Researcher in focus: Professor Juliet Osborne

Professor Juliet Osborne, Chair of Applied Ecology in the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI), looks at how insects and plants interact within the environment and their role in the provision of ecosystem services.

The pollination of crops is vital to agricultural production and fears over the health of bumblebee and honeybee colonies could have serious impact for agro-ecosystems. Projects involving Professor Osborne’s research group are combining experiments with computer modelling to predict the success of bumblebee populations, and honeybee colonies,. This research provides a powerful tool so that land managers and policy makers can ensure sustainable pollination is able to thrive in tandem with successful arable farming.

These projects are being carried out in collaboration with University of Sussex and Rothamsted Research; in addition, Professor Osborne is building links with local farmers, landowners and beekeepers to build collaborative projects to help improve the management of bees and pollinators.