ILUSC: Example Outputs on Land Use

This page highlights small selection of outputs about landscapes and land uses, explaining our range of insights and output types, drawing on everything from spatial analysis of landscape change through to ecology and sociology.

Many of our outputs take the form of written documents which allow us to convey precision and detail. Our research also often involves other means of communication, such as blogs, podcasts or videos that allows us to communicate with a variety of audiences, from peer academics through to policy and the general public. For more information about the types of research projects that generate these insights, please visit our research projects page.

Many of our research funders seek insights about how to improve and adjust landscape management: the main output of many projects is therefore reports that give the full detail on challenges and how to respond.

These are short documents giving useful summaries of key findings and insights, often targeted at specific stakeholder groups, such as policy-makers. These may synthesise insights across different projects, disciplines and institutions.

  • This very short note was produced by researchers in both Hutton and with colleagues in SRUC, providing 3 distinct recommendations about how to collect and handle spatial data linked to the land reform agenda. Policy Note Spatial Landownership Data FINAL.pdf
  • Sometimes we produce visual rather than written summaries of our work. For example, research into the socio-economic impacts of ‘green’ land investment in rural Scotland, produced a visual summary as well a longer main report.

We know that not everybody enjoys reading peer-reviewed academic papers! However, these are important, as the peer review process gives assurance that we are making high quality and world class contributions to understanding. All of our papers are published open access.

Below we highlight relevant Hutton blogs (you may also find our researchers contributing to blogs hosted on other platforms).

There are several videos on land use and landscape management hosted on the James Hutton Institute YouTube channel. Additionally – as for blogs – our researchers sometimes contribute videos and other material linked to multi-institutional research projects and other platforms.

We hope these links give a useful sense of the variety of outputs and insights that we are generating on land use. Please also visit [/models page] to see our interactive model outputs.

We also recognise that we at the Hutton also are a part of the landscapes that we manage, and have been considering how we could manage our own land and facilities differently – for example to encourage local engagement in nature.

For more information about the individuals, disciplines and research approaches we use to understand land use and landscape management, please get in touch with ILUSC key contacts:

Key contacts:

Lee-Ann Sutherland

Director of International Land Use Study Centre
Based in Aberdeen
E: lee-ann.sutherland@hutton.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)344 928 5428 (*)
Prof Lee-Ann Sutherland is Director of the James Hutton Institute’s International Land Use Study Centre. The innovation centre reflects the Institute’s a vision for inclusive, open science that engages the public, stakeholder groups and scientists with a wide range of expertise in tackling the urgent problems of our time: climate change, food and water security, biodiversity preservation and One Health.
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Dr. Kerry Waylen

Social Research on Natural Resource Management
Based in Aberdeen
E: kerry.waylen@hutton.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1224 395313
Kerry Waylen is a senior researcher in the Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences (SEGS) department at the James Hutton Institute, and Deputy Director of the International Land Use Study Centre (ILUSC).  She builds understanding of how to achieve more ‘joined up’ approaches to natural resource management – i.e. working holistically, inclusively and adaptively to consider multiple issues and interests in interconnected systems. In 2022, Kerry was named as one of Scotland’s Leaders in Biodiversity Conservation Science.
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A Scottish charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered in Scotland No SC374831. Registered office: The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie Dundee DD2 5DA. Charity No SCO41796