• FARMCAT: Improving the success of agri-environment initiatives: the role of farmer learning and landscape context
• SOILSERVICE: Conflicting demands of land use, soil biodiversity and the sustainable delivery of ecosystem goods and services in Europe
• Improving the effectiveness of grassland restoration and creation options: development of a methodology for setting indicators of success and assessing progress
• Diversification of grassland through the manipulation of plant-soil interactions
• Managing ecosystem services to reduce poverty and vulnerability in east African coffee
• Scoping study to develop a monitoring programme for the outcomes of UELS

• AE-Footprint: The Agri-Environmental Footprint: a common methodology for evaluating agri-environmental Schemes
• Biorhiz: Biotic interactions in the rhizosphere as structuring forces for plant communities
• Chilterns: A socio-economic profile of the Chilterns Natural Area
• CONSIDER: Conservation of soil organism diversity under global change
• Environmental quality: Environmental quality and rural development
• Evaluating the effectiveness of policies for landscape enhancement in the South Downs
• Hay spreading: Hay spreading to increase grassland diversity
• Patchiness: Grazing, patchiness and grassland diversity
• RELU nutrition: Implications of a nutrition driven food policy for land use and the rural environment
• Review of the value for wildlife and the agronomic potential of selected grassland plant species
• TLinks: Restoration of biodiversity on ex-arable land
• Upland grazing: Classification of land to reflect the environmental value and difficult farming conditions of upland grazing land
• WCS: Cereal-based whole crop silages
• WuF: Wetting up farmlands for birds and other biodiversity

Current PhD students

• Grace Davies
• Khalid Asiry
• Naser Almarri
• Alex Brook
• Janssen Horton
• Kelly Inward: Soil macrofauna patterns of functional diversity across forest systems

• Alan Poots: Modelling inter-relationships between biodiversity, land use and landscape
• Jo Staley
• Victoria Smith: Plant and invertebrate spatial dynamics and community scaling

Westbury, D.B., Park, J.R., Mauchline, A.L., Crane, R.T. & Mortimer, S.R. (2010). Assessing the environmentalperformance of English arable and livestock holdings using data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network(FADN). Journal of Environmental Management, in press.

Mortimer, S., Mauchline, A., Park, J., Finn, J., Edwards, D. & Morris, J. (2010). Evaluation of agri-environment andforestry schemes with multiple objectives. Eurochoices, 9, 48-54

Norris, K., Potts, S.G. & Mortimer, S.R. (2010). Ecosystem services and food production. In: Ecosystem Services (eds.Hester, R.E. & Harrison, R.M.), pp.52-69. Issues in Environmental Science and Technology, 30, 52-69.

Yergeau, E., Bezemer, T.M., Hedlund, K., Mortimer, S.R., Kowalchuk, G.A. & van der Putten, W.H. (2010).Disentangling the influences of space, soil, nematodes, and plants on microbial community composition ofchalk grassland soils. Environmental Microbiology, 12, 2096-2106.

Woodcock, B.A., Vogiatzakis, I., Westbury, D.B., Lawson, C.S., Edwards, A.E., Brook, A.J., Harris, S.J., Lock, K.,Masters, G.J., Brown, V.K. & Mortimer, S.R. (2010). The role of management and landscape context in therestoration of grassland phytophagous beetles. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47, 366-376.

Purvis, G., Louwagie, G.,Northey, G., Mortimer, S., Park, J., Mauchline, A., Finn, J., Primdahl, J.,Vejre, H.,Vesterager,JP., Knickel, K., Kasperczyk, N., Balazs, K., Vlahos, G., Christopoulos, S. & Peltola, J. (2009) Conceptualdevelopment of a harmonised method for tracking change and evaluating policy in the agri-environment: TheAgri-environmental Footprint Index. Environmental Science and Policy, 12, 321-337.

Park, J. R. , Stabler, M. J., Jones, P. J.;, Mortimer, S. R., Tiffin, J. R. & Tranter, R. B. (2009) Evaluating the role ofenvironmental quality in the sustainable rural economic development of England. Environment, Developmentand Sustainability, 11, 735-750.

Staley, J.T., Mortimer, S.R. & Morecroft, M.D. (2008) Drought impacts on above-belowground interactions: Do effectsdiffer between annual and perennial host species? Basic and Applied Ecology, 9, 673-681.

Crémieux, L., Bischoff, A., Šmilauerová, M., Lawson, C.S., Mortimer, S.R., Doležal, J., Lanta, W., Edwards, A.R., Brook,A.J., Tscheulin, T., Macel, M., Lepš, J., Müller-Schärer, H. & Steinger, T. (2008) Potential contribution of naturalenemies to patterns of local adaptation in plants. New Phytologist, 180, 524–533.

Traill, W.B., Arnoult, M.H.P., Chambers, S.A., Deaville, E.R., Gordon, M.H., John, P., Jones, P.J., Kliem, K.E., Mortimer, S.R. & Tiffin, J.R. (2008) The potential for competitive and healthy food chains of benefit to the countryside. Trends in Food Science and Technology, 19, 248-254.

Woodcock. B.A., Edwards, A.R., Lawson, C.S., Westbury, D.B., Brook, A.J., Harris, S.J., Brown, V.K. & Mortimer, S.R. (2008) Contrasting success in the restoration of plant and phytophagous beetle assemblages of species-rich mesotrophic grasslands. Oecologia 154, 773-783

Staley, J.T., Hodgson, C.J., Mortimer, S.R., Morecroft, M.D., Masters, G.J., Brown, V.K., & Taylor, M.E. (2007). Effects of summer rainfall manipulations on the abundance and vertical distribution of herbivorous soil macro-invertebrates. European Journal of Soil Biology 43, 189-198

Leps, J., Dolezal, J., Bezemer, T.M., Brown, V.K., Hedlund, K., Igual Arroyo, M., Jorgensen, H.B., Lawson, C.S., Mortimer, S.R., Peix Geldart, A., Rodriguez Barrueco, C., Santa Regina, I., Smilauer, P. & van der Putten, W.H. (2007) Long-term effectiveness of sowing high and low diversity seed mixtures to enhance plant community development on ex-arable fields. Applied Vegetation Science 10, 97-110

Macel, M., Lawson, C.S., Mortimer, S.M., Smilauerova, M., Bischoff, A., Cremieux, L., Dolezal, J., Edwards, A.R., Lanta, V., Bezemer, T.M., van der Putten, W.H., Igual, J.M., Rodriguez-Barrueco, C., Muller-Scharer, H. & Steinger, T. (2007) Climate vs soil factors in local adaptation of two common plant species. Ecology 88, 424-433

Staley, J.T., Mortimer, S.R., Morecroft, M.D., Brown, V.K. & Masters, G.J. (2007) Summer drought alters plant-mediated competition between foliar- and root-feeding insects. Global Change Biology 13, 866-877

Mauchline, A.L., Park, J.R., Finn, J.A. and Mortimer, S.R. (2007) The agri-environmental Footprint Index. Aspects of Applied Biology, 81, 263-266

Eschen, R. Mortimer, S.R., Lawson, C.S., Edwards, A.R., Brook, A.J., Iqual, J., Hedlund, K. & Schaffner, U. (2007) Carbon addition alters vegetation composition on ex-arable fields. Journal of Applied Ecology, 44, 95-104

Edwards, A.R., Mortimer, S.R., Lawson, C.S., Westbury, D.B., Harris, S.J., Woodcock, B.A & Brown, V.K. (2007) Hay strewing, brush harvesting of seed and soil disturbance as tools for the enhancement of botanical diversity in grasslands. Biological Conservation, 134, 372-382

Mortimer, S.R., Westbury, D.B., Dodd, S., Brook, A.J., Harris, S.J., Kessock-Philip, R., Chaney, K., Lewis, P., Buckingham, D.L. & Peach, W.J. (2007) Cereal-based whole crop silages: potential biodiversity benefits of cereal production in pastoral landscapes. Aspects of Applied Biology, 81, 77-86

Mortimer, S.R., Edwards, A.R., Lawson, C.S., Westbury, D.B., Woodcock, B.A, Brook, A.J., Harris, S.J., & Brown, V.K. (2007) Efficacy of methods for using seed of local provenance to enhance grassland diversity. Aspects of Applied Biology, 82, 39-48

Bischoff, A., Crémieux, L., Šmilauerova, M., Lawson, C.S., Mortimer, S.R., Doležal, J., Lanta, V., Edwards, A.R., Brook, A.J., Macel, M., Leps, J., Steinger, T. & Müller-Schärer, H. (2006) Detecting local adaptation in widespread grassland species – the importance of scale and local plant community. Journal of Ecology, 94, 1130-1142

Mortimer, S.R., Kessock-Philip, R., Potts, S.G., Ramsay, A., Roberts, S.P.M., Woodcock, B.A., Hopkins, A., Gundrey, A., Dunn, R., Tallowin, J., Vickery, J., & Gough, S. (2006) Review of the diet and micro-habitat values for wildlife and the agronomic potential of selected plant species. English Nature Research Reports, No 697. English Nature, Peterborough, UK

Potts S.G., Bradbury R.B., Mortimer S.R. & Woodcock B.W. (2006) Commentary on: Mixed biodiversity benefits of agri-environment schemes in five European countries. Ecology Letters, 9, 254-256

Staley, J.T., Mortimer, S.R., Masters, G.J., Morecroft, M.D., Brown, V.K. & Taylor, M.E. (2006) Drought stress differentially affects leaf-mining species. Ecological Entomology, 31, 460-469

Bezemer, T.M., Lawson, C.S., Hedlund, K., Edwards, A.R., Brook, A.J., Igual, J.M., Mortimer, S.R., & van der Putten, W.H. (2006) Plant species and functional group effects on abiotic and microbial soil properties and plant-soil feedback responses in two grasslands. Journal of Ecology, 94, 893-904

Tiffin, R., Traill, W.B. & Mortimer, S. (2006) Food choice in an interdisciplinary context. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 57, 213-220

Fukami, T., Bezemer, T.M., Mortimer, S.R. & van der Putten, W.H. (2005) Species divergence and trait convergence in community assembly. Ecology Letters, 8, 1283-1290

Hollier, J.A., Maczey, N., Masters G.J. & Mortimer, S.R. (2005) Grassland leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) as indicators of habitat condition – a comparison of between-site and between-year differences in assemblage composition. Journal of Insect Conservation, 9, 299–307

Maczey, N., Masters, G.J., Hollier, J.A., Mortimer, S.R. & Brown, V.K. (2005) Community associations of chalk grassland leafhoppers (Auchenorrhyncha): conclusions for habitat conservation. Journal of Insect Conservation, 9, 281–297

Gormsen, D., Hedlund, K., Korthals, G.W., Mortimer, S.R., Pizl, V., Smilauerova, M. & Sugg, E. (2004) Management of plant communities on set-aside land and its effects on earthworm communities. European Journal of Soil Biology, 40, 123–128

Park, J.R., Stabler, M.J., Mortimer, S.R., Jones, P.J., Ansell, D.J. & Parker, G.P.D. (2004) The use of a multiple criteria decision analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of landscape and habitat enhancement mechanisms: an example from the South Downs. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 47, 773-793

Park, J.R., Jones, P.J., Mortimer, S.R., Stabler, M.J., Tiffin, J.R., Strange, A.M. & Tranter, R.B. (2004) The importance of the quality of the environment for economic development and regeneration in rural areas. Defra, London. [click here to access report]

Hedlund, K., Santa Regina, I., Van der Putten, W.H., Leps, J., Díaz, T., Korthals, G.W., Lavorel, S., Brown, V.K., Gormsen, D, Mortimer, S.R., Rodríguez Barrueco, C., Roy, J., Smilauer, P., Smilauerová, M. & Van Dijk, C.
(2003) Plant species diversity, plant biomass and responses of the soil community on abandoned land across Europe: idiosyncrasy or above-belowground time lags? Oikos, 103, 45-58

Van der Putten, W.H., Mortimer, S.R., Hedlund, K., Brown, V.K., Leps, J., Rodriguez-Barrueco, C., Roy, J., van Dijk, C., Diaz-Len, T.A., Gormsen, D., Korthals, G.W., Lavorel, S., Smilauer, P., Santa-Regina, I., Smilauerova, M., Kailova, K., Peix, A., Rodriguez-Burrieza, Rundgren, S., Dhillion, S.S., Allchin, E.A., Hol, G., de Boer, W. & Maly, S. (2003) Biodiversity restoration on ex-agricultural land, slow response rates in soil ecosystems and the possible consequences for conservation policy. Puits de Carbonne & Biodiversité, 26, 161-167

Mortimer, S.R., Booth, R.G., Harris, S.J. and Brown, V.K. (2002) Effects of initial site management on the Coleopteraassemblages colonising newly-established calcareous grasslands on ex-arable land. Biological
Conservation, 104, 301-313

Mortimer, S.R., Toller, A., Masters, G.J. and Brown, V.K. (2002) Efficacy of hay spreading to increase the botanicaldiversity of agriculturally-improved chalk grassland. In: Conservation Pays (ed J. Frame), pp 141-144. BritishGrassland Society, Reading

Jones, P.J., Mortimer, S.R., Park, J.R. and Griffiths, G.H. (2002) Classification of land to reflect the environmentalvalue and difficult farming conditions of upland grazing land. In: Conservation Pays (ed J. Frame), pp. 187-190.British Grassland Society, Reading

Jones, P.J., Mortimer, S.R., Park, J.R., Parker, G., Ansell, D.A. and Griffiths, G. (2002) A socio-economic profile of theChilterns Natural Area - Costing biodiversity targets and linking biodiversity to socio-economic drivers. EnglishNature, Peterborough. [Click here to access article]

Leps, J., Brown, V.K., Diaz Len, T.A., Gormsen, D., Hedlund, K., Kailova, J., Korthals, G.W., Mortimer, S.R., Rodriguez-Barrueco, C., Roy, J, Santa Regina, I., van Dijk, C. & van der Putten, W.H. (2001) Separating the chance effect from other diversity effects in the functioning of plant communities. Oikos, 92, 123-134

Van der Putten, W.H., Mortimer, S.R., Hedlund, K., van Dijk, C., Brown, V.K., Leps, J., Rodriguez-Barrueco, C., Roy, J, Diaz Len, T.A., Gormsen, D., Korthals, G.W., Lavorel, S., Santa Regina, I & Smilauer, P. (2000) Plant species diversity as a driver of early succession in abandoned fields: a multi-site approach. Oecologia, 124, 91-99

Mortimer, S.R., van der Putten, W.H. & Brown, V.K. (1999) Insect and nematode herbivory below-ground: interactions and role in vegetation succession. In: Herbivores: Between Plants and Predators (eds. Olff, H., Brown, V.K. & Drent, R.H.), pp. 205-238. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford

Mortimer, S.R., Hollier, J.A. & Brown, V.K. (1998) Interactions between plant and insect species-richness in the restoration of calcareous grasslands. Applied Vegetation Science, 1, 101-114