Alana Thornton

PhD project title: “Where the wild things go: finding and creating refugia from climate change in Northern Britain”

Dr. Andy Suggitt (Principal - Northumbria), Dr. Simon Duffield (Natural England), Dr. Rachel Gaulton (Newcastle), Dr. Francis Massé (Northumbria).

My research interests focus on promoting biodiversity and species persistence through anthropogenic climate change in temperate regions. My PhD project will explore where, when, and how species make use of refugia within the landscape, with a particular focus on areas dedicated to ‘rewilding’. Furthermore, I am interested in exploring if and how refugia are considered and implemented by land managers and rewilding practitioners. 

My PhD is NERC funded, under the ONEPlanet DTP, and I will be working in partnership with Natural England. Thus, the outcome of my project should have immediate application for conservation in the UK. 

Previous research

I recently graduated with a master's degree from the University of Leeds. My thesis explored faunal diversity on a new woodland creation site in North Leeds. Within this NERC-funded project, my role was to collect baseline faunal data of birds, butterflies, and soil-surface invertebrates both before and after tree planting. This will allow for the temporal and spatial comparison of key faunal groups as the grassland transitions to an established woodland. 

Further info

I have a general interest in forestry, ornithology, entomology, and mycology. I love being out in nature, whether that be pottering around my garden, going for walks locally, or camping in scenic parts of the UK.