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 supply chain developments could be progressed in Wales to support the more widespread use of engineered wood products to support a low-carbon and regenerative economy in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
There is significant potential for engineered wood products to suport a low carbon and regenerative economy in Wales but supply chain developments are likely to be needed. Undrestanding what these are would help inform future policy and delivery options.
Keywords (discipline, other): Woodland
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 sustainable management practises are being adopted on highly productive land? Where are these being used and over what area?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
There is currently extremely limited information on the use of the many sustainable management techniques.
Keywords (discipline, other): Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
Air quality
Climate change
Biodiversity
Waste
Water efficiency
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
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What type of interventions could accelerate bringing more woodlands, especially native woodland, into planned management to improve resilience and the flow of ecosystem services, including well-being benefits, from them?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Woodlands not in planned mangement are likely to be generating sub-optimal resilience, ecosystem services and well-being benefits. This evidence will help to inform future policy and delivery approaches.
Keywords (discipline, other): Woodland
Land use and soil
Ecosystem resilience
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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What types of urban habitats are found in Wales and where are they located?
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
Urban
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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When is it appropriate to introduce uncommon or threatened semi-natural grassland species to new sites?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Diversity is a basic measure of sustainable management of natural resources. Where a species has been lost from a site or where grassland resilience has been improved by creation of new sites, uncommon species may not colonise or recolonise naturally, but when should artificial introduction be considered?
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
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Where and how should Wales lobby on the regulation of energy efficiency?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Evidence needed to progress SMNR Aim 4.
Keywords (discipline, other): Energy
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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Where and when should upland and upland fringe acid grasslands be a) retained, b) converted to other forms of grassland, for example limed to create neutral hay meadows, c) restored to heathland, d) planted with trees?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Acid grassland in the uplands is not a Priority Habitat and is often subject to land-use change proposals. Correct decisions need to be made on where to: retain upland and ffridd acid grassland for biodiversity (for example chough feeding areas or grassland fungi); convert to more species-rich grassland; revert to heathland; or plant trees/woodland.
Keywords (discipline, other): Semi-natural grassland
Woodland
Mountains, moorland, and heath
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
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Where are the areas of shallow peat, <50cm, and organic soils found in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Deep peat, more than 50cm deep, is mapped in Wales but there is also a substantial carbon resource and biodiversity function in shallower peat and organo-mineral soils. Locating this feature is a step towards protecting and managing that resource.
Keywords (discipline, other): Mountains, moorland, and heath
Land use and soil
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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Where are the coastal habitats most vulnerable to loss or extent and connectivity now and under future projections?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Identifying the most vulnerable areas of losses will aid the identification and prioritisation of opportunities for restoration, help asses the level of impact of individual pressures and inform actions to reverse declines in extent.
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
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Where are the greatest opportunities for improving energy efficiency in Wales in addition to housing? How should opportunities be maximised?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Current progress on the energy efficiency does not reflect this. Policies, programmes and plans need to prioritised for greater focus on energy efficiency. Most of data is very much focused on building and housing and more so for social housing and/or certain georaphical area.
Keywords (discipline, other): Energy
Waste
Water efficiency
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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