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Willie Towers

Staff picture: Willie Towers
willie.towers@hutton.ac.uk

The James Hutton Institute
Craigiebuckler
Aberdeen AB15 8QH
Scotland UK

Willie is a soil scientist who has made a significant contribution to the Scottish soil map coverage and the Institute soils database, both of which are recognised as two of the Institute's key corporate assets. Willie has over 200 published outputs covering peer reviewed papers, conference papers and abstracts, consultancy reports and a range of knowledge exchange and awareness raising tools. He advises and works closely with policy colleagues in the Scottish Government on diverse issues such as CAP reform, LFA redefinition and delineation and soil policy and has contributed to enquiries (written and verbal) at the House of Lords and the Scottish Parliament in this capacity. He was lead author of 'Scotland's Soil Resource - Current State and Threats' in 2006 for the Scottish Government and which has proved to be a seminal work in the development of the Scottish Soil Framework (Scottish Government 2009); Willie undertook a short term secondment to the Scottish Government to advise on, and contribute to its development. With others, he has developed a range of novel mechanisms to raise awareness of the role and value of soils to society and chairs a Europe wide group, financed by the JRC in Italy, to develop European initiatives on soil education and awareness.

Current research interests 

Willie's research interests are primarily related to the role of soils in environmental and ecological research. He has developed and applied a number of modelling approaches to assess a range of diverse land use options, including the potential for native woodlands, land suitability for sewage sludge recycling and for new housing and other built development. Process based information has also been incorporated into parametric rule-based models, for example examining the behaviour of heavy metals in soils. His current interests focus on developing the concept of soil multifunctionality within landscapes, exploring methods of examining trade-offs between them and seeking to explicitly identify the role of soils in the delivery of ecosystem services. Willie also contributes to new interdisciplinary research areas in the Institute including risk assessment and soil valuation in its widest sense. Much of his work capitalises on his in-depth understanding of the data sources used to characterise soils and their functions.

Bibliography 

Willie's highlighted publications

  • Dawson, L.A.; Czerniakiewicz, M.; Handley, K.; Hillier, S.; Robertson, J.; Ross, J.M.; Towers, W.; Donnelly, D.; Mayes, R.W., (2010) A complementary approach to the forensic analysis of soil in case investigations., International Workshop on Criminal and Environmental Soil Forensics, 3rd, Long Beach, California, 2-4 November 2010.
  • Dawson, L.A.; Hillier, S.; Duff, B.; Robertson, J.; Ross, J.M.; Brewer, M.; Mayes, R.W.; Towers, W.; Hudson, G.; Campbell, C.D., (2010) Use of soil fingerprinting approaches for ascertaining change over time., ASA, CSSA and SSSA 2010 International Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California, 31 October - 4 November 2010.
  • Hester, A.J.; Towers, W.; Donnelly, D., (2010) Current site characteristics: a framework for modelling native woodland potential., Glenfeschie Estate Habitats Restoration Seminar, Aviemore, 25 June 2010. Invited paper.
  • Towers, W.; Donnelly D.; Condliffe I.; Higgins A.; Rugg, I., (2010) Testing of biophysical criteria for areas with natural handicap in the United Kingdom., Report to the European Commission.
  • Hester, A.J.; Britton, A.J.; Towers, W.; Hewison, R.L.; Beale, C.M., (2009) The only constant is change: long term biodiversity trends in the uplands., Towards integrated biodiversity policy: developing a shared understanding of the impacts of environmental and management change on biodiversity in upland ecosystems. Battleby, 24 November 2009.

Willie's most recent publications

  • Aalders, I.H.; Hough, R.L.; Towers, W., (In press) Risk of erosion in peat soils - an investigation using Bayesian Belief Networks., Soil Use and Management.
  • Beesley, L.; Cuthbert, A.; Balana, B.; Towers, W.; Chapman, S.J.; Bruneau, P., (2011) Development of soil guidance - Scoping study., Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report.
  • Paterson, E.; Campbell, C.D.; Coull, M.C.; Shand, C.A., (2011) Geochemical atlas for Scottish topsoils., The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen. ISBN 978-0-902701-007
  • Andrist Rangel, Y.; Hillier, S.; Oborn, I.; Lilly, A.; Towers, W.; Edwards, A.C.; Paterson, E., (2010) Assessing potassium reserves in northern temperate grassland soils: A perspective based on quantitative mineralogical analysis and aqua-regia extractable potassium., Geoderma, 158, 303-314.
  • Buchan, K.; Matthews, K.B.; Miller, D.G.; Towers, W., (2010) Modelling scenarios for CAP Pillar 1 Area Payments using Macaulay Land Capability for Agriculture (& Less Favoured Area Designations) - final report., Submitted to Scottish Government 27 August 2010 and published online 3 November 2010.
  • Glenk, K.; McVittie, A.; Towers, W.; Watson, C.; Black, H.I.J., (2010) Socio-economic data on Scottish soils - collection and development., Report to SEPA.
  • Hough, R.L.; Towers, W.; Aalders, I.H., (2010) The risk of peat erosion from climate change: land management combinations: an assessment with bayesian belief networks., Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 16, 962-976.
  • Miller, D.R.; Towers, W.; Blackstock, K.L.; Munoz-Rojas, J.; Kenyon, W.; Brown, K.M.; Waylen, K.; Morrice, J., (2010) MLURI response to the consultation on the draft Land Use Strategy., Scottish Government Draft Land Use Strategy Classification, Scottish Government, Edinburgh.
  • Reed, M.S.; Bonn, A.; Slee, W.; Beharry-Borg, N.; Birch, J.; Brown, I.; Burt, T.P.; Chapman, D.; Chapman, P.J.; Clay, G.; Cornell, S.J.; Fraser, E.D.G.; Holden, J.; Hodgson, J.A.; Hubacek, K.; Irvine, B.; Jin, N.; Kirkby, M.J.; Kunin, W.E.; Moore, O.; Moseley, D.; Prell, C.; Quinn, C.; Redpath, S.; Reid, C.; Stagl, S.; Stringer, L.C.; Termansen, M.; Thorp, S.; Towers, W.; Worrall, F., (2010) The future of the uplands., Land Use Policy, 26, Suppl.1, S204-216.
  • Smith, J.; Gottschalk, P.; Bellarby, J.; Chapman, S.J.; Lilly, A.; Towers, W.; Bell, J.; Coleman, K.; Nayak, D.; Richards, M.; Hillier, J.; Flynn, H.; Wattenbach, M.; Aitkenhead, M.; Yeluripurti, J.; Farmer, J.; Milne, R.; Thomson, A.; Evans, C.; Whitmore, A.; Fallon, P.; Smith,P., (2010) Estimating changes in Scottish soil carbon stocks using ECOSSE. II. Application., Climate Research, 45, 179-192.
  • Smith, J.; Gottschalk, P.; Bellarby, J.; Chapman, S.J.; Lilly, A.; Towers, W.; Bell, J.; Coleman, K.; Nayak, D.; Richards, M.; Hillier, J.; Flynn, H.; Wattenbach, M.; Aitkenhead, M.; Yeluripurti, J.; Farmer, J.; Milne, R.; Thomson, A.; Evans, C.; Whitmore, A.; Falloon, P.; Smith, P., (2010) Estimating changes in Scottish soil carbon stocks using ECOSSE. I. Model description and uncertainties., Climate Research, 45, 179-192.
  • Towers, W.; Hester, A.J.; Pakeman, R.; Artz, R.R.E.; Chapman, S.J.; Littlewood, L.; Legg, C., (2010) Review of muirburn impacts on soil carbon and biodiversity., Invited presentation to the Scottish LFA Stakeholder Group.
  • Aalders, I.H.; Ball, B.; Black, H.I.J.; Campbell, C.D.; Griffiths, B.; Hopkins, D.; Hough, R.L.; Lilly, A.; Mckenzie, B.; Rees, R.M.; Sinclair, A.; Towers, W.; Watson, C., (2009) Considerations for Scottish soil monitoring in the European context., European Journal of Soil Science, 60, 833-843.
  • Booth, P.; Brown, I.; Guillaume, P.; Towers, W., (2009) Impacts of biomass and bioenergy crops on landscape, land use and the wider environment in northern Ireland and Scotland - Interim Report., SNIFFER.
  • Booth, P.; Towers, W.; Branding A., (2009) Scottish Soil Framework - Consultation Summary., Scottish Government.
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