Background
I'm principally interested in unpicking relationships between 'the environment' and animal behaviour, demography and abundance. In particular, I'm keen to explore how human activity impacts biodiversity and how this knowledge can be fed into conservation solutions. My research is generally focused on birds, specifically long-distance migrants and those inhabiting agricultural landscapes.
In my current role I am investigating whether the balance between food production and biodiversity can best be met through wildlife-friendly farming ('land sharing') or high-yield farming combined with the protection of land for wildlife ('land sparing'), or a mixed strategy. The project will focus on breeding birds in lowland England.
In addition to the food/wildlife trade-off, we will also explore the consequences of different land-use scenarios for two other ecosystem services: greenhouse gas storage and human recreation.
External Activities
- 2016 to present: Ordinary Member of Council, British Ornithologists' Union
Partners and Collaboration
- Dr Simon Butler, University of East Anglia
- Prof Andrew Balmford FRS, University of Cambridge
Contact
Dr Tom Finch
Conservation Scientist, Conservation Science
RSPB Centre of Conservation Science, David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 3QZ