Lynn Dicks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lynn Dicks is a conservation scientist and ecologist in the UK.[1] She is a University Lecturer in animal ecology in the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge, previously a Reader (Associate Professor) at the University of East Anglia, and an expert in sustainable farming and insect conservation.[2]

Lynn Dicks
Alma materUniversity of Oxford (BA) University of Cambridge (PhD)
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Cambridge, University of East Anglia

Education and career[]

Dicks was educated at the University of Oxford where she did a BA in Biological Sciences in 1995 and the University of Cambridge where she graduated with a PhD in the community ecology of flower-visiting insects in 2002.[2]  She worked as a science writer[3] before returning to academia as a postdoctoral researcher and then NERC research fellow at the University of Cambridge. Dicks moved to the University of East Anglia in 2016 as a research fellow and in 2019 was appointed a Reader in the School of Biological Sciences.[4] In 2019 she moved back to Cambridge as a Lecturer in Animal Ecology and NERC Independent Research Fellow and is a visiting lecturer at UEA[5]

Research[]

Dicks' research looks at the connections between agricultural ecology, agricultural policy and the food and farming industry. She supports evidence based practice and policy for sustainable agricultural management[6] and conservation interventions.[7] Dicks' research has shown a need for redundancy in natural ecosystems, that is a need for extra resources and species to create longterm resilience.[8]

She collaborates internationally and took part in an international assessment of pollinating animals in conjunction with the IPBES in 2016.[9] Dicks has highlighted the importance of insect pollinators for food crops such as chocolate and coffee[10] and supported the 2013 EU moratorium and subsequent ban on neonicotinoid insecticides.[11] Dicks has also researched the importance of vertebrate pollinators such as birds and bats[12] and has been involved in horizon scanning to find future threats to pollinators such as agricultural expansions, use of agrochemicals and emerging disease.[13] Her research has shown a lack of awareness of how pollinator decline could affect food supply chains.[14]

As well as pollinating insects, Dicks also promotes the important of insects for biological control and decomposition[15]

Awards[]

Dicks was awarded the John Spedan Lewis Medal in 2017 for making a significant and innovative contribution to conservation.[16]

In 2018 Dicks was awarded the DEFRA Bees' Needs Champion Award for raising public awareness of the needs of pollinators.[17]

References[]

  1. ^ "Lynn Dicks | Cambridge Conservation Initiative". www.cambridgeconservation.org. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  2. ^ a b "Lynn Dicks - Research Database, The University of East Anglia". people.uea.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  3. ^ "Lynn Dicks | New Scientist". www.newscientist.com. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  4. ^ reaa2@cam.ac.uk. "Dr Lynn Dicks — Cambridge Forum for Sustainability and the Environment". www.cfse.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  5. ^ "Dr Lynn Dicks". www.zoo.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
  6. ^ Dicks, Lynn; Benton, Tim. "The 'greening' of Europe's farms has been a failure". The Conversation. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  7. ^ "Lynn Dicks - Zoology". Pelagic Publishing. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  8. ^ "We are heading towards a world without animals". www.newstatesman.com. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  9. ^ Oberhaus, Daniel (2016-02-27). "Bee Extinction Is Threatening the World's Food Supply, UN Warns". Vice. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  10. ^ Hunt, Gordon (2016-02-26). "The bees are still in trouble, so we are too". Silicon Republic. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  11. ^ "'Victory for bees' as European Union bans neonicotinoid pesticides". The Independent. 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  12. ^ "Study highlights importance of vertebrate pollinators". phys.org. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  13. ^ Briggs, Helen (2016-08-09). "Call to 'future-proof' pollinators". Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  14. ^ Br, Sustainable; read, s Published 1 year ago About a 4 minute (2018-04-13). "Report: Pollinator Decline Threatening Supply Chains, Especially Cocoa". Sustainable Brands. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  15. ^ foodnavigator.com. "'Insect apocalypse' poses risk to food production". foodnavigator.com. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  16. ^ "25th May 2017: Medal Winners 2017". The Linnean Society. 2017-05-26. Retrieved 2019-12-17.
  17. ^ "Bees Needs Champion Award - Research Database, The University of East Anglia". people.uea.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-12-17.

External links[]

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