Julie Black
 
Imperial College London
Centre for Environmental Policy
Silwood Park Campus
Buckhurst Road
Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY

e-mail: julie.black03@imperial.ac.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 207 594 2418

 Current research
Presentations
Brief CV
Download CV as pdf
 
My research interests cover the full range of conservation science, ranging from impacts of human activities on wildlife such as harvesting, habitat alteration and recreation, to population dynamics of harvested species, impacts of mitigation efforts, and influence of consumer behaviour on threatened populations. I am particularly interested in bridging the gap between research and policy development and implementation.
 
Current research

Many conservation values of the North Pennines. My current research looks at conservation value of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), an area managed for upland sheep farming and red grouse shooting. This PhD measures four elements of value (such as distribution of rare and threatened species and socio-economic value) associated with the North Pennines. Habitat features and land uses which maximise overall value are identified.

Objectives:
* Investigate how estate decision making and management affects upland moorland wildlife, and investigate the relationship between estate finances and objectives, stakeholder attitudes, and moorland wildlife.
* Evaluate the effects of differing management regimes on specific species of conservation interest.
* Consider alternatives for setting specific conservation objectives for the landscape and area under question.
*Compare conservation value of different components of the AONB as set by experts (number of BAP species present for example) with the value attributed to the different components by society.

This research is in conjunction with the Game and Wildlife Conservancy Trust (GCT). My supervisors are EJ Milner-Gulland and Susana Mourato of Imperial College, and Nick Sotherton of the GCT. Funding is from the ESRC with assistance for field-work from the GCT. It is part of a project looking at red grouse, human and moorland interactions, which involves Nils Bunnefeld.

 

 
Conference presentations and seminar talks
  • Trade-offs in Conservation: Deciding what to save - symposium, Zoological Society of London. ‘Many values of an upland landscape: Can multiple values be maximised simultaneously?’ (poster). Nov 2007
  • Seminar at the Departments of Integrative Biology, Economics, and Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. ‘Economic and ecological values of a managed landscape: How do these compare?’ July 2007
  • Seminar at Départment de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada. ‘Many values of an upland managed landscape. What is more important: Landscape or biodiversity?’ June 2007
  • Populations Under Pressure research symposium, Ascot, United Kingdom. ‘Valuation of a managed landscape. What is more important: The ends or the means?’ (talk). March 2007
  • 10th International Grouse Symposium, Luchon, France. ‘Valuation of an area managed for red grouse shooting’ (poster). Sept 2005
  • Student Conference on Conservation Science, Cambridge, United Kingdom. ‘Valuation of a managed landscape’ (talk). March 2005
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    Brief CV
    Education
    2004 - 2008 PhD Conservation Science. Imperial College London.
    Thesis: The Many Values of the North Pennines for Conservation.

    2003 - 2004 MSc Environmental Technology (Environmental Economics and Policy) Imperial College London.
    Thesis: Contingent Valuation of the North Pennines.

    1996 - 2000 BSc (hons) Biological Sciences (Zoology), 1st Class
    The University of Edinburgh.
    Thesis: Antagonistic Behaviour of Blue Tits Parus caeruleus in Relation to Resource Value.

    Employment
    2007 University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada (visiting research studentship). Collaborative project developing habitat suitability models to predict the distributions of rare and threatened species.

    2003 Pathhead Equestrian Centre, Kirriemuir, Scotland (yard manager and assistant instructor).

    2002 Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, Scotland (volunteer assistant). Setting up a cetacean sighting recording system, raising awareness of the presence of, and problems faced by, cetaceans in the local community.

    2002 Massey University, New Zealand (volunteer research assistant). Recording the behaviour of common dolphin Delphinus delphis in relation to tourist activity.

    2001-2002 Various livestock farms, New Zealand (assistant).

    2001 University of Auckland, New Zealand (research assistant). Investigating the mating system of the introduced pest brush tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula in New Zealand.
     
    Thank you to the Moorland Association for the grouse image. The Moorland Association was formed to halt the decline of heather moorland and secure its future.