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How could targeted payments deliver improved water efficiency on farms?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Licensed abstractions for irrigation and other agricultural needs may be restricted by Hands off Flow conditions during periods of low flows. Water abstracted during higher flows can be stored off-line for use during these periods, reducing abstraction pressures on watercourses.
Keywords (discipline, other): Water efficiency
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Freshwater
Semi-natural grassland
Land use and soil
Energy
Biodiversity
Climate change
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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How diverse are agricultural and timber crops across Wales?
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
Woodland
Mountains, moorland, and heath
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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How do chemical pollutants interact and what is their combined impact on ecology and human health alone and in combination with other pressures?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
In order to safeguard our freshwater natural resources and human well-being, we need to better understand how combinations of chemicals impact on ecology and human health, and their interaction with other environmental pressures.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Marine
Urban
Enclosed farmland
Land use and soil
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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How do human activities and changes in habitat condition affect carbon sequestration and storage in the marine environment?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
There is a growing focus on the ability of the marine environment to store and sequester carbon, and a requirement to both maintain and enhance blue carbon stores to help achieve net zero.
Particular focus at present is on blue carbon habitats such as saltmarsh and seagrass, with a view to include them in the UK’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Existing studies show that marine habitats play an important role in carbon storage and sequestration, but we have little current knowledge on how impacts on them, and / or changes to habitat condition, may affect their ability to provide this ecosystem service.
Next steps and progress: Partnership working with other Government Bodies and Academia.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, blue carbon, carbon storage, carbon sequestration, net zero, saltmarsh, seagrass, marine habitats, habitat condition, ecosystem services
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
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How do human activities and changes in habitat condition affect carbon sequestration and storage in the marine environment?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
There is a growing focus on the ability of the marine environment to store and sequester carbon, and a requirement to both maintain and enhance blue carbon stores to help achieve net zero. Particular focus at present is on blue carbon habitats such as saltmarsh and seagrass, with a view to include them in the UK’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Existing studies show that marine habitats play an important role in carbon storage and sequestration, but we have little current knowledge on how impacts on them, and / or changes to habitat condition, may affect their ability to provide this ecosystem service.
Suggested level of research: Various
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, human activities, change in habitat condition, carbon sequestration, carbon storage, marine environment, ecosystem service
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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How do sub-sea cabling practices affect sand wave and sand bank morphodynamics, and the wider sedimentary system?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Cable laying activities include sand wave clearance, cable burial via trenching and cable protection measures. The morphological impacts on sand waves and sand bank systems caused by these activities are poorly understood. Equally, the implications of any change on the wider sediment budget, especially links to the coast, requires investigation. Key questions include: does cable protection block bedload transport pathways? Do sand waves recover after clearance and what are then timescales? Does sand wave clearance affect the form and function of the sandbank system? Will the impact of cabling practices alter the natural coastal protection that sand banks provide? It is particularly important to understand this for areas of Wales where cable routing and landfall is expected; for example, the North Wales coast and the Pembrokeshire coast.
Next steps and progress: Collaboration on a knowledge exchange project underway, but further research, including bathymetric surveys, will be required.
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, sub-sea cabling practices, trenching, cable protection, morphological impacts, sand waves, sand bank, sediment, natural coastal protection, bathymetric surveys
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
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How do we address the tight timescales of climate emergency whilst ensuring developments of national significance retain sufficient benefit in our coalfield areas?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
We’re currently seeing a high number of DNS being validated with varying degrees of community benefit/social value, some having no community fund/local ownership despite policy/guidance and industry minimum recommendations. Our coalfield communities remain areas of high deprivation and low resilience. Large scale renewable energy projects have the opportunity to address climate change and retain community wealth within our coalfield communities.
Keywords (discipline, other): Coal, climate change, politics
Website/URL links: https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-11/developments-of-national-significance-dns-procedural-guidance.pdf
Looking for collaborators: Yes External Partner: Yes Organisation:
Contact Details
Name: Natalie Sargent Email Address: natalie.sargent@coalfields-regen.org.uk Phone: NA
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How do we assess impacts on fish communities in Welsh estuaries and coastal waters?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This relates mainly to Marine Protected Areas where fish communities are included in the site Conservation Objectives. Qualitative and quantitative methods could be explored, including the application of ecosystem modelling. This project proposal will initially need to be scoped out to determine a small number of more specific projects.
Next steps and progress: Needs further development and scoping through in-house working group
Keywords (discipline, other): Marine science, fish communities, estuaries, coastal waters, Marine Protected Areas, MPAs, conservation, Qualitative and quantitative methods, ecosystem modelling
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: https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/marine-biodiversity-collaborative-research-priorities/?lang=en Phone: NA
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How do we measure and predict levels of fine sediment in rivers and lakes?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
Pollution from rural sources including nutrient and silt run-off, is the second biggest factor in preventing Welsh rivers from achieving Good Ecological Status. In order to address this issue, we need to improve our understanding of sources and quantities of fine sediments in rivers and lakes.
Keywords (discipline, other): Freshwater
Marine
Mountains, moorland, and heath
Urban
Semi-natural grassland
Enclosed farmland
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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How do we measure the impact value for invasive non-native species of Interest or priority, to Wales on each ecosystems’ resilience, and services, now and in the future?
Summary of the Research Question / Evidence Need:
This will help to improve the approach of assessing the impact that invasive non-native species of Interests to Wales currently have or will have in the future on ecosystems in Wales, their resilience and the ecosystem services they provide.
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
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