Research areas
I am a conservation ecologist with a keen interest in how tropical ecosystems can be managed sustainably in the face of agricultural expansion and the other pervasive impacts of globalisation. I am particularly interested in peat-scapes, and how they can be responsibly managed through an understanding of their unique hydrological requirements. Past projects of mine, involving time in both academia and industry, have included: creating a mapping and monitoring system for peatlands in the UK, Malaysia and Indonesia; reconstructing past vegetation change and assessing future prospects for the coastal peatlands of Malaysian Borneo; exploring the dynamics of human-wildlife interaction in northeast India; and training Government, research and NGO partners in Ghana, Indonesia and Malaysia on the use of a decision support tool for restoring connectivity in landscapes for biodiversity under climate change.
I'm currently working on a range of research projects with various (fantastic!) interdisciplinary teams, which have a unifying focus on exploring human-environment interactions at different scales:
- An exploration of the local value of intact tropical peatlands in the lowland Peruvian Amazon, led by Dr Katy Roucoux (Geography & SD)
- An examination of local perceptions of peatland restoration in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, co-led with Dr Cornelia Helmcke (Geography & SD)
- An interdisciplinary exploration of the value and parameters of volumetric literacy for natural resource and environmental management, led by Dr Ariadne Collins (International Relations)
- A pilot project to understand the local to regional implications of peat-fired power generation in Rwanda, under development with Professor Hans Joosten (Greifswald Mire Centre)
In my teaching, I explore the following themes:
- Environmental management, introducing students to topics including ecological science, social-ecological systems approaches, local ecological knowledge, multistakeholder engagement, ecological literacy
- Environmental Geography
- Interdisciplinary approaches
- Sustainable development in relation to environment
- Research methods (including field data collection & working with secondary data) in Physical and Environmental Geography
- Data literacy for social and environmental justice (new digital Masters course, to go live in January 2024)
In order to engage with the next, and multiple generation(s), with industry and with the wider scientific community, I am engaged in the following roles:
- Chair of the Conservation Ecology Special Interest Group of the British Ecological Society
- Coordinator of the Expert Group: Peatlands and Biodiversity, within the Peatlands and Environment Commission of the International Peatland Society's Scientific Advisory Board
PhD supervision
- Sue Dyke
- Chau Cong Anh Nguyen
Selected publications
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Open access
'Mine the volume': excess and the voluminous ecological politics of capitalist frontiers
Collins, Y. A., Reeves-Evison, T., Barlow, M. & Cole, L. E. S., 17 Mar 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space. Online First, p. 1-23 23 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
Net zero and the peatland carbon frontier: contesting incentives for ecosystem restoration in Scotland's Western Isles
Helmcke, C., Jenkins, E. & Cole, L. E. S., 20 Mar 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Scottish Geographical Journal. Latest Articles, 42 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Open access
A new data-driven map predicts substantial undocumented peatland areas in Amazonia
Hastie, A., Householder, J. E., Honorio Coronado, E. N., Hidalgo Pizango, C. G., Herrera, R., Lähteenoja, O., de Jong, J., Winton, R. S., Aymard Corredor, G. A., Reyna, J., Montoya, E., Paukku, S., Mitchard, E. T. A., Åkesson, C. M., Baker, T. R., Cole, L. E. S., Córdova Oroche, C. J., Dávila, N., Águila, J. D. & Draper, F. C. & 13 others, , 1 Sept 2024, In: Environmental Research Letters. 19, 9, 14 p., 094019.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review
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Open access
La industria petrolera en la cuenca del Pastaza-Marañón y sus impactos ambientales y sociales
Lawson, I. T., Laurie, N., Schulz, C., Roucoux, K. H., Andueza, L., Cole, L. E. S., Davies, A. L., Honorio Coronado, E. N. & Wheeler, C., 1 Sept 2023, Donde habitan los neba: naturaleza, cultura e impactos ambientales en los territorios del pueblo urarina. Martín Brañas, M., Fabiano, E. & Del Castillo Torres, D. (eds.). Iquitos: Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana, p. 89–110 22 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Open access
Los humedales y turberas en los territorios indígenas urarinas: usos, manejo y carbono almacenado
Honorio Coronado, E. N., Schulz, C., Martín Brañas, M., del Águila Pasquel, J., del Aguila Villacorta, M., Dávila Cardozo, N., Córdova Oroche, C. J., García Mendoza, G., Ríos Paredes, M. A., Cole, L. E. S., Charpentier Uraco, E., Valdivia Alarcón, S., Vargas Bernuy, V., Delgado Amasifuen, D., Paima Roque, R., Marín Reyna, W., Isla Reátegui, G. M., Dávila Tuesta, W., Baker, T. R. & Reed, M. S. & 1 others, , 1 Sept 2023, Donde habitan los neba: naturaleza, cultura e impactos ambientales en los territorios del pueblo urarina. Martín Brañas, M., Fabiano, E. & Del Castillo Torres, D. (eds.). Iquitos: Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana, p. 57-87 31 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Open access
Navigating shifting waters: subjectivity, oil extraction, and Urarina territorial strategies in the Peruvian Amazon
Andueza, L. M., del Águila Villacorta, M., Cole, L. E. S., Davies, A. L., Fabiano, E., Honorio Coronado, E. N., Laurie, N., Lawson, I. T., Martín Brañas, M., Mozombite Ruíz, W., Núñez Pérez, C., Roucoux, K. H. & Wheeler, C., Nov 2023, In: Geoforum. 146, 13 p., 103867.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Promise of private finance is blocking peatland restoration
Cole, L. E. S., Helmcke, C. & Jenkins, E., 14 Nov 2023, In: Nature. 623, p. 483Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
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Sociocultural and ecological perspectives on the peatlands of Peruvian Amazonia
Roucoux, K. H., Laurie, N. D., Davies, A. L., Mitchard, E. T. A., Honorio Coronado, E. N., Martin Brañas, M., Davila, N., Schulz, C., Andueza, L., Cole, L. E. S., Wheeler, C. E., Lawson, I. T., del Aguila Pasquel, J. & del Castillo Torres, D., 1 May 2023.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract
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Open access
The three-peat challenge: business as usual, responsible agriculture, and conservation and restoration as management trajectories in global peatlands
Girkin, N. T., Burgess, P. J., Cole, L., Cooper, H. V., Honorio Coronado, E., Davidson, S. J., Hannam, J., Harris, J., Holman, I., McCloskey, C. S., McKeown, M. M., Milner, A. M., Page, S., Smith, J. & Young, D., 31 Dec 2023, In: Carbon Management. 14, 1, 13 p., 2275578.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
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Open access
From ‘Muddy glee’ to muddy reflections on fieldwork and writing
Thornton, S. A., Cook, S., Cole, L., Hapsari, K. A., Zawawi, N. Z. & Page, S. E., 1 Dec 2022, In: Area. 54, 4, p. 525-530 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review