Dr Stewart Thompson

Reader in Ecology

Department of Biological and Medical Sciences - Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

Contact details

Phone number: +44 (0)1865 483253
Email: sthompson@brookes.ac.uk

Research activities

My Research groups

Spatial ecology and land use

Details of my research

  • The formulation and implementation of guidance for European environmental legislation
  • Landscape ecology and biodiversity conservation
  • The use of Geographic Information Systems in natural resource management

The Spatial Ecology and Landuse Unit (SELU) aims to improve decision-making by developing sustainable solutions to problems in nature conservation, landscape ecology, natural resource management and biodiversity informatics. Many of the Unit's projects involve the development of spatial solutions and have a strong focus on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and their interaction with mobile technologies to assist in conservation management. Dr Thompson's research has identified gaps in current basic taxonomic understanding in young people and as a consequence he developed a tool called WildKey. Spun out from Oxford Brookes in late 2006, and now called Wildknowledge, it received the Technology Showcase Winner Public Choice Award for Innovation at Oxford VentureFest 2008.

Find out more

Papers

  • Davies, B., Biggs, J., Williams, P. & Thompson, S. 2009. Making agricultural landscapes more sustainable for freshwater biodiversity: a case study from southern England. Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 19, 439-447.
  • Hemsley-Flint, F., Hart, G., Lee, J. & Thompson, S. 2009. Developing Ontologies from a Domain Expert Perspective. Representing, Modeling, and Visualizing the Natural Environment, 41-51.
  • Davies, B.R., Biggs, J., Williams, P.J., Lee, J.T., and Thompson, S. (2008). A comparison of the catchment sizes of rivers, streams, ponds, ditches and lakes: implications for protecting aquatic biodiversity in an agricultural landscape. Hydrobiologia 597, 7-17.
  • Higgins, J.P.T., Little, J., Ioannidis, J.P.A., Bray, M.S., Manolio, T.A., Smeeth, L., Sterne, J.A., Anagnostelis, B., Butterworth, A.S., Danesh, J., et al. (2007). Turning the pump handle: Evolving methods for integrating the evidence on gene-disease association. American Journal of Epidemiology 166, 863-866.
  • Smith, D.A., Thompson, S., and Nekaris, K.A.I. (2008). An assessment of conservation initiatives and priorities, and the habitat risks of human land use to the primates (colobinae, hylobatidae and pongidae) of Kalimantan. Folia Primatologica 79, 385-386.
  • Davies, B.R., Biggs, J., Williams, P.J., Maund, S. and Thomspon, S. (2007). Are there more biologically and economically effective ways to protect aquatic biota in agricultural landscapes? In Bunce, R.G.H. and Jongman, R. (Eds) 25 Years of landscape Ecology: Scientific Principles in Practice. Proceedings of the IALE World Congress, IALE; Wageningen. Davies.
  • Bailey, N., Lee, J.T. and Thompson, S. (2006). Maximising the natural capital benefits of habitat creation: Spatially targeting native woodland using GIS. Landscape and Urban Planning, 227 - 243.
  • Davies, B.R. and Thompson, S. (Eds). (2006). Water and the Landscape: The Landscape Ecology of Freshwater Ecosystems. Proceedings of the 14th Annual IALE(UK) Conference. IALE(UK); Garstang.
  • Bailey, N., Lee, J.T. and Thompson S. (2006). Maximising the natural capital benefits of habitat creation: Spatially targeting native woodland using GIS. Landscape and Urban Planning, 227 - 243.
  • Bayliss, J., Simonite, V. and Thompson, S. (2005). The use of probabilistic habitat suitability models for Biodiversity Action Planning. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 108, 228 - 250.
  • Treweek, J., Therivel, R., Thompson, S. and Slater, M. (2005). Principles for the use of Strategic Environmental Assessment as a tool for promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Journal of Environmental Assessment, Policy & Management, 7, 173 - 199.
  • Lee, J.T. and Thompson, S. (2005). Targeting sites for habitat creation: an investigation into alternative scenarios. Landscape and Urban Planning 71 (1) 17 - 28.
  • Thompson, S., Hazel, A., Bailey, N., Bayliss, J. and Lee, J.T. (2004). Identifying potential breeding sites for the stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) in the UK. Journal for Nature Conservation, 12, 229 - 235.
  • Davies, B.R., Biggs, J., Lee, J.T. and Thompson, S. (2004). Identifying optimum locations for new ponds. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 14, 5-24.
  • Thompson, S. (2003). The environmental impact of construction on habitats â�� future priorities. International Journal of Environmental Studies 60, 277 - 286.
  • Bailey, N., Clements, T., Lee, J. T. and Thompson, S. (2003). Modelling soil series to facilitate targeted habitat restoration: a polytomous logistic regression approach. Journal of Environmental Management 67, 395 - 407.
  • Bayliss, J., Helyar, A., Lee, J.T. Lee. and Thompson, S. (2003). A multi-criteria targeting approach to neutral grassland conservation. Journal of Environmental Management, 67, 145 - 160.
  • Bayliss, J. (2002). The East Usambara tree-hole crab (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) - a striking example of crustacean adaptation in closed canopy forest, Tanzania. African Journal of Ecology 40 (1): 26-34.
  • Bayliss, J. and Fielding, A. (2002). Termitophagous foraging by Pachycondyla analis (Formicidae, Ponerinae) in a Tanzanian coastal dry forest. Sociobiology 39 (1): 103-122.
  • Lee, J.T., Bailey, N. and Thompson, S. (2002). Using Geographic Information Systems to identify and target sites for creation and restoration of native woodlands: A case study of the Chiltern Hills, UK. Journal of Environmental Management, 64, 25 - 34.
  • Thompson, S. and Evans, T.G. (2002). Threatened species conservation in New South Wales, Australia - A review of the value of the 8-part test. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 45 (1), 85 - 102.
  • Lee, J.T., Woddy, S.J. and Thompson, S. (2001). Targeting sites for conservation: using a patch-based ranking scheme to assess conservation potential. Journal of Environmental Management, 61, 367 - 380.
  • Thompson, S., McKelwee, K. and Lee, J.T. (2001). Using landscape characteristics for targeting habitat conservation and restoration: A case study in the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, UK. Landscape Research, 26 (3), 203 - 223.
  • Byron, H.J., Treweek, J.R., Sheate, W.R. and Thompson, S. (2000). Road developments in the UK: an anlaysis of ecological assessment in Environmental Impact Statements produced between 1993 and 1997. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 43, 71 - 97.
  • Lee, J.T., Elton, M.J. and Thompson, S. (1999). The role of GIS in landscape assessment: using land-based criteria for an area of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Land Use Policy, 16, 23 - 32.
  • Thompson, S., Larcom, A. and Lee, J.T. (1999). Restoring and enhancing rare and threatened habitats under agri-environment agreements: A case study of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), UK. Land Use Policy, 16, 93 - 105.
  • Treweek, J.R, Hankard, P., Roy, D.B., Arnold, H. and Thompson, S. (1998). Scope for strategic ecological assessment of trunk-road development in England with respect to potential impacts on lowland heath, the Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) and the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis). Journal of Environmental Management, 53, 147 - 163.
  • Thompson, S. (1997). Fight is on for strategic assessment. Ecos, 18, 87 - 88.
  • Thompson, S., Treweek, J.R. and Thurling, D.J. (1997). The ecological component of environmental impact assessment: a critical review of British environmental statements. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 40, 157 - 171.
  • Treweek, J.R. and Thompson, S. (1997). A review of ecological mitigation measures in UK environmental statements with respect to sustainable development. International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, 4, 40 - 50.
  • Thompson, S., Treweek, J.R. and Thurling, D.J. (1995). The potential application of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) to the farming of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in mainland Scotland. Journal of Environmental Management, 45, 219 - 229.
  • Treweek, J.R., Thompson, S., Veitch, N. and Japp, C. (1993). Ecological assessment of proposed road developments: a review of environmental statements. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 36, 295 - 307.

Book chapters

  • Thompson, S., Bailey, N., White, A. and Davies, B.R. (2006). Wetland loss and restoration - what role for habitat banking? Water and the Landscape: The Landscape Ecology of Freshwater Ecosystems (Eds: Davies & Thompson), pp 274 - 280.
  • Thompson, S. (2001). Environmental Impact Assessment. In: Carpenter, T. (Ed.), Environment, Construction & Sustainable Development. Wiley.
  • Thompson, S. (2001). Natural Habitat. In: Carpenter, T. (Ed.), Environment, Construction & Sustainable Development. Wiley.
  • Davis, K. P. and Lee, J. (2001). Environmental remote sensing. In: Morris, P. & Therivel R. (Eds.) Methods of environmental impact assessment 2nd edition. Spon Press, London.
  • Thompson, S. and Lee, J. (2001). Coastal ecology and geomorphology. In: In: Morris, P. & Therivel R. (Eds.) Methods of environmental impact assessment. 2nd edition Spon Press, London.
  • Webb, M. (2000). Wychwood Detected: Seeking Wychwood's Past in Today's Landscape. In: Keighley, C. (Ed.) Discovering Wychwood, The Wychwood Press, Charlbury.
  • Reid, M. and Thompson, S. (1996). Ecological fieldwork methods. In: Watts, S.F. & Halliwell, L. (Eds.) Essential Environmental Sciences: Methods and Techniques. Routledge, London.
  • Thompson, S. (1995). Coastal ecology. In: Morris, P. & Therivel, R. (Eds.) Methods of Environmental Impact Assessment. UCL Press, London.
  • Webb, M. (1992). Landscape. In: Starey, C. J. H. & Viccars, P. G. (eds.) Stokenchurch In Perspective, Starvic, Stokenshurch.
  • Webb, M. (1992). The Parish Council. In: Starey, C. J. H. & Viccars, P. G. (eds.) Stokenchurch In Perspective, Starvic, High Wycombe.

Books

  • Therivel, R. and Thompson, S. (1996). Strategic environmental assessment and nature conservation. English Nature, Peterborough.
  • Therivel, R., Wilson, E., Thompson, S., Heaney, D. and Pritchard, D. (1992). Strategic Environmental Assessment. Earthscan, London.

Media enquiries

Contact the Public Relations Office on +44 (0)1865 484452.