Research interests of physical geographers
at Queen Mary.
Adrian Smith
Head of Department
Department of Geography, Queen Mary,
University of London.
Prepared by Andrew Baird, Department of
Geography, Queen Mary, University of London.
Physical geography research
Research themes.
 Hydrological, hydrochemical and fluvial.
People: Andy Baird, Lisa Belyea, Kate Heppell, Laura Shotbolt,
Kate Spencer, Geraldene Wharton.
 Environmental change.
People: (Lisa Belyea), Becky Briant, Simon Carr, Dave Horne,
Simon Lewis, Sven Lukas, Jaap van der Meer.
 Example research interests and areas for collaboration.
Physical geography research
Hydrological, hydrochemical and fluvial research theme.
 Peatland research.
People: Andy Baird, Lisa Belyea, Kate Heppell, Laura Shotbolt.
 Example projects.
Four NERC projects (lead three) worth £1.38 M; processes of peat
decomposition, dissolved carbon export, effect of fire on carbon
balance, controls on methane flux.
Other projects on long-term management and climate change
(Countryside Council for Wales and Environment Agency).
 Example key paper.
Belyea, L.R., and Baird, A.J. 2006. Beyond the “limits to peat bog
growth”: cross-scale feedback in peatland development.
Ecological Monographs 76(3), 299-322.
Carbon balance processes in bogs.
CO2
CH4
DOC
Physical geography research
Hydrological, hydrochemical and fluvial research theme.
 Fluvial research.
People: Kate Heppell and Geraldene Wharton.
 Example projects.
Two NERC LoCAR projects worth £0.59 M (involving colleagues in
SBCS); macrophyte-sediment-contaminant/nutrient dynamics.
Urban river restoration with Environment Agency funding.
 Example key paper.
Wharton, G., Cotton, J.A., Wotton, R.S., Bass, J.A.B., Heppell,
C.M., Trimmer, M., Sanders, I.A., and Warren L. 2006. Engineering
of flows and fine sediments by macrophytes and suspensionfeeding invertebrates in the Frome and Piddle Catchments, Dorset
(UK). Journal of Hydrology, 330, 171-184.
Hydrochemical monitoring of rivers.
Physical geography research
Hydrological, hydrochemical and fluvial research theme.
 Aquatic/sedimentary hydrochemistry and geochemistry.
People: Kate Heppell, Kate Spencer.
 Projects.
Various (e.g., NERC, EPSRC, Environment Canada) funding to
£1.76 M for projects such as N transformations in hyporheic zone
of rivers (with colleagues in SBCS) and tracing of metal
contaminants in estuarine sediments; effects of dredging on
metal mobility.
 Example key paper.
Spencer, K.L., Dewhurst, R.E., and Penna, P. 2006. Potential
impacts of water injection dredging on water quality and
ecotoxicity in Limehouse Basin, River Thames, SE England, UK.
Chemosphere, 63 (3): 509-521.
Sediment dredging and heavy metal release.
Physical geography research
Environmental change research theme.
 Former glacier and ice-sheet extent and behaviour of climatically
marginal glaciers.
Personnel: Simon Carr, Sven Lukas, and Jaap van der Meer.
 Example projects:
Use of thin-section analysis of subglacial sediments for
reconstruction of former glacial / ice sheet dynamics.
Dynamics of small glaciers as indicators of climate change.
 Example key paper:
Carr, S.J., Holmes, R., van der Meer, J.J.M., Rose, J. 2006. The
Last Glaciation in the North Sea Basin; micromorphological
evidence of extensive glaciation. Journal of Quaternary Science
21, 131-153.
Reconstruction of former glacial extent.
Physical geography research
Environmental change research theme.
 Ostracod biology and use as environmental indicators.
People: David Horne.
 Example projects
Use of fossil ostracods for environmental/climate reconstruction.
Evolutionary ecology of ostracod sex and parthenogenesis.
 Example key papers
Horne, D.J. 2007. A Mutual Temperature Range method for
Quaternary palaeoclimatic analysis using European nonmarine
Ostracoda. Quaternary Science Reviews, 26, 1398-1415.
Smith, R.J., Kamiya, T., and Horne, D.J. 2006. Living males of the
'ancient asexual' Darwinulidae (Ostracoda: Crustacea).
Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, series B (Biological
Sciences), 273, 1569-1578.
Ostracod evolutionary ecology.
Physical geography research
Environmental change research theme.
 Early human activity in Britain and reconstruction of former
hydrological/fluvial activity.
People: Becky Briant and Simon Lewis.
 Example projects
AHOB – Ancient Human Occupation of Britain (Leverhulme Trust).
Fluvial response to rapid climate change.
 Example key papers
Briant, R.M., Coope, G.R., Preece, R.C., Keen, D.H., Boreham, S.,
Griffiths, H.I., Seddon, M.B. and Gibbard, P.L. 2004. Fluvial
response to Late Devensian aridity, Baston, Lincolnshire,
England. Journal of Quaternary Science, 19, 479-495.
Ashton, N., Lewis, S.G., Parfitt, S., White, M. 2006 Riparian
landscapes and human habitat preferences during the Hoxnian
(MIS 11) Interglacial. Journal of Quaternary Science, 21, 497-505.
Ancient Human Occupation of Britain.
Physical geography research
Research collaboration between Geography and SBCS.
 Existing collaboration in aquatic ecology and hydro/geo-chemistry.
Could be extended to include work on heavy metals in estuarine
environments and nutrient dynamics of areas undergoing
managed realignment and salt-marsh re-creation.
 Peatland research.
Little existing collaboration (involvement in one PhD project).
Possible areas to consider: geochemical controls on peat
decomposition, landscape ecology of peatlands (modelling of
emergent properties of peatlands such as microhabitat
patterning), measurement and modelling of carbon balance
processes.
 Ostracod evolutionary ecology.
Key contacts
HHFP Research Theme
Prof Andrew Baird – a.j.baird@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Lisa Belyea – l.belyea@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Kate Heppell – c.m.heppell@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Kate Spencer – k.spencer@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Geraldene Wharton – g.wharton@qmul.ac.uk
Environmental Change Research Theme
Prof Jaap van der Meer – j.meer@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Becky Briant – b.briant@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Simon Carr – s.j.carr@qmul.ac.uk
Dr David Horne – d.j.horne@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Simon Lewis – s.lewis@qmul.ac.uk
Dr Sven Lukas – s.lukas@qmul.ac.uk