Arable biodiversity is essential for maintaining agroecosystem function and supporting sustainable, resilient and productive agroecological systems (Hawes et al 2021). My research is based on the design and monitoring of regenerative arable cropping systems for whole-system sustainability at a field- to farm-scale (Hawes et al 2016, 2017, 2019). I focus specifically on the role of in-field arable weeds in providing the resources needed for above- and below-ground processes driven by soil arthropod communities, insect pollinators and natural enemies (Hawes et al 2008). I take a functional, trait-based approach (Hawes et al. 2005) to assess both the response of the arable seedbank and emerged weed communities to farming practice and the effects of in-field plant communities on arable foodwebs (Hawes et al. 2003, 2010, 2018). Currently, I am applying this functional approach to the design and targeted management of optimal in-field weed communities. The aim is to determine the trait combinations and diversity of understorey vegetation assemblages needed to maintain system processes for resilient cropping systems without impacting crop production.
My other main role at the Hutton is manager of the Centre for Sustainable Cropping (CSC) [2], established in 2009 as an open access, long-term experimental platform for the design and implementation of a whole-systems framework to optimise multiple ecosystem functions for environmental and economic sustainability. The platform supports a wide range of agroecological and inter-disciplinary research projects, bringing together academic and industry partners to iteratively develop an integrated, regenerative cropping system and quantify long-term impacts through trends in biodiversity and sustainability indicators. Knowledge exchange and co-innovation with growers is a key element of this work and I work closely with industry and policy organisations to ensure integration between science and practice, particularly in developing innovative technologies to help meet multiple agroecological, environmental and economic goals for sustainable and resilient crop systems.
Research Career
I am an ecologist working on arable biodiversity and agroecosystem sustainability in the Ecological Sciences Department at The James Hutton Institute since 2011, and previously at the Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) Environment-Plant Interactions Programme (2005-2011). Prior to this, I was the Associate Programme Leader for SCRI's Environmental Management and Biotechnology program (2002-2005) and Co-ordinator on the Defra funded Farm-Scale Evaluations of GMHT crops (1999-2003, Hawes et al. 2003). My PhD on forest structure and the community ecology of predatory insects was conducted at Forest Research and the University of Sussex (1996-1999) as part of the Forestry Commission’s Biodiversity Research Programme (Hawes et al 2002, 2013).
Links:
[1] https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2152-1628
[2] https://www.hutton.ac.uk/research/departments/ecological-sciences/research-facilities/centre-sustainable-cropping-long-term-platform