WANTED - students to carry out research at Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes national nature reserves in Lincolnshire!
Natural England has identified this location as having potential for dissertations or similar projects on the following topics:
* Common lizard population - creation of a habitat baseline for common lizard; their food sources and habitat requirements.
* Grazing on saltmarsh - exploring the upper saltmarsh grazing, benefits to saltmarsh, birds, invertebrate and any other ecological benefit. Animal behaviour; visitor impact.
* Rabbit warrens mapping - where the main warren is, are they the same community, changes in behaviour with management. Animal behaviour; rabbit population and diseases.
* Water voles - population use of the site; habitat management; predator; animal behaviour; visitor impact
* Pools and water bodies - comparison on grazed versus ungrazed location. Review of vegetation colonisation, communities, specialist species, non-native; natterjack; odonata.
* Dune restoration/ dune creation vegetation colonisation - assessment of dune geomorphology and vegetation colonisation comparison; invasive species, clematis, dewberry, sea buckthorn
* Hydro-ecology of dunes and wet grassland - assessment of wet grassland ecology, dipwell monitoring, rewetting grassland.
* Social science – visitor engagement; art; wellbeing. Other ways of communicating with our audience about the benefits of the natural environment.
* Nature conservation through, for example art, history, music. New ways of engaging with our visitors.
* Social science – valuing the dunes. Arts-based/social science exploration of a Lincolnshire coastal reserve landscape: dune, marsh, mudflat, tidal landscape; particular focus on the value of this landscape and place for people’s health and wellbeing.
* Social science – sharing the dunes. Social science/arts study identifying opportunities for multi-user visitor and engagement experiences.
* Social science – military history; bunkers, military use.
More details on the Natural England
bit.ly/3QLVu6R
or from
delphine.suty@naturalengland.org.uk
