Welcome to ERT - the independent ecological research
and training group directed byDr Mark O'Connell
Our work is focused on:
Assessing thestateof the environment (numbers, diversity, distribution & trends)
Evaluating how human activity results in pressureon natural systems
Generating optimal, cost-effective and sustainableresponses(including capacity building and training),and evaluating their long-term outcomes
***Latest ERT News***
ERT's INTERNATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING CONFERENCE: ERT is running a major conference on building capacity in conservation organisations. The international congress will take place in Colombia in 2013, and involve Colombian partners from Fundacion Conserva. The meeting will cover best practice from a range of initiatives around the world, and include workshops on key conservation tools and issues. The website can be seen here..
SEABIRDS & SHOREBIRDS OF THE RED SEA AREA: In June, ERT and conservation partners from Saudi Arabia will make a presentation to the Saudi Wildlife Authority in relation to developing a number of research and monitoring projects at important seabird and shorebird sites in the Red Sea area.
GIS COURSE FOR CONSERVATION: Between 9th and 14th of April, ERT will run its fourth GIS course for conservation professionals from around the world. The training event is part of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust's long-standing DESMAN course.
SEC1 PROCEEDINGS: Manuscripts from ERT's international conference on Spatial Ecology & Conservation are currently being edited for a proceedings to be published as special edition of Ecological Informatics. A second meeting (SEC2)is planned for 2013. See the conference website and testimonials.
HONDURAN FIELD COURSE: In September 2012, ERT will run its fifth ecological field course to the cloud forests of Honduras.
SPECIES DISTRIBUTION MODELLING: A new conservation research booklet is to be produced (currently in final edit) arising from ERT's training of Durrell staff in the Dominican Republic, Madagascar and the Comoros Islands. The booklet will focus on species distribution models and the use of GIS-derived environmental data.
KENTISH PLOVER PUBLICATION:The first estimate of Kentish Plover population size and areas of suitable habitat in Saudi Arabia has been published: PDF
Training &
Education
ERT offers training and capacity building services for professionals within the ecological sector. We also train the next generation of scientists within higher education, and provide access to ecology-related studies for ecological volunteers.
Our training & education services include:
Professional ecology training & capacity building
Assessment of training & capacity needs for individuals, departments and organisations.
Development of bespoke, long-term and cost-effective training solutions with an emphasis on economies of scale.
Ecology & Higher Education
Lectures and curriculum development for a wide range of ecological, conservation, statistical and environmental courses.
Logistics and curriculum for international field courses.
Undergraduate and postgraduate project supervision.
Work experience for under- and post-graduate students.
Ecological volunteers
Easily understood data analysis courses.
Ecology field skills e.g. identification, sampling, tracking, etc.
Wherever possible, environmental protection, management, planningand policy should be based on robust scientific evidence. ERT uses a broad range of analytical research tools to underpin actions and solutions in the environment sector.
Our ecological research services include:
Field data collection
Statistical design of field survey, census and monitoring activities.
Design and logistics for behavioural and autecology studies.
Data collection and monitoring for range of species and habitats.
Animal tracking: designing, supporting and undertaking radio or satellite telemetry studies.
Ecological data management
Development of user-friendly relational databases.
Conversion of data for access and analysis within Geographic Information Systems (ArcInfo and IDRISI).
Ecological data analysis
ERT has the capacity to undertake or advise upon the analysis of environmental data using a wide range of techniques. These include:
All standard correlational, regressive and compositional statistics.
Spatial statistics within GIS (kriging, spatial autocorrelation, probability based habitat suitability mapping, etc).
Trend and change analyses for animal populations, habitats and landscapes. This includes the analysis of long-term species or habitat monitoring data, and the development of biodiversity and vegetation indices.
Modelling species and habitat distributions in relation to environmental and human influences using a range of techniques (Maximum Entropy, GLMs, GAMMs, etc).
Research design
Advice on data collection, analysis and interpretation for new projects and funding proposals. This includes designing and integrating research methods to allow actions to be evaluated and then used in adaptive management and identifying best practice.
How to prepare your research for scientific publication or dissemination within the environment & ecology sector.
