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. We are still adding relevant keywords to the data, so try a different search term if nothing comes up or get in touch for support searching the database.
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 are the most reliable methods to measure woodland cover in Wales as a result of natural processes, that is, natural colonization by trees, which takes place when grazing pressures are reduced?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Natural colonisation by trees can support and improve resilience, and improve biodiversity outcomes in some locations. Being able to identify the extent of natural colonization by trees would support improve assessment of the stocks of natural resources.
Keywords (discipline, other): Woodland
Land use and soil
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 are the most reliable methods to measure, determine and report trends in net woodland cover in Wales, that is, woodland creation minus permanent woodland loss?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
There is a concern that net woodland cover is reducing but there is currently no reliable data to assess this.
Keywords (discipline, other): Woodland
Land use and soil
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 are the opportunities to maintain and enhance marine ecosystem resilience?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To inform our understanding of and advice on building resilient marine ecosystems. Interpreting exitsing data sets to provide strategic overview, for example spatial maps, of key opportunities to maintain or improve resilience of marine ecosystems in Welsh waters. This is an area of action coming out of Area Statements, see marine planning and ecosystem resilience themes.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine, Coastal, Ecosystem resilience, Biodiversity, Climate change, data, Marine Planning
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: No External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
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What are the potential and actual effects of “Challenge Events”, for example mountain marathons, on upland habitats and species?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Challenge events such as mountain marathons could cause direct impacts such as erosion, soil compaction and indirect impacts such as disturbance, displacement, changes in land management, ancillary effects such as greenhouse gas emissions. But the nature, extent and significance of any impact is poorly understood. This information is required to inform our advice on the planning of these events to ensure avoidance and mitigation of any negative impact on natural resources.
Keywords (discipline, other): Sports Science. Mountains, moorland, events, marathon, erosion, soil compaction, mitigation, nature
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: No External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
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What are the potential options for nature based solutions or providing mitigation where coastal process have been modified, for example by coastal defences?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Aid identification of areas of focus.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
Marine
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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What are the predicted impacts of climate change on river and lake water temperature in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
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 are the predicted impacts of climate change, in terms of magnitude and frequency, on river flow droughts and flood events?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
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 are the productivity and survival rates of seabirds at Welsh colonies?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Set up ringing and resighting for seabird species as well as camera traps for productivity and diet at seabird colonies. This could include the following species: Atlantic puffin, black-legged kittiwake, common guillemot, lesser black-backed gull, razorbill, shag cormorant, tern species, gulls.
Next steps and progress: Collaboration with Academia and NGOs.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, productivity, survival rates, seabirds, camera traps, diet, Atlantic puffin, black-legged kittiwake, common guillemot, lesser black-backed gull, razorbill, shag cormorant, tern species, gulls.
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: Kirsten Ramsay Email Address: kirsten.ramsay@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk Phone: NA
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What are the productivity and survival rates of seabirds at Welsh colonies?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Set up ringing and resighting for seabird species as well as camera traps for productivity and diet at seabird colonies. This could include the following species: Atlantic puffin, black-legged kittiwake, common guillemot, lesser black-backed gull, razorbill, shag cormorant, tern species, gulls. Next steps and progress: Collaboration with Academia and NGOs.
Keywords (discipline, other): Seabirds, productivity, survival rates, ringing, resighting, camera traps, seabird colonies, Atlantic puffin, black-legged kittiwake, guillemot, razorbill, tern species, gulls, Wales
Website/URL links: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Looking for collaborators: No External Partner: Yes Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone:
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What are the quantities of inorganic fertiliser being spread to grassland in Wales?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
The data is very limited on how much inorganic fertiliser is spread to land in Wales. The current figures are for UK wide. Having organic and inorganic fertiliser figures will show much fertilisers are being applied to grassland
Keywords (discipline, other): Enclosed farmland
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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