How does Queen's University use peat bogs for climate research?

Researchers at Queen's University use peat bogs as natural archives to reconstruct past climates spanning thousands of years by analyzing core samples.

What is the significance of Prof Maarten Blaauw's software?

Prof Blaauw's software, developed for palaeoecology at Queen's, is used for analyzing terrestrial environments and has also been employed in Mars exploration.

How does Queen's University address the threat of invasive species?

Experts like Prof Jaimie Dick at Queen's University lead global research and policy advice on managing invasive alien species to protect biodiversity.

Home / Science / Queen's Interdisciplinary Research: Solving Global Crises

Queen's Interdisciplinary Research: Solving Global Crises

19 Jan

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Summary

Researchers use peat bogs to reconstruct ancient climates spanning millennia.
Software developed for peat bog analysis is used in Mars exploration.
Invasive species research informs global policy for biodiversity protection.

Queen's Interdisciplinary Research: Solving Global Crises

At Queen's University Belfast, a strategy of interdisciplinary collaboration fuels innovation, enabling researchers to tackle pressing ecological threats and ancient climate puzzles. This approach attracts leading minds dedicated to confronting global environmental crises.

Prof Maarten Blaauw's work in palaeoecology, utilizing peat bogs as invaluable archives of past environments up to 13,000 years old, exemplifies this. Remarkably, software he developed for this research has found application in analyzing sediment systems on Mars and is secured in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, ensuring its long-term availability.

Similarly, Prof Jaimie Dick is a world authority on invasive alien species, advising countries like New Zealand and South Africa. Dr. Ross Cuthbert further contributes to understanding biological invasions, climate change, and disease vector biology. This collaborative environment at Queen's allows experts from various disciplines to converge, fostering a holistic approach to complex global issues and driving impactful policy changes.