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 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
________________________________________________________________________________
What methods can be used to monitor progress to reducing energy demand?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
We need an assessment of methods available to assess change in energy consumption/demand to include behaviour change across society
Keywords (discipline, other): Energy, Climate change, Behavior Change, energy consumption
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What monitoring is needed to enable reporting on resilience across the whole landscape and support transformational management change?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Keywords (discipline, other): 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 new and emerging contaminants have potential to impact water quality and how can these be manged and regulated?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Inform condition and pressure from poor water quality.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coastal margins
Freshwater
Marine
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 opportunities exist for river restoration across Wales on the Welsh Government Woodland Estate?
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
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
________________________________________________________________________________
What pests and diseases threaten the most abundant urban tree species, and what countermeasures are available?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Trees deliver multiple ecosystem services in a single place. It may take 60 years for a replacement tree to deliver sufficient ecosystem goods and services to pay for the cost of planting, so maintaining the good health of urban trees is crucial.
Keywords (discipline, other): Urban
Woodland
Invasive non-native species
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 reliable information sources and tools can we use to assess the contribution of freshwater ecosystems to a regenerative economy?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Robust and accessible data is required to enable a full assessment of SMNR Aim 4.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Waste
Water efficiency
Energy
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
________________________________________________________________________________