Alice Milner

Key Interests
Peatlands • wet woodlands • forested peatlands • carbon • environmental change • policy • science-policy

Wet Woodlands Research Network lead and co-founder
BES Peatlands and Wetlands Group committee member (policy representative)

Peatlands, wet woodland and carbon
My research examines environmental change within peatland ecosystems, with a particular focus on carbon accumulation, erosion and recovery dynamics. I am especially interested in how these globally significant carbon stores respond to environmental stressors such as erosion (see this paper for more details), sea-level rise, and climate change. My work encompasses a range of peatland environments, including wet woodlands (forested peatlands), lowland floodplain fens and upland blanket bogs. Much of my field-based research is conducted at key UK sites, notably within the Broads National Park in East Anglia and in Wales. I co-founded the Wet Woodlands Research network and the Broadland Ecohydrological Observatory, and I co-lead PeatQuest.

PeatQuest
Through PeatQuest, I am working with the global peatland community to identify the most critical outstanding questions in peatland science, with the aim of guiding future global research and management priorities. Using a collaborative research prioritisation framework, we invited contributions from researchers, government agencies, practitioners, research funders, policymakers, and community groups with expertise or experience in peatland systems worldwide. The resulting synthesis will inform the international research community and policy stakeholders by defining key knowledge gaps, setting future research agendas, and supporting evidence-based management of peatlands over the coming decade and beyond. The project is undertaken in collaboration with C-PEAT (Carbon in Peat on Earth through Time). Further information is available at PeatQuest.

Wet Woodlands Research Network
I co-founded the Wet Woodland Research Network to bring together scientific experts and practitioners to advance understanding of wet woodlands and their contribution to nature-based solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Wet woodlands provide distinctive ecological habitats, attenuate flood events, reduce nutrient loading from agricultural runoff, and sequester carbon. Some wet woodlands are peat-forming, containing substantial belowground carbon stores in addition to the above-ground biomass of living trees. Following centuries of clearance and land-use change, wet woodlands are now among the rarest woodland habitats in the UK and Europe, and remain comparatively understudied. Improving understanding of their ecological functioning and carbon dynamics is essential for informing land-use decisions and afforestation strategies aimed at climate mitigation.

Through the Network, I work with stakeholders across academia, conservation, land management, and policy to promote evidence-based approaches to the restoration and management of wet woodlands. The Network was established by myself, Prof Andy Baird (University of Leeds), Dr Emily Lines (University of Cambridge) and Dr Scott Davidson (Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada). The Network is associated with the work of PhD researchers Crystal Ahiable (RHUL), Steph Batten (RHUL), Emma Duley (Plymouth) and Dylan Oliver (RHUL), among others across the UK. Further details can be found at Wet Woodlands Research. Researchers and organisations interested in collaboration are welcome to contact me at [email protected].

The Broadland Ecohydrological Observatory
In 2017, I co-established the Broadland Ecohydrological Observatory (BEO) with Prof Andy Baird and the Ted Ellis Trust at Wheatfen. The BEO serves as a long-term research site for monitoring the meteorological, hydrological, and ecological dynamics of a lowland floodplain peatland. My research at the BEO focuses on understanding the carbon cycling and ecological functioning of wet woodland systems, particularly their responses to saline intrusion associated with sea-level rise and tidal surges, and the consequent implications for their carbon sink capacity. Data and insights from the BEO contribute to policy-relevant assessments of the carbon potential of wet woodlands (forested peatlands) and inform management strategies for their conservation and restoration. This work is conducted in collaboration with a range of academic and non-academic partners and is linked to the research of PhD student Maddie Timmins, and the Wet Woodlands Research network. I welcome enquiries from potential collaborators or postgraduate researchers (MRes/MSc/PhD) interested in working with the BEO – please contact me at [email protected].

Science Policy interface
Although environmental science is inherently policy-relevant, barriers frequently limit the effective translation of research findings into policy and practice. My research at the science–policy interface focuses on identifying and addressing these barriers, and on developing mechanisms to enhance the integration of scientific evidence into policymaking processes. During a long-term secondment to the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), working with the Chief Scientific Adviser, I contributed to the development of frameworks for the use of evidence in policy. This included introducing Defra Evidence Statements (a systematic approach to synthesising scientific evidence for high-profile policy issues) and establishing a PhD policy internship programme to strengthen links between academia and government. My work has informed both national and international policy discussions (see here) and continues to support efforts to improve evidence-based decision-making. I also advise and train researchers seeking to develop their capacity for effective engagement at the science–policy interface.

• 2018 - present: Associate Professor, Royal Holloway University of London.
• 2014 - 2017: Lecturer, Royal Holloway University of London.
• 2013 – 2020: Research Fellow, UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). NERC Knowledge Exchange Policy Secondment with Defra's Chief Scientific Adviser.
• 2010 – 2013: Research Associate, University College London, Department of Geography. Past4Future (FP7)"Climate Dynamics Over Interglacial periods – the baseline" (WP1).
• 2010: PhD in Geography / Quaternary Science. University of Leeds.

Teaching:

• Peatland Environments: Process and Policy
• Living Planet: Global Biodiversity & Sustainability Challenges
• Geographical Research and Field Training

PhD Supervision: Current PhD students include Crystal Ahiable (RHUL), Emma Duley (University of Plymouth), Maddie Timmins (University of Exeter), and Dylan Oliver (RHUL). Previous students include Laura Boyall, Amy Walsh and Ashley Abrook. 

I welcome PhD applications in the following areas:

• Peatland and wet woodland (swamp / forested peatlands) carbon and ecological dynamics
• Response of peatlands to stressors (e.g., erosion, sea-level rise, climate)
• Science-policy, including the mechanisms of the science-policy interface and how scientific evidence contributes to informing policy

PhD applications are welcome via the TREES DLA or contact me to discuss other opportunities and project ideas.