Surveillance of the environment: monitoring ecological restoration and biodiversity in the Scottish uplands using Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

Supervisors:

• Ian Lawson (University of St Andrews)
• Richard Streeter (University of St Andrews)
• Sarah Watts (Corrour Estate)
• Kirstie Ball (University of St Andrews)
• Brian Barrett (University of Glasgow)

Project Summary:

Objectives:

1. To develop new Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Remote Sensing (UAV-RS) methods, and derived metrics, to support evidence-based biodiversity and carbon management in the Scottish uplands.
2. To develop methods to combine UAV-RS with airborne- and satellite-based RS to upscale monitoring, increase monitoring frequency, and/or reduce costs.
3. To analyse and make recommendations on the ethical, social, and political implications of using remotely measured and algorithmically processed metrics in environmental management.

Scope: UAV-RS technologies have developed dramatically in the last decade. In the context of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), many highly useful methods are on the verge of becoming routine but presently still require careful handling. For example, UAV-RS vegetation mapping before and after a peatland restoration project gives a much more complete picture than traditional ground surveys alone, but requires bespoke calibration using field data [1]; links between UAV-RS data and emerging standard metrics of biodiversity or ecosystem integrity remain unclear [2]; and upscaling from UAV-RS to a regional scale using airborne/satellite RS is challenging [3]. The huge potential of UAV-RS to support environmental management is not yet fully realised.

However, as RS technologies become more capable, we need to consider not just what they can be used for, but how they should be used. What ethical and surveillance issues are raised by the increasing use of UAV surveillance technologies? How can UAV-RS data and analyses contribute to the democratic process, rather than simply reinforcing existing technocracies? How should ethical considerations influence BNG monitoring methods in practice? The literature on justice and ethics in conservation remote sensing is small [4].

This project will focus on a landscape context where the latest fixed-wing UAVs – combining long range, moderate cost, and centimetre-scale resolution, promise a step change in our ability to monitor environmental change. The Scottish uplands are a contested region, in that the priorities of landowners and managers often conflict with those of other sections of society, from national government downwards. Substantial change is underway in upland management, with a new focus on landscape-scale biodiversity and carbon storage, inspired by various narratives/drivers, e.g. rewilding, biodiversity or carbon financing and yet the evidence base to support management decision-making (e.g. selecting appropriate methods of peat revegetation) is limited. Meanwhile, long-term monitoring is beginning to reveal the extent to which these management goals will be confounded by ongoing climatic change. Thus this project is both important and timely.

To apply visit: https://netgain.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/phd-projects/

Student Profile:

This project will appeal to a candidate seeking PhD training in a cutting-edge conservation-related topic with both academic and applied outcomes, working at the interface between disciplines, leading to a range of career possibilities in academia or beyond.

The candidate will require an first degree and/or masters in Geography, Ecology, Conservation, Environmental Science, or related discipline. They will need to demonstrate drive, intellectual ambition and independence, aptitude for learning new skills, and excellent written and verbal communication skills.

The candidate will spend extended periods on fieldwork in the Scottish uplands and should have demonstrable enthusiasm for and experience of outdoor work.

The candidate will need to be able to work professionally with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders, ideally evidenced through prior experience.

We will provide rich opportunities for training, including formal training in UAV operation, but some previous experience in remote sensing, GIS, statistics, programming (e.g. R), plant identification, and/or fieldwork would be advantageous. Experience and/or demonstrable interest in social sciences or humanities methods would be preferred.

The candidate will participate actively with the NETGAIN cohort, Ecology and Global Change research cluster at St Andrews, Corrour Estate, University of Glasgow, and relevant interdisciplinary research centres.