About us

Our group investigates life in the biosphere reaching from deepest root systems to the wing tip of the Himalayan bumble bee.

We are diverse in our interests and approaches spanning from ecosystem function, community structure to socio-ecological systems and global change interactions. Our approaches range from laboratory and modelling analyses to fieldwork and earth observation. A common thread through our research is a motivation to advance frontiers of knowledge while also contributing to an improved relationship between human societies and the biological world. 

Key strengths in the research group are in cross-scale analyses and the ability to scale up field-collected data to the regional and global level via remote sensing and modelling. We are generating vital basic science for understanding diverse ecosystems across the globe. At the same time, always keep an eye on the impact and research that matters from a societal and policy perspective. 

Most Biosphere Research Group members are physically based at the Crew Building in Kings Buildings on the south side of the city of Edinburgh. Our research activities span from local studies in Scotland and the UK to arctic ecosystems in Canada, tropical rain forests in Peru and dry woodlands in Mozambique, among many others.