natural capital
April 4, 2022
Galvanising Change via Natural Capital (Project)
In this research, we explore how the concept of 'Natural Capital' may shape decision-making in support of sustainability.
April 4, 2021
Substantial cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions could be achieved by raising water levels in agricultural peatlands, according to a new study co-authored by James Hutton Institute scientists and published in the journal Nature.
Peatlands...
April 4, 2021
First Milk, Nestlé and Agricarbon have announced the launch of a pioneering soil carbon capture project, with scientific guidance from leading soil ecologist and James Hutton Institute Honorary Associate, Dr Helaina Black.
The project...
November 11, 2020
How can we use the Natural Capital Protocol (NCP) to help land managers when considering agricultural land use decisions? How can the NCP contribute to ongoing initiatives to test natural capital approaches in land-based business in Scotland?...
October 10, 2020
September 9, 2020
Despite encouraging progress in several areas, the health of the natural world is suffering badly and getting worse. Eight transformative changes are, therefore, urgently needed to ensure human wellbeing and save the planet, the UN warns in a...
December 12, 2019
Professor Alison Hester, a senior research scientist within the James Hutton Institute’s Ecological Sciences group in Aberdeen, has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) in recognition of...
May 5, 2019
Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history — and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating, with grave impacts on people around the world now likely, warns a landmark new report from the Intergovernmental...
April 4, 2019
Newbie UK Case Studies (Project)
Case Studies in the UK
TEXT
Key contacts
Lee-Ann Sutherland Adam Calo
Follow @newbieuk
April 4, 2019
Open Farm Sunday 2019 (Event)
Come and spend a fun family day at Mylnefield Farm!
The Institute will be taking part in Open Farm Sunday 2019 on 9 June.
April 4, 2019
NEWBIE - New Entrant netWork - Events (Project)
NEWBIE Events
At Newbie UK, we're working to be abreast of the ongoing work of farmers, advisory services, and governments to support and research new entrant farming. Any questions about events you see? Send an email to Adam Calo.
April 4, 2019
NEWBIE - Background (Project)
In NEWBIE, “new entrants” are defined as anyone who starts a new farm business or becomes involved in an existing farm business. They comprise a wide range of ages, agricultural experience and resource access. Newcomers and successors...
March 3, 2019
Young filmmakers with a passion for nature are being sought for a new competition that aims to encourage businesses to see the benefits of the natural world.
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Scottish Forum on Natural Capital (SFNC), of...
February 2, 2019
Registrations are open for the Valuing our Life Support Systems 2019 summit, an independent and inclusive platform for science, policy and business communities to discuss and debate innovative natural capital solutions, which will be held on 21-...
February 2, 2019
Professor Alison Hester, a senior research scientist within our Ecological Sciences group, has contributed to the development of new guidance by the Natural Capital Finance Alliance (NCFA), aimed at helping financial institutions conduct rapid...
June 6, 2018
UK Alpine Ecology Network: Publications (Research Page)
This page lists recent research papers and project reports relevant to UK alpine ecosystems. Contact us if you have papers or reports that you would like to be listed on this page.
Return to main Alpine Ecology Network page
June 6, 2018
UK Alpine Ecology Network: Meetings (Research Page)
Here you will find details of past meetings of the UK Alpine Ecology Network along with links to workshop reports and presentations where available.
Return to main Alpine Ecology Network page
Inaugural meeting January 2018, James Hutton...
November 11, 2017
The James Hutton Institute was proud to present an award at the prestigious RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards in Edinburgh last week. As sponsor of the Food & Farming category, the Institute supports the awards’ promotion of '...
September 9, 2017
NEFERTITI will establish an EU-wide highly connected network of well-specified demonstration and pilot farms, which is designed to enhance thematic knowledge exchange, cross fertilisation among actors and efficient innovation uptake in the...
December 12, 2016
Peat Surveys: Fiag Plantation (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Fiag Plantation, Highland
December 12, 2016
Peat Surveys: Wyndford Moss (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Wyndford Moss, Aberdeenshire
November 11, 2016
Peat Surveys: Summary (17 Selected Peat Deposits) (Research Page)
Summary of Peat Deposit Depths, and Land Cover in 1988
November 11, 2016
Peat Surveys: Blacklaw Bog (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Blacklaw Bog, South Lanarkshire
November 11, 2016
Peat Surveys: Awhirk Moss, Wigtownshire (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Awhirk Moss, Wigtownshire
November 11, 2016
With the latest Progress Report on the Scottish Government’s Biodiversity Strategy expected to be published in early 2017, this seminar will provide a timely opportunity for policymakers and other key stakeholders to consider the...
October 10, 2016
Peat Surveys: Drumbreck Moss (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Drumbreck Moss, North Lanarkshire
October 10, 2016
Peat Surveys: Drumbow Moss (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Drumbow Moss, North Lanarkshire
October 10, 2016
Peat Surveys: Dirskelpin Moss (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Dirskelpin Moss, Wigtownshire
September 9, 2016
Peat Surveys: Nutberry Moss and Dornock Flow (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Nutberry Moss and Dornock Flow, Dumfriesshire
Survey: 1967
September 9, 2016
Peat Surveys: Gartur Moss (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Gartur Moss, Stirlingshire
September 9, 2016
Peat Surveys: Cranley Bog (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Cranley Bog, South Lanarkshire
August 8, 2016
Peat Surveys: Harburn and Cobbinshaw Bogs (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Harburn and Cobbinshaw Bogs, West Lothian
August 8, 2016
Peat Surveys: Backhill of Bush Moss (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Backhill of Bush Moss, Kirkudbrightshire
August 8, 2016
Peat Surveys: Threepwood Moss (Research Page)
Peat Deposit: Threepwood Moss, Roxburghshire
June 6, 2016
Biodiversity and Ecosystems (Research Page)
The aim of the Biodiversity and Ecosystem subgroup is to understand how human driven global and local changes impact on the network of interactions between animals, microbes and plants in natural and semi-natural habitats to predict change and...
June 6, 2016
Peat Surveys: Peat Deposits (Research Page)
Maps of the distribution of surveys of peat deposits by the Scottish Peat Committee and Macaulay Institute Peat Surveys (since 1984)
December 12, 2015
Back in September, the Natural Capital Initiative – a leading UK partnership including the James Hutton Institute that brings together scientists, policymakers, business, industry and others to discuss how to safeguard important ecosystems...
December 12, 2015
The Natural Capital Initiative Dialogue on Natural Capital Monitoring will be held at Charles Darwin House in Central London (view directions and map) on 8th January 2016 from 8:30 to 10:30 am.
December 12, 2015
Mapping Relevant to Ecosystem Services - MRES (Research Page)
The MRES report provides a review of recent and ongoing work relevant to ecosystem service mapping in Scotland. It provides a reference resource for future research and a list of example methodologies used in this area, while at the same time...
November 11, 2015
SEGS research notes and reports (Research Page)
Researchers in SEGS often create a short research notes or briefings, to communicate the findings of research projects. Please click on the titles below to view a selection of research notes and briefings.
November 11, 2015
Helen Rowe from the Aberdeenshire Council and Butterfly Conservation will deliver this Aberdeen Entomological Club seminar entitled "Priority species of butterflies and moths in NE Scotland". It will be held at the James Hutton...
July 7, 2015
The Natural Capital Initiative, a partnership between the Society of Biology, British Ecological Society, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the James Hutton Institute, has launched the ‘Valuing our Life Support Systems...
February 2, 2015
We all think we have some idea of what ‘natural’ is, whether it’s the green meadows we pass by on the train or the fresh and colourful vegetables we pick out in the market. However, our countryside and the food we eat are the...
January 1, 2015
Workshops (Research Page)
Scotland’s peat bogs - rural community perceptions on Lewis (PDF File: 5,798KB)
January 1, 2015
Policy and Research Briefs (Research Page)
The briefs described on this page are either hosted on the knowledgescotland website, or are available for direct download (pdf format).
November 11, 2014
Businesses that ignore nature could have a false impression of their viability and are missing out on long term business productivity, ecologists and economists have said at the Natural Capital Initiative summit – Valuing our Life Support...
October 10, 2014
Soils@Hutton - Soil and food security (Research Page)
Soils & Sustainable production
September 9, 2014
A young scientist has got his career off to a flying start by having his work from a summer project published in renowned journal LWT - Food Science and Technology. Connor Powell, from Breadalbane Academy in Perth, was supervised by Dr Gordon...
July 7, 2014
The Natural Capital Initiative will be hosting their second ever Valuing Our Life Support Systems event in London at the British Library on the 6-7 November 2014.
July 7, 2014
TRANSGRASS innovatively combined collaborative video, interactive Touchtable technology, and ecological surveys with a series of workshops to develop a transdisciplinary platform for the integration of contested forms of knowledge...
July 7, 2014
Learning Landscape Partnerships (Project)
Despite many decades of research within protected area landscapes, many protected area management organisations struggle to use scientific expertise in their management and decision making processes. The project has been funded by the Macaulay...
June 6, 2014
On the whole, Scotland’s environment is of good quality and there have been many significant improvements in recent years. However, the 2014 State of the Environment Report clearly shows that some habitats and species are under threat, and...
May 5, 2014
A new EU training-partnership including the James Hutton Institute aims to promote wild plant conservation underpinned by the use of native plant seeds. The programme will train a new generation of higher level researchers, improve the...
March 3, 2014
Safeguarding Natural Capital research outputs (Research Page)
As part of our work on behalf of the Scottish Government, the European Union and a range of other funders, members of staff in the Safeguarding Natural Capital theme produce and contribute to a variety of outputs, a range of which you can see...
February 2, 2014
The Atlantic Maritime Croplands – sustainability and environment (Research Page)
A case study on sustainable agriculture and the environment at the James Hutton Institute
January 1, 2014
Vibrant Rural Communities workshop (Research Page)
A workshop was held at Birnam Arts and Conference Centre on 20 November 2013 to provide an update on research being conducted as part of the Vibrant Rural Communities theme of the Food, Land and People Strategic Research programme, funded by...
January 1, 2014
LandSFACTS downloads (Research Page)
The LandSFACTS software is available in several formats:
with graphical interface, helpfile and tutorial [XP, W7], cf. below
command-line [XP, W7, W7 x64, Linux x64], by request
dynamic libraries [XP, W7, W7 x64, Linux x64], by request...
January 1, 2014
LandSFACTS model details (inputs/outputs) (Research Page)
The LandsFACTS model was originally (v1.6) set up to simulate cropping systems at the landscape scale. Since 2007, it was further developed to allow modelling land uses at multiple scales within an evolving environment. The diagram below presents...
December 12, 2013
Review of the economics of sustainable land management measures in drinking water catchments (Project)
Project aim
The aim of this project was to review the economics of sustainable land management measures in catchments where abstraction for the provision of drinking water takes place. Funding was provided by CREW (Scotland’s Centre of...
December 12, 2013
FarmPath – Farming Transitions: Pathways towards regional sustainability of agriculture in Europe (Project)
The overall goal of FarmPath is to identify and assess future transition pathways towards regional sustainability of agriculture in Europe, and the social and technological innovation needs required to initiate and progress along these pathways....
December 12, 2013
Ecosystem Approach Review (Project)
Project aim
This project explored existing examples of the Ecosystem Approach, to identify implications for future equitable and holistic natural resource management.
November 11, 2013
Ecosystem services (Research Page)
Natural Capital is the resource from which Ecosystem Services, i.e. what an ecosystem 'does' or provides that ultimately gives some benefit to humans, are generated. We often think of these services in 4 categories:
June 6, 2013
People (Research Page)
Valuation and governance of natural capital
Looking at natural capital inherently requires looking at the relationships between humans and their natural environment. The concept of ‘capital’ implies that components of the natural...
June 6, 2013
Biodiversity (Research Page)
The term biodiversity describes the diversity of life on Earth. Diversity can occur at a number of levels of biological organisation, from genes, through to individuals, populations, species, communities and entire ecosystems.
June 6, 2013
Land (Research Page)
Landscapes and regions are where many natural processes and human activities interact and potentially conflict in different ways, giving complex challenges for sustainable management.
Managing landscapes has to satisfy multiple purposes and has...
June 6, 2013
Soil Capital (Research Page)
Soils underpin a multitude of ecosystem goods and services that are not only vital to peoples’ livelihoods and Society in general, but also to Earth’s regulating systems.
April 4, 2013
BaBU Review (Research Page)
The Biotic and Biophysical Underpinning of Ecosystem Services in the Scottish Context review was carried out to help deliver increased understanding of the linkages between the primary ecological and evolutionary processes, ecosystem...
March 3, 2012
EAWG contacts and membership information (Research Page)
If you would like to be part of the Ecosystem Approach Working Group (EAWG) there are three membership types.
March 3, 2012
EAWG Resources (Research Page)
Outputs and documents from meetings
Please got to the meetings page to see the reports made from our EAWG meetings and the accompanying meeting documents.
March 3, 2012
EAWG Meetings (Research Page)
Main EAWG workshops are held once per year, with other meetings arranged as required. See below for more information about individual meetings, including copies of presentations and papers. Documents are in pdf format.
EAWG5 - Ecosystem Service...
March 3, 2012
Ecosystem Approach Working Group (Research Page)
The Ecosystem Approach Working Group (EAWG) is part of the Ecosystem Services Theme, which is one of eight themes in the Scottish Government’s two strategic research programmes Environmental Change and Food and Rural Industries (2011-2016...
February 2, 2012
COMET-LA was a project coordinated by the University of Cordoba and funded under the European Commission Framework Programme 7. The acronym stands for “COmmunity-based Management of EnvironmenTal challenges in Latin America”. The...
October 10, 2011
Implications of copper (Cu) on estuarine ecosystem functioning (Research Page)
Many antifouling paints, applied to ships’ hulls and other marine structures, contain copper (Cu) as an active ingredient. As a result many European waterways are becoming increasingly Cu contaminated. This work is investigating the effects...
October 10, 2011
Carbon stocks in salt marshes (Research Page)
Salt marsh occurs in the intertidal zone and has a number of functions including a filter for pollutants, protecting coasts from flooding and providing habitat for a number of salt tolerant species. More recently it has been recognised salt...
March 3, 2011
Kerry Waylen (Member of Staff)
Kerry Waylen is a senior researcher in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS) department at the James Hutton Institute. SEGS is divided into two groups: she works in the Environmental Governance and Land Management Group. She...
