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]
.
What is the toxicity of pesticides being applied to land and the variety of pesticides used on a single crop?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Fera Science provides data on the weight and treated areas but there is limited data on the toxicity of pesticides. The weight of pesticides applied to land has decreased over past 25 years but the hectarage and the frequency of treatments have increased. This could be having impacts on ecosystems and the soil, especially if the toxicity levels have increased.
Keywords (discipline, other): Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
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 trend in airborne insect abundance and diversity in urban areas compared to in the wider landscape?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Insect abundance in the wider landscape has declined drastically. Comparing insect abundance in urban areas will indicate if urban areas are being managed more, or less sustainably than the wider landscape. This could help develop hypotheses to test why declines are happening, and how to arrest them. Focussing on insects as this is currently lacking.
Keywords (discipline, other): Urban
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 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
________________________________________________________________________________
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): Economics, 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
________________________________________________________________________________
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 makes up the diet of marine mammals in Wales and adjacent waters?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Seals’ diet in Welsh waters,”Seals, Diet, Welsh waters, Marine mammals, Prey species”,
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: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
What makes up the diet of seabird species in Welsh waters?,
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
For more, and updated information, please visit https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en
Keywords (discipline, other): Seabird diet in Welsh waters,”Seabirds, Diet, Welsh waters, Marine ecosystem, Prey species”,
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: Email Address: marinecoastalevidence@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________