Mark Bulling

Biography

Lecturer in Biological Sciences    Undergraduate qualifications BSc (Hons) Zoology, University of Manchester Postgraduate qualifications MSc Biological Computation, University of York Research qualifications PhD (Spatial Modelling of Plant Population Dynamics), University of Southampton   

Research Interest

A consistent theme in my research is the effects of the spatial configurations of the environment and the organisms within it, and how these impact on ecological processes and I have used a mixture of experimental and modelling approaches to this research. For example, I have used an individual-based spatial stochastic simulation that allows us to investigate how the territoriality of badger groups can affect the spread of bovine tuberculosis. Whereas my research into the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem processes has used an experimental mesocosm system which has allowed us to see how environmental heterogeneity can affect movement of individuals and lead to changes in ecosystem processes. With the increasing concern over the effects on ecosystem services with changing climatic conditions, this mesocosm system has allowed us to identify interactive effects between temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentrations on nutrient flux in a marine benthic environment.    Forest degradation is an often under-recognised in comparison with deforestation. I've recently collaborated with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in a study that investigated patterns of forest degradation eminating from the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam. This has led to further collaboration investigating how sampling regimes can lead to biases in biodiversity indices.