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]
.
How can designated landscapes deliver nature recovery at scale and at pace?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
• Which interventions most effectively restore biodiversity in upland, coastal and agricultural landscapes? Any other landscape types to consider?
• How can habitat connectivity be improved across protected and non-protected land?
• What are the barriers to achieving Wales’ biodiversity and 30×30 commitments?
• How can farming systems support ecosystem recovery while remaining economically viable? How do we measure this?
• How can monitoring and evidence be improved?
• Citizen science contributions?
Keywords (discipline, other): Designated landscapes, Nature Recovery, Biodiversity, 30×30, upland, coastal, agricultural, habitat, habitat protection, monitoring, citizen science
Website/URL links:
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation: Tirweddau Cymru Landscapes Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
How can diffuse pollution into lowland wetlands be reduced?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Nutrient pollution is a major cause of decline in lowland peatlands via both waterborne (surface and groundwater) and aerial deposition. Are buffer zones effective and how extensive should they be? Source-pathway- receptor studies are required to determine best practice. This is likely to be site-specific due to varying hydrological conditions although a general review of practice elsewhere may lead to insights.
Keywords (discipline, other): Pollution, lowland wetlands, nutrient pollution, peatlands, source-pathway, source pathway, hydrology, geography
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
________________________________________________________________________________
How can earth observation technology/ remote sensing and ground based measures be used to monitor ecosystem condition more comprehensively than currently?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
We need this evidence to build a monitoring strategy for Wales that is capable of reporting on aspects of resilience across the whole landscape and which can support transformational management change.
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
________________________________________________________________________________
How can environmental interventions be used to benefit human health, without amplifying health and social inequalities?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To improve our assessment of healthy places
Keywords (discipline, other): Healthy places, environmental intervention, health, inequalities, donut economics, Sustainability, Planning, Environmental Policy
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
________________________________________________________________________________
How can evidence emerging from COVID- 19 global pandemic response and impact be used to update current approaches to Wales’s response to the nature and climate emergencies?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To improve our assessment of healthy places
Keywords (discipline, other): Healthy places
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
________________________________________________________________________________
How can habitat condition affect carbon sequestration potential in marine and coastal blue carbon habitats?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
The evidence would better our understanding of how this ecosystem service is altered by habitat condition and allow us to better understand the carbon sequestration of marine habitats
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine
Coastal Margins
Biodiversity
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
________________________________________________________________________________
How can incentives for using nature-based solutions, such changes to land management, improve water efficiency?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Restoration of upstream peatland will reduce runoff and improve base flows during dry periods. This will increase dilution of contaminants and reduce impacts on aquatic ecology and need for intense treatment at water treatment works.
Keywords (discipline, other): Water efficiency
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Freshwater
Land use and soil
Enclosed farmland
Energy
Biodiversity
Climate change
Semi-natural grassland
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
________________________________________________________________________________
How can increased access to coastal & marine environments be achieved in a sustainable way?
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): Coastal access, Marine environments, Sustainable development, Public engagement, Sustainability, Planning, Environmental Policy
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: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________
How can open source data be made easily available for use with sea or landscape scale assessment tools?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To improve our assesment of ecosystem resilience
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
________________________________________________________________________________
How can pro-environmental behaviour be promoted to build connections between people and nature from childhood to adulthood?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
To improve our assessment of healthy places
Keywords (discipline, other): Healthy places, nature connection, psychology, behavior, child, adult
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: Yes External Partner: No Organisation: Natural Resources Wales
Contact Details
Name: Email Address: Phone: NA
________________________________________________________________________________