Dr Ian Johnstone

Senior Conservation Scientist, Conservation Science

Background

Based in the North Wales Office since 1998, I lead a team of one to two staff who use a range of approaches to address nature conservation issues.

These include:

  • Stratified random bird and habitat surveys.
  • Testing candidate agri-environment options through landscape-scale experiments.
  • Quantifying trade-offs between different ecosystem goods and services and investigating the causes of species declines in Wales and sometimes the wider UK.

A common theme running through the team's current work is the uplands and their margins, where science has a key role to play in informing tensions between carbon, water, farming and priority biodiversity.

As well as working closely with a range of teams within RSPB Cymru, I collaborate with Natural Resources Wales, conservation NGOs and Welsh universities. Recent sources of funding for the science team in Wales include Natural Resources Wales, Welsh Government and Defra.

Partners and Collaboration

  • Dr Mariecia Fraser, Aberystwyth University

Contact

Ian Johnstone

Dr Ian Johnstone

Senior Conservation Scientist, Conservation Science

The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL

ian.johnstone@rspb.org.uk

Specialisms

Agriculture Ecosystem services Identifying problems UK species Upland

Selected Publications

Birds of Conservation Concern 3: the population status of birds in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

This is the fourth major review of the status of birds occurring in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.We present Red, Amber and Green lists of conservation concern based on assessments using...

Date
01 January 2009
RSPB Authors
Dr Mark Eaton, Dr David Gibbons, Prof Richard Gregory
Authors
Eaton, M.A., Brown, A.F., Noble, D.G., Musgrovem A.J., Hearn, R., Aebischer, N.J., Gibbons, D.W., Evans, A. & Gregory, R.D.
Published in
British Birds
View publication Details
UK UK species

The return of the red-billed chough to Cornwall: the first ten years and prospects for the future

In 2001, three red-billed Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax settled on the Lizard peninsula and a successful breeding attempt followed in 2002. Since then, breeding has taken place each year...

Date
01 August 2011
RSPB Authors
Dr Ian Johnstone
Authors
Johnstone, I., Mucklow, C., Cross, T., Lock, L. & Carter, I.
Published in
British Birds
View publication Details
Chough England UK species Upland

The effect of blanket bog drainage on habitat condition and on sheep grazing, evidence from a Welsh upland bog

There has been increasing interest in potential benefits to be gained by restoring damaged peatlands, with the majority of funding currently being driven by the recovery of protected habitats. However...

Date
21 September 2010
RSPB Authors
Dr Ian Johnstone
Authors
Wilson, L., Wilson, J.M. & Johnstone, I.
Published in
Biological Conservation
View publication Details
Wales Ecosystem services Upland

Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax breeding in Wales select foraging habitat at different spatial scales

At coarse spatial resolution breeding choughs showed strongest selection for grazed habitats, while at a finer resolution they selected areas with shorter swards and more friable soils. Aims T...

Date
01 January 2005
RSPB Authors
Dr Ian Johnstone, Prof Jeremy Wilson
Authors
Whitehead, S. and colleagues
Published in
Bird Study
View publication Details
Chough Wales UK species

The state of birds in Wales 2012

The year 2012 is a milestone for the State of Birds in Wales. We have now been reporting on the changing fortunes of Welsh birds for 10 years.
So this year, in addition to updating the Welsh Government's bird indicators, we take a look back to assess winners and losers of the last decade.This also gives us the opportunity to update some topics featured previously in SoBiW.

RSPB Authors
Dr Ian Johnstone
Authors
et al 2012
Published in
Rsob Cymru, Cardiff.
View publication Details
Wales UK species
View more publications