James S. Paterson DPhil
Within CEM he worked as a post doc on Scenarios for the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA).
Before working with CEM, James Paterson was a researcher in the Biodiversity and Adaptation Group, which is part of the Ecosystems Group of the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford.
He is a plant community ecologist by training and is interested in the effects of climate change in forested and agricultural landscapes as well as how adaptation can affect biodiversity in different sectors. His DPhil thesis examined how climate change affects the structure and function of woodland plant communities and how this relates to conservation and ecosystem services. He has undertaken large systematic literature reviews for a number of projects, including on ecosystem services.
Selected recent projects and commissions
- Understanding the factors influencing the practical application of the UK Climate Projections 2009 to land management for environmental benefit (DEFRA).
- RUBICODE: Rationalising Biodiversity Conservation in Dynamic Ecosystems. A pan-European project that reviewed and developed concepts of dynamics ecosystems and the services they provide (EC-funded).
- MACIS: Minimisation and Adaptation to Climate change Impacts on Biodiversity, including a review of possible climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and their potential effect on future biodiversity and available options to prevent and minimise negative impacts (EC-funded).
- Potential impacts of climate change on Burnham Beeches and adaptation options (City of London).
- North East Climate Change Biodiversity Study, including adaptation option, actions and policy implications (North East Assembly).
Selected recent publications relevant to this project
- Paterson, J. S, et al. Sensitivity of a temperate woodland plant community to climate change: are life history traits important? Journal of Vegetation Science (submitted)
- Paterson, J. S, et al. Woodland ground flora species and trait abundance along climatic gradients: relevance for conservation in a changing world. Journal of Ecology. (submitted)
- Paterson. J. S. (2009): Agriculture. In: Berry, P. M (Ed). Biodiversity in the Balance – Mitigation and Adaptation Conflicts and Synergies. Pensoft Publishers. Sofia-Moscow. pp 27-88.
- Cowan, C & Schliep, R (eds.) (2009): Report of the ENCA / BfN Workshop on “Developing ecosystem-based approaches to climate change - why, what and how” International Academy for Nature Conservation, Isle of Vilm, Germany, 22 to 25 June 2009 (contributor).
- Berry, P.M. and Paterson, J.S. (2009): Potential impacts of climate change on Burnham Beeches. Report to the City of London.
- Paterson, J.S., Araújo, M.B., Berry, P.M., Piper, J.M., and Rounsevell, M.D.A.R. (2008): Mitigation, adaptation and the threat to biodiversity. Conservation Biology, 22, 1352-1355.
- Morecroft, M. & Paterson, J. S. (2006): Effects of temperature and precipitation changes on plant communities. In: Morrison, J. I. L. & Morecroft, M. (Eds.). Plant growth and climate change. Oxford: Blackwells. pp. 146-164.
Contact: Jspaterson@gmail.com