Dr Amelia Hood
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Research-intensive Lecturer
Areas of interest
I am a social-ecological researcher who is interested in developing farming systems that are resilient to climate change and work well for farmers. Biodiversity and soil health are at the heart of this, and I am particularly interested in silvoarable agroforestry as it can provide ecological and production impacts in tandem. I often engage with stakeholders, such as farmers, when designing experiments or projects, as this creates innovative solutions that are grounded in reality. I use manipulative ecological experiments, such as climate experiments or invertebrate exclusions, to test new managements. Taxonomically I have a soft spot for earthworms, but who doesn't really.
My current research focuses on agroforestry systems in the UK, and you can see more on my website: . I have worked in several other systems too, including oil palm agriculture, cassava agriculture, and tropical rainforests. My wider interests include evidence-based conservation, evidence synthesis, and open data.
Postgraduate supervision
Current PhD Students:
- Rosy Scholes - FoodBioSystems DTP, How does silvoarable agroforestry affect soil health and climate resilience in the UK? Co-supervisors: Simon Potts, Paul Burgess
- Leila Nicholson - FoodBioSystems DTP, Increasing the value of silvoarable agroforestry using understory crops in the tree rows. Co-supervisors: Simon Potts, Paul Burgess
- Chrysanthi Economou - Agri-food Rising Star PhD, Agroforestry trees for soil health, climate resilience, and food security. Co-supervisors: Martin De Kauwe, Christopher McGurk
Research projects
Current Project:
- Agrifood-Rising Star Fellowship: Building climate-resilient food systems with silvoarable farming
Past Projects:
- : Showcasing synergies between agriculture, biodiversity and ecosystem services to help farmers capitalising on native biodiversity (EU H2020).
- : How can we facilitate the expansion of silvoarable systems in the UK? (NERC)