David Edwards
Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Science
Current position: Professor of Plant Ecology (2000)
Current university or institution: Department of Plant Sciences and Centre for Global Wood Security, University of Cambridge
Country: United Kingdom
Why did you choose Lund University?
I work on biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability issues, and already have collaborations with the Faculty at Lund University. This is a wonderful opportunity to further develop those collaborations and build new ones, ultimately seeking to build a strategic partnership uniting Lund University with the Centre for Global Wood Security, which I manage at the University of Cambridge.
Can you briefly describe your current research?
I am an ecologist and conservation scientist seeks to understand how best to manage forests for improved biodiversity protection and long-term security of ecosystem services. My research tackles the multidimensional nature of global environmental challenges in the context of forestry and landscape restoration by placing applied ecology centrally within a cross-disciplinary setting.
What will be your main research focus during your time at Lund University?
My primary research focus at Lund University will be understanding the future of global timber production under climate change and pest-induced stressors. Specifically, I would like to quantify the threat of wildfire and bark beetles for timber yields and long-term security, as well as to improve my understanding of northern forestry systems given my expertise has been more on tropical forests.
Lund Global Visiting Professors' Programme is part of the Lund University Programme for Global Excellence, which is the University’s largest international recruitment initiative to date.