Rob Brooker

Executive Director of Science
Leadership Team
T: +44 (0)344 928 5428 (*)
Rob is Executive Director of Science at The James Hutton Institute, and was previously Head of Ecological Sciences. He is a plant ecologist with over 25 years’ experience of ecological research. He has extensive experience of ecology in a wide range of environments, including arctic, montane, alpine, semi-arid and arable ecosystems, and currently undertakes research at sites across Scotland.

Research

A central focus of Rob’s research has been facilitative (i.e. beneficial) plant-plant interactions, and his work has contributed to current understanding that beneficial plant-plant interactions occur, and are often important, in virtually all ecosystems containing vascular plants. Underlying all Rob’s work is a strong focus on fundamental ecological theory. Building on initial studies in arctic and alpine environments, he has continued to pursue these fundamental questions through studies based in Scottish ecosystems including Scottish agricultural landscapes. This work has given him a broad understanding of the problems of food security, the challenges of biodiversity conservation in Scotland, and the potential to further link fundamental ecological knowledge to issues of sustainable food production and biodiversity conservation. Most recently Rob has coordinated the SEAMS (Sustainability in Education and Agriculture through Mixtures) project, a four-year project funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation which aimed to develop, promote and implement crop species mixtures as a sustainable crop production system for Scotland and as a resource for knowledge exchange on food production, agricultural ecology, and environmental sustainability to a wider audience including school groups.

Rob has also been heavily involved in linking ecological research to policy making. He has led substantial policy-driven research projects, including reviews of the impacts of climate change on biodiversity for both the Scottish Government and Defra. This work has benefited from his genuine interest in communicating the outcome of biodiversity research to relevant stakeholders, including in the policy arena. He is now a member of the Advisory Group to the Scottish Biodiversity Programme, and Honorary Secretary for the British Ecological Society.

Publications

The following Publications have not yet been migrated to the James Hutton Institute's Pure service and relate to the research outputs from the two legacy organisations: The Macaulay Land Use Research Institute and The Scottish Crop Research Institute.

Journals

Prior to appointment

  • Travis, J.M.J.; Brooker, R.W.; Clark, E.J.; Dytham, C. (2006) The distribution of positive and negative species interactions across environmental gradients on a dual-lattice model., Journal of Theoretical Biology, 241, 896-902.

Books / chapters

  • Brooker, R. (2011) The changing nature of Scotland’s uplands – an interplay of processes and timescales., In: Marrs, S.J., Foster, S., Hendrie, C., Mackey, E.C. & Thompson, D.B.A. (eds.). The Changing Nature of Scotland. TSO Scotland, Edinburgh, Chapter 32, pp381-396.
  • Brooker, R.W. (2010) Plant communities, plant-plant interactions, and climate change., In: Pugnaire, F.I. Positive Plant Interactions and Community Dynamics. CRC Press, pp99-123.
  • Brooker, R.W. (2008) Climate change and upland biodiversity: targeted research and strengthening the science-policy interface., In: Ranade, P.S. (ed.). Climate Change and Biodiversity: Perspectives and Mitigation Strategies. Icfai University Press, Hyderabad, India, 171-178.
  • Hester, A.J.; Brooker, R.W. (2007) Threatened habitats: marginal vegetation in upland areas., In: Hester, R.E. & Harrison, R.M. (eds.). Biodiversity under Threat. Issues in Environmental Science and Technology 25, Royal Society of Chemistry, London, pp106-134. ISBN: 9780854042517

Technical / contract reports

  • Pakeman, R,J.; Beale, C.; Brooker, R,; Chamberlain, D.; Demars, B.O.L.; Iason, G.R.; McLeod, J.; Littlewood, N.; Lisewski, V.; Taylor, A.F.S. (2011) Prioritising species and habitat actions by Local Biodiversity Action Partnerships in Scotland., Report to Scottish Natural Heritage.
  • Brown, I.; Gimona, A.; Poggio, L.; Castellazzi, M.; Aitkenhead, M.; Brooker, R. (2011) Developing upland habitat inventories for Annex 1 and priority BAP habitats., Report to Scottish Natural Heritage.
  • Pakeman, R.J.; Lewis, R.; Kriel, A.; Moore, E.K.; Pemberton, C.; Gore, S.; Hewison, R.L.; Alexander, J.; Cummins, R.; Fielding, D.; Orford, K.; Mitchell, R.; Brooker, R.; Nolan, A.J.; Eastwood, A.; Huband, S. (2011) Detecting biodiversity change in a rare habitat: a botanical re-survey of the Machair., Final Report to the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.
  • Brooker, R.W.; Britton, A.J.; Gimona, A.; Lennon, J.J.; Littlewood, N.A. (2011) Literature review: species translocations as a tool for biodiversity conservation during climate change., Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report, No.440, Inverness.
  • Pakeman, R.J.; Beale, C.M.; Britton, A.J.; Brooker, R.W.; Iason, G.R.; Langan, S.J.; Littlewood, N.A; Westaway, S. (2008) Evaluation of UK Biodiversity Action plan revised targets for Scotland., Report to Scottish Natural Heritage.

Conference papers

  • Brooker, R.W.; Cavieres, L.; Butterfield, B.; Callaway, R.; Cook, B.; Kikvidze, Z.; Lortie, C.; Michalet, R.; Pugnaire, F.; Schoeb, C.; Zaitchik, B. (2011) Cushions and communities: the role of biotic interactions in regulating diversity at a global scale., British Ecological Society Annual Meeting, University of Sheffield, 12-14 September 2011.
  • Robinson, D.; Trinder, C.; Brooker, R.W. (2011) The tortoise-and-hare dynamics of plant competition., Presentation, British Ecological Society Annual Meeting, University of Sheffield, 12-14 September 2011.
  • Trinder, C.J.; Brooker, R.; Robinson, D. (2010) Plants and nitrogen: Direct measurement of competition along environmental gradients., Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, 95th, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1-6 August 2010.
  • Brooker, R.W. (2009) The changing nature of Scotland’s uplands – an interplay of processes and timescales., Conference Proceedings, The Changing Nature of Scotland, SNH Conference, Perth, October 2009.
  • Brooker, R.W.; Matesanz, S.; Valladares, F.; Beale, C.M.; Klotz, S. (2008) Long term changes in a range margin steppic plant community: the role of climate and the response of community composition and spatial pattern., Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, 5 August 2008.
  • Brooker, R.W. (2006) Climate change and upland biodiversity – targeted research and strengthening the science-policy interface., In: Milne, J.M. (ed.) The Future of Biodiversity in the Uplands, Battleby, Perth, 8 December 2006.

Conference posters / abstracts

  • Black, H.I.J.; Brooker, R.W.; McVittie, A.; Irvine, R.J.; Coull, M.C. (2011) Ecosystem Services in the Scottish Government’s Environmental Change Research Programme, British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2011, University of Sheffield, 12-14 September 2011.
  • Brooker, R.W. (2011) Translocation in response to climate change: A feasibility study in the Scottish uplands., Natural England Workshop, Charles Darwin House, London, January 2011.
  • Brooker, R.W. (2010) Scottish Primrose: between the devil and the deep blue sea?, Macaulay Institute Open Doors, June 2010.
  • Hester, A.J.; Brooker, R.W.; Osler, G.H.R.; Campbell, C.D.; Mitchell, R. (2007) The impacts of woodland colonisation into moorland., Making Scotland’s Rural Environment More Sustainable, Royal Society of Edinburgh, 25 June 2007.
  • Keith, A.M.; van der Wal, R.; Brooker, R.W.; Osler, G.H.R.; Chapman, S.J.; Burslem, D.F.R.P. (2006) Do litter diversity and composition influence microbial and faunal community structure?, British Ecological Society, Annual Meeting, Oxford, 5-7 September 2006.
  • Osler, G.H.R.; Brooker, R.W.; Campbell, C.D.; Iason, G.R.; Gollisch, J. (2006) Individual pine trees as determinants of mite assemblages., International Congress of Acarology, Amsterdam, August 2006. Abstract.

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