There are more than 500 thousand kms of hedgerows in the UK. They provide a range of benefits including providing a critical habitat for wildlife and capturing carbon to fight climate change. This project will analyse existing data to help us understand how different people view and value hedgerows.
Department: Sustainable Land Management
Supervised by: Alice Mauchline
Hedgerows crisscross the UK landscape covering more than half a million kms, but we have lost over half of our hedgerows since WW2. Hedgerows are a vital habitat for wildlife, but they also help capture carbon to fight climate change, help prevent flooding and are an iconic feature of our countryside heritage. This UROP placement will build on the recent Green Recovery Challenge Fund 'Close the Gap' Project on hedgerows by helping us understand how different people view and value hedgerows. The placement will involve analysing existing interview data on different stakeholder perceptions of the benefits of hedgerows and their perceived disbenefits. The results will be fed back to the wider Close the Gap team led by the Tree Council providing the student with the opportunity to collaborate with external partners. Working mainly with a small research team in the School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, the student will gain experience collating and analysing qualitative data collected from pre recorded interviews and workshops. This will deliver insights into how benefits of hedgerows are perceived by different stakeholders including farmers, gardeners, and city councillors for example. These insights can be used to help develop policies and best practice recommendations for different users on how to make the most of hedges in their environment.
Thematic analysis of interview transcripts Concept mapping for the different stakeholder groups Analysis and interpretation of the data Literature review Report writing
Data collation and visualisation. Some experience in ecology or environmental sciences.
Knowledge of hedgerows and their importance for biodiversity protection, climate mitigation and cultural values. Qualitative data extraction from a variety of sources including video recordings. Working as part of a multidisciplinary research team
SAPD and online
9-5
Friday 01 July 2022 - Friday 12 August 2022
This project is open to applications until the end of the day on Sunday 29th May. Students should submit their CV and Cover Letter directly to the Project Supervisor (click on supervisor name at the top of the page for email). Successful candidates will be invited for an interview.