IMPACT

Our research is committed to making a significant, positive impact on biodiversity, natural systems, and human communities.

More than 50% of our research is world leading or internationally excellent (4* / 3*).

100% of our research impact is internationally excellent (3*).

COLLABORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Our research involves extensive collaborations with public bodies, charitable organisations, industry, academia and Government partners, both in the UK and internationally, and from community grassroots projects for local benefits to national and global concerns.

• Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority
• Bat Conservation Trust
• Bristol Zoological Society
• British Trust for Ornithology
• Geological Survey Finland
• Irish Raptor Study Group
• Kanahau Utila Research and Conservation Facility (Honduras)
• Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE; Costa Rica)
• Riau Ecosystem Restoration (Sumatra)
• Save the River Usk community group
• Selati Game Reserve Association (South Africa)
• The Mammal Society
• Welsh Government

Our members are active in several expert groups, including:

• IUCN SSC Specialist Groups
• British Ecological Society Special Interest Groups.

FACILITIES

While our team has carried out field research on every continent from the polar regions to tropical rainforests, we are equally at home in the research laboratory.

To support our field-based science we have well equipped and supported analytical laboratories, including molecular biology facilities, optical binocular and polarising microscopy, advanced scanning electron microscopy (TESCAN MIRA 3), and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR).

We use novel evaluation and monitoring technologies to advance our field-based data collection, and research reach and impact, including multi-imaging sensor drones, 3D laser scanners, automated bioacoustic recorders, GPS trackers and activity loggers, and a remotely operated underwater vehicle.

Research-informed teaching

Our team design course modules based on their own research, incorporating current trends, issues, and developments, along with real-world case studies, data, and projects to enrich the learning experience. For example:

Humans and Other Primates, which is one of our third-year undergraduate modules, incorporates teaching approaches that capture current research issues through, for example, webinars on human-animal interactions, the process of determining the ‘Top 25 most endangered list’ (of primates) at the International Primate Society meetings, and the latest research from primate specialist Dr Tracie McKinney.

Global Ecological Challenges, another third-year undergraduate module, focuses on the main anthropic drivers of the global biodiversity crisis. The topics explored are decided by the students with staff then bringing in their research as real-world examples of how, as scientists, we might go about finding solutions to these issues. This draws on current research by Dr David Lee, who has been awarded a Welsh Government Fellowship to develop policy that addresses the nature crisis in Wales.

Research students

Gabriella Rossi is studying MSc by Research (Applied Sciences).

Megan Layton is studying how Costa Rican howler monkeys use artificial canopy bridges. Due to increasing infrastructure and forest loss, these monkeys risk electrocution on power lines when crossing roads. Megan's research aims to determine if rope bridges can help them cross safely.

Her project will track monkey movements, bridge use, and habitat differences. It will also investigate the social perceptions of local communities and visitors regarding these bridges and their impact on livelihoods.

Tech experts at the University of South Wales (USW) have been working with colleagues in the Middle East to spearhead a farm irrigation system developed after COVID lockdowns led to the destruction of vital crops.

Professors Ashraf Ali and Andrew Ware have been leading the development of a system to calculate the exact amount of water and the optimum time to irrigate crops on farms in Jordan. 

The two-year project, funded by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering, was developed in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jordanian farmers.

At one point, they weren’t allowed access to their farms for more than two weeks at a time. This resulted in unexpected crop losses, directly affecting the food supply chain and food security in a country which already suffers from stressed water resources. 

“The issues raised by the pandemic meant we had to come up with a solution to the serious problems caused by the lockdowns,” explained Professor Ali.

“Thankfully, having worked alongside Professor Ware, we were able to access leading expertise in digital technology and use it to address the issues faced by the agricultural community in Jordan.

“By tapping into the expertise of the farmers, we were able to develop a smart irrigation system with automated controls that could determine the exact watering needs of each farm sector.

“This was enhanced with sensors that collect data from the soil, tree parts, and the surrounding environment, to analyse each area’s requirements, and then a specially developed algorithm was able to make a decision that would match those made by the farmers.”

Having developed the system, the project partners have designed further tech to support Jordan’s agricultural sector.

“As a result of the team's hard work, a website has been developed - www.agritech-jo.com – which will help transform the management of the country’s agriculture,” said Professor Ali.

“We also developed an app designed to allow farmers to remotely monitor their systems, while a specialist research lab, Internet of Things and Cloud Computing and AI Applications Lab (ICCAA), has been set up in Jordan to further develop the skills and tech used in this and other innovative projects.”

Professor Ware added, “The work with colleagues in Jordan is another example of how expertise developed in Wales can support significant challenges communities worldwide face.

“At USW, we have become a leader in innovative technology and, as part of the Wales Institute of Digital Information, work with public sector partners to develop cutting-edge bespoke systems. I look forward to continuing this partnership and researching how other applications can benefit from the experience gained through the Jordan project.”    

Andrew, a Professor of Computing at USW, worked alongside Professor Ashaf Ali, the Head of the Electrical Engineering Department at Hashemite University in Jordan. Professor Ali completed his PhD in mission critical communication systems at USW and is now a Visiting Research Fellow at the University.

The Project is funded via the Engineering X Transforming Systems Through Partnership (TSP) programme, funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering.