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 trend in distribution and impact of invasive non-native species of priority to Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This would establish if any trend in terms of the impact on ecosystems, their resilience and the ecosystem services they provide could be derived from the distribution data and the information we have about impacts.
Keywords (discipline, other): Invasive non-native species
Woodland
Marine
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Freshwater
Coastal margins
Urban
Semi-natural grassland
Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
Ecosystem resilience
Climate change
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 trend in the quantity of organic fertiliser, manure and slurry, being spread on grassland? If an increase has occurred, which farming systems are responsible for this?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
There is some evidence that rates of nutrient inputs from animal waste are increasing. We wish to quantify this and pinpoint the main contributors. Increased nutrient levels would have a further detrimental impact on air and water quality as well as biodiversity.
Keywords (discipline, other): Enclosed farmland
Freshwater
Land use and soil
Air quality
Waste
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 value of citizen science and community action in the control of invasive non-native species?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Restoration of freshwater ecosystems is key to improving their resilience to multiple pressures and addressing the climate and nature emergencies. Knowledge and tools are required to facilitate sucessful and cost effective ecosystem restoration.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Invasive non-native species
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 value of Good Ecological Status (GES) under the Water Framework Directive (WFD)?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
We need to determine the monetary value on GES for the cost-benefit analysis which is part of the WFD derogations. This would include developing methods to carry out this analysis.
Next steps and progress: Likely to be contracted out
Keywords (discipline, other): Good Ecological Status, GES, Water Framework Directive, WFD, monetary value, cost-benefit analysis
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Dr Kirsten Ramsay Email Address: kirsten.ramsay@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk Phone: NA
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What is the viability and applicability of carbon capture techniques such as enhanced weathering to land in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To assess options for enhancing and accelerating through using natural processes the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Keywords (discipline, other): Land use and soil
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 Wales-wide carbon footprint?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To improve the assessment of Wales’s ecological and carbon footprint
Keywords (discipline, other): Regenerative economy
Stocks of natural resources
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 measures are the most effective at reducing the rapid decline in invertebrates in the enclosed farmland landscape?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Invertebrates are critical to the functioning of ecosystems, without them essential functions will collapse. There are many causes for the massive loss of invert biomass in the landscape. We require a literature review of the interventions that have been shown to have a positive impact on invert populations. The next steps in seeking the answer to this question would depend upon the review conclusions.
Keywords (discipline, other): Enclosed farmland
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 mechanisms are needed to restore semi-natural grassland condition inside statutory sites?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Condition is a basic measure of stocks of natural resources and resilience. Different mechanisms need to be investigated, including funding streams
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What mechanisms are needed to restore semi-natural grassland condition outside statutory sites?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Condition is a basic measure of stocks of natural resources and resilience. Different mechanisms need to be investigated, including funding streams
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What methods can be employed to monitor wave and tidal devices for mobile species behaviour and collision?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Important evidence to balance priorities for provisioning ecosystem services through renewable energy resources with maintaining and enhancing biodiversity, specifically mobile species. To inform our advice to developers.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine
Energy
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
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