Hilary Ford

Bangor University · School of Ocean Sciences

Natural approaches to flood risk management are gaining interest as sustainable flood mitigation options. Targeted tree planting has the potential to reduce local flood risk, however attention is generally focused on the hydrological impacts of catchment afforestation linked to generic tree features, whilst the species-specific impacts of trees on...

In this study we assess the potential for farmland hedgerows to provide climate mitigation via carbon (C) storage, using soil carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux to improve upscaling validity. Two contrasting sites, freely- draining (FD) versus seasonally-wet (SW), situated in mixed-livestock farms (Conwy, Wales, UK), were selected. We measured soil CO2 ef...

Hedgerows have the potential to influence ecosystem function in livestock‐grazed pasture. Despite this, they are often ignored when quantifying farmland ecosystem service delivery. In this study, we assess the contribution of hedgerows to the ecosystem function of carbon (C) storage, with a particular emphasis on soil organic carbon (SOC). We measu...

Carbon stored in coastal wetland ecosystems is of global relevance to climate regulation. Broadscale inventories of this “blue” carbon store are currently lacking and labour intensive. Sampling 23 salt marshes in the United Kingdom, we developed a Saltmarsh Carbon Stock Predictor (SCSP) with the capacity to predict up to 44 % of spatial variation i...

Carbon stored in coastal wetland ecosystems is of global relevance to climate regulation. Broad-scale inventories of this "blue" carbon store are currently lacking and labour intensive. Sampling 23 salt marshes in the United Kingdom, we developed a Saltmarsh Carbon Stock Predictor (SCSP) with the capacity to predict up to 44% of spatial variation i...

Traditional approaches to conservation often focus on plant species composition. In contrast, trait-based approaches highlight the role plant species play in ecosystem function, with a focus on functional diversity and its importance for ecosystem resilience. Here we utilise a plant-trait approach to explore the association between livestock grazin...

1. Habitat structure, including vegetation structural complexity, largely determines invertebrate assemblages in semi‐natural grasslands. The importance of structural complexity to the saltmarsh invertebrate community, where the interplay between vegetation characteristics and tidal inundation is key, is less well known. 2. It was hypothesised that...

Background: Plants play a pivotal role in soil stabilization, with above-ground vegetation and roots combining to physically protect soil against erosion. It is possible that diverse plant communities boost root biomass, with knock-on positive effects for soil stability, but these relationships are yet to be disentangled. Question: We hypothesiz...

Appendix S1. Additional methods section with step‐wise regression predictor selection.

Appendix S3. Supplementary graph of above‐ground and root biomass and soil organic matter.

Appendix S4. Additional results section with detailed soil characteristics of Morecambe Bay and Essex salt marsh grasslands.

Appendix S5. Supplementary graph of regional differences in erosion rate.

Appendix S2. Vegetation core section results.

Unlabelled: Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition alters plant biodiversity and ecosystem function in grasslands worldwide. This study examines the impact of 6 years of nutrient addition and grazing management on a sand dune grassland. Results indicate that co-limitation of N and phosphorus (P) moderates the impact of realistic rates of N addition (...

1. Saltmarsh conservation management often involves livestock grazing to maximise plant diversity and provide suitable breeding habitat for over-wintering coastal birds. The effect of grazing on invertebrates is rarely quantified, but results from limited studies of terrestrial and coastal grasslands demonstrate greater abundance and species richne...

A coastal grassland was used as a model system to examine how grazing management, un-grazed (for six years), rabbit grazed or fully grazed (ponies 0.2 ha−1, cattle 0.05 ha−1 and rabbits 45 ha−1), affected biodiversity and ecosystem service provision, by measuring an extensive suite of biophysical variables as proxies for ecosystem services. For ‘su...

Coastal grasslands, such as salt marshes and sand dunes, provide many important ecosystem services including ‘supporting services’ (soil formation, primary productivity and nutrient cycling), ‘provisioning services’ (fresh water supply, food and fibre products, bio-chemical or genetic resources), ‘regulating services’ (equable climate, pollution co...

The effect of grazing by large herbivores on the microbial community and the ecosystem functions they provide are relatively unknown in grassland systems. In this study, the impact of grazing upon the size, composition and activity of the soil microbial community was measured in field experiments in two coastal ecosystems: one salt marsh and one sa...

We examined the impact of long-term cattle grazing on soil processes and microbial activity in a temperate salt marsh. Soil conditions, microbial biomass and respiration, mineralization and denitrification rates were measured in upper salt marsh that had been ungrazed or cattle grazed for several decades. Increased microbial biomass and soil respir...