Developing Your Dissertation Ideas
If you are seeking to deliver an impactful dissertation topic, with direct relevance to environmental policy makers or, simply looking for inspiration for your final year project, you can search for ideas below.
You can search the research questions that have been directly submitted to us, or browse other collections of research ideas from partner organisation such as Natural Resources Wales and Climate Cymru.
If you do find a question of relevance and decide to address it through your dissertation, we would really like to know about it. Please fill out the form that can be found here.
[Enter keyword and press ‘search’ or the return key]
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What is the current extent, conditon and trends of ponds in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Outdated or absent data and associated analyses hinders the assessment of the current extent, condition and trends of our freshwater ecosystems.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Mountains, moorlands, heath
Urban
Semi-natural grassland
Enclosed farmland
Biodiversity
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
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What is the current level of awareness of invasive non-native species, biosecurity, and Great Britain biosecurity campaigns in the 1) general public and 2) key stakeholders?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Keywords (discipline, other): Invasive non-native species
Ecosystem resilience
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What is the current species composition of wood pasture and traditional orchards?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
There is extremely limited survey work on species composition of wood pasture and orchards. A baseline for condition is required as well as information to inform optimum management.
Keywords (discipline, other): Enclosed farmland
Semi-natural grassland
Ecosystem resilience
Biodiversity
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What is the direct impact of climate change on soil moisture levels?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Keywords (discipline, other): Land use and soil
Woodland
Coastal margins
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Urban
Water efficiency
Semi-natural grassland
Enclosed farmland
Climate change
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What is the distribution and impact of non-quarantine pest and disease outbreaks throughout Wales and how is this affected by climate change?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Declining tree health, due to climate change and compromised biosecurity arising from global trade, is a significant risk to future ecosystem service provision, resilience and well-being. We do not know enough about the distribution and impact of non-quarantine pest and disease outbreaks across Wales. More information would help inform futuer policy and operational mangaement decisions.
Keywords (discipline, other): Woodland
Ecosystem resilience
Biodiversity
Climate change
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What is the distribution and size of the landbank (agricultural land) available for recycling nutrients or organic materials?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To assess whether soils are sustainably managed and used now and in the future. To prevent overapplication of materials and pollution through better land use planning.
Keywords (discipline, other): Land use and soil
Freshwater
Enclosed farmland
Waste
Biodiversity
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What is the distribution, intensity and frequency of hunting ducks and geese, wildfowling?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This evidence would help to evaluate extent of this pressure and identify areas for management.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
Ecosystem resilience
Biodiversity
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What is the diversity, extent, condition and connectivity of soils classes across Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Ecosystem resilience evidence needs encompass several needs from the other ecosystem and theme chapters.
Keywords (discipline, other): Ecosystem Resilience
Woodland
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Coastal margins
Semi-natural grassland
Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
Biodiversity
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What is the effect of 1. different management regimes, 2. different sward structures, 3. different grassland types, 4. species diversity, 5. different species groups for example legumes, forbs, grasses, on water regulation in semi-natural grassland?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Grasslands can play an important role in water regulation, but the evidence is unclear how it is effected by specific management practises, and how much it varies under different forms of grassland and different levels of plant diversity, bearing in mind that species vary in their capacity to absorb and retain water.
Keywords (discipline, other): Semi-natural grassland
Water efficiency
Biodiversity
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What is the effect of extinction debt and low genetic diversity caused by semi-natural grassland loss and fragmentation on uncommon or threatened semi-natural grassland species and which species are particularly vulnerable?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Diversity is a basic measure of sustainable management of natural resources. Due top past declines, many populations of Section 7 and other uncommon species are very small and highly fragmented, the effects of which are often unclear
Keywords (discipline, other): Semi-natural grassland
Ecosystem resilience
Biodiversity
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/state-of-natural-resources-report-sonarr-for-wales-2020/evidence-needs-table/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: n/a External Partner: Y Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: n/a n/a Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________