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.
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.
Relationships between biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services, particularly carbon in forests.
Using machine learning to detect environmental change in tropical forests.
Conservation practice and policy
Conservation planning, implementation and protected area development.
Land-use planning to mitigate the impacts of habitat change on biodiversity.
Other
Rewilding the UK.
Meta-analysis in conservation.
Environmental change in relationship to infrastructure development, and how to minimise impacts to biodiversity.
Reconciling food production with biodiversity conservation in tropical areas.
The role of local communities in conserving tropical forests.
Lawrence Hills (co-supervised with Prof. Jim Groombridge): Assessing the
ecological impacts of non-native gamebird release on reptiles in the UK (NERC).
Rebecca Turner: Patterns and process in population trends of UK herpetofauna", seeks to assess national status and distribution trends of UK reptile and amphibian species (‘herpetofauna’)
Maddie Ballatine-Morris (co-supervised with Dr Dan Ingram and Professor Zoe Davies): Evaluating the ecological and social dimensions of pine marten (Martes martes) reintroductions in Britain
Past PhD students
Pam Cunneyworth - Impact evaluation and mitigation of linear infrastructure development on primates in Diani, Kenya
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).
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).
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.
