigating future discord between gold mining and other livelihoods in Guyana's rainforest (GCDC).
- Lawrence Hills (co-supervised with Prof. Jim Groombridge): Assessing the
ecological impacts of non-native gamebird release on reptiles in the UK (NERC).
Past PhD students
- Jessica Fisher (co-supervised with Professor Zoe Davies, Professor Jay Mistry and Damian Fernandes): The benefits people derive from interacting with biodiversity in urban Guyana (ESRC).
- Natalie Yoh (co-supervised with Dr Matthew Struebig): Monitoring responses of tropical vertebrates to land-use change using acoustic technologies (NERC).
Professional
Dr Bicknell is available to provide commentary on issues related to land-use change in tropical forests, particularly regarding forestry and mining, and the conservation of biodiversity.
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