Earthwatch Award Recipient Summary
Awardee: Chris Joyce, PhD
Affiliation: University of Brighton
Project: Baltic Island Wetlands and Wildlife
Award: 2003 Aviva/Earthwatch Award for Climate Change Research
Project Synopsis
Dr. Chris Joyce and his colleague Elle Puurmann (Laanerannik) are investigating the impact of land-use changes on coastal wetlands on Vormsi Island, part of the West Estonian Archipelago Biosphere Reserve. Historically, wet grasslands in the region were maintained by traditional pastoral management practices, which contributed to a high level of plant and wildlife biodiversity. The loss of these practices threatens these rich grassland habitats, which are now being encroached upon by shrubs and reeds. Earthwatch teams are helping Dr. Joyce and Ms. Puurmann classify and map wetland habitats to determine how each one responds to recent neglect. Their findings are helping resource managers prioritize future management practices in this wetland of international importance.
Award Outcomes
The Aviva Award allowed Dr. Joyce to:
· Purchase water level data loggers to more remotely monitor wetlands
· Buy a laptop computer for downloading data in the field.
Dr. Joyce used the Aviva award to expand his research program to monitor water levels in the Vormsi Island wetland habitats, a new but complementary focus with far-reaching implications. He purchased three water level data loggers with remote capabilities, sophisticated hydrological instruments that now allow him to continuously track water level changes at key wetland sites. He also bought a robust laptop computer, with a long battery life, so that data from the instruments could be downloaded in the field.
The new equipment will permit Dr. Joyce to investigate how sea level changes in the Baltic, for instance those predicted by models of global climate change, might impact upon coastal wetlands. The hydrological data has enabled him and his colleagues to characterize the water level "signature" for coastal wetland communities, and therefore to evaluate how predicted sea level changes may affect the wetlands. These data are something that Estonian scientists have long been interested in, but have never had the resources to record.
The Aviva grant also helped Dr. Joyce's project achieve greater credibility and gave them the opportunity to gain technical expertise in water level monitoring. This in turn was crucial in acquiring his recent grant from the U.K.'s Darwin Initiative, which will further extend the wetland monitoring project with the addition of nine more water level monitors. The Aviva funds were instrumental in launching this important research direction.
Publications and Papers
Speaking at the Royal Geographical Society conference, September 2005
Quotes
"The Aviva award gave me a boost personally, because it helped develop the Earthwatch project and because it gave me renewed confidence that the subject was important. It moved the Earthwatch project forward because we were able to buy equipment to monitor water levels, which was until then a key missing element on our studies of wetlands. We have also been able to begin to answer questions about how sea level changes in the Baltic might impact upon coastal wetlands, which we always felt was an important subject but, until the Aviva grant, could not address."