Dr Matt Davies
- Lecturer - Environmental Stewardship (Interdisciplinary Studies)
- Associate (Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine)
telephone: 01387702042
email: Gwilym.Davies@glasgow.ac.uk
Personal website
Please see my personal website for a full list of publications and information on my current research projects: http://www.fireregimes.org.uk
Research Interests
- Wildland fire behaviour and ecology
- Rural landscape management
- Plant community ecology
- Restoration ecology
- Human perceptions of the natural environment
I welcome enquiries from prospective research students with interests in any of these areas.
I have secured the following research grants either as PI, Co-PI or as a contributing author (CA):
- PI: Understanding the interacting effects of climate change and wildfire severity on peatland carbon dynamics
University of Glasgow Kelvin-Smith PhD Scholarship, 2012, £55k
Co-PI: Susan Waldron (University of Glasgow, School of Geographic and Earth Sciences) - PI: Development of a teaching and phenology garden for the Crichton Campus
University of Glasgow Chancellor's Fund, 2012, £10k - PI: Understanding the impact of severe wildfires on moorland carbon dynamics
Natural Environment Research Council, 2011-2013, £60k
Co-PI: Alan Gray (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology) - PI: Participatory identification of research challenges for the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere
Adam Smith Research Foundation Seedcorn Fund, 2011, £1.5k
In collaboration with the proposed Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere - Co-PI: Proposal for the Development of a Fire Behaviour Prediction System for Vegetation Fires in the UK: The FireBeaters Project Phase II.
Scottish Natural Heritage, 2008-2009, £50k
Co-PIs: Colin Legg (The University of Edinburgh), Karl Kitchen (The Met Office) - Co-PI: Peat Fuel Moisture & Fire Test Monitoring Programme
The Met Office, 2007-2008, £50k
Co-PIs: Colin Legg (The University of Edinburgh), Guillermo Rein (The University of Edinburgh) - CA: Proposal for the Development of a Fire Behaviour Prediction System for Vegetation Fires in the UK
Scottish Government Wildfire Forum and Scottish Natural Heritage, 2006-2008, £250k
PIs: Colin Legg (The University of Edinburgh), Karl Kitchen (The Met Office)
Earth System Science (DUMF1043)
The Earth is a complex system of interacting reservoirs (atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere hydrosphere and cryosphere). Flows of energy and matter through this system define its state and behaviour. Changes to one part of the system can have profound impacts on the function of other, seemingly distant, elements. This course examines the history of the Earth, the past and present state of Earth’s major physical systems and introduces the fundamental physical processes that determine system state.
This course aims to:
- Describe the terminology of systems analysis including, system state descriptions, components, couplings and feedbacks
- Explain the variable timescales over which Earth system process can occur
- Provide a sound understanding of the fundamental processes which determine the Earth’s environment
- Investigate evidence for past and on-going changes in the Earth’ systems
- Introduce some of the ways in which scientists measure and describe properties of the Earth system
Research Methods for Environmental Scientists (DUMF2024)
The course introduces students to a range of research approaches and techniques used within the environmental sciences. The course will equip students with the tools to conduct research at level three and four of the BSc Environmental Stewardship degree. The aim of this course is to introduce students to a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods used within the environmental sciences. Theory will be mixed with empirical application in the field or laboratory settings.
Topics studied will include:
- Plant identification and vegetation surveying
- Phase I habitat survey
- Landscape Character Assessment
- Experimental design
- Data management and exploration
- Statistical analysis techniques
Energy: options for sustainability (DUMF2019)
This course aims to examine the issues facing energy production and use, and the political responses to these issues. Once the context is established, the course will examine in some detail, a number of energy options and evaluate their feasibility. This will be achieved, in part, by visiting a number of local renewable energy power plants to discuss energy issues with industry professionals.
The aims of the course are to:
- Examine contemporary energy issues, including the current dependency on oil, energy policy and the environmental impacts of energy production and use;
- Outline the principles of energy and energy production, including the economics of energy and the technical considerations required for the transmission of electricity;
- Describe a range of current and future technologies, including on- and off- shore wind generation, hydro schemes, solar energy, biomass and energy from waste, wave power, nuclear power, fusion power and carbon-capture and storage schemes;
- Critique the viability of different energy sources in the context of technical, economic, social and environmental considerations;
- Provide students with the opportunity to debate energy issues with industry specialists.