Research Summary
Over recent decades, Borneo's once pristine rainforests have been degraded by intensive, industrial-scale logging and clearance to make way for plantations. This has threatened the island's rainforest ecosystems and the many plant and animal species they support. The situation is worsened by the lack of scientific knowledge about the ability of the forests to regenerate - especially their resilience to climate change.
With the help of Earthwatch volunteers, Dr Glen Reynolds and his team aim to better understand biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in these forests and measure the impacts of climate change through rainfall and soil moisture analysis.
It is vital that well researched restoration programs are put in place to ensure the long-term survival of these unique rainforests. Dr Reynolds hopes that this research will provide the science to underpin these programs.
Meet the Scientists
Dr Glen Reynolds
Royal Society SE Asia Rainforest Research Programme
Since 2000, Dr Reynolds has been the program manager and senior scientist of the Royal Society SE Asia Rainforest Research Programme. He is based in the Danum Valley Field Centre, the leading tropical forest research centre in South East Asia. Dr Reynolds is a post doctoral research fellow of the Department of Geography, University of Wales Swansea and an Honorary Research Fellow of the NERC Centre for Population Biology. His main research interests include forest rehabilitation and its impacts on ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. When he’s not hard at work, he enjoys running, hiking, and cooking.