Andrew Hacket Pain BA

PhD Student

Andy is investigating the response of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) to environmental change across its European Range using dendroecological techniques.

Biography

Qualifications

2009-Present: PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge
2006-2009: BA Geography, University of Cambridge

Research

I am investigating the response of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) to environmental change across its European range, with a particular focus on the edges of the species range (Sweden and Greece). I aim to contribute to Europe-wide efforts to quantify the growth response pattern of this species across its range, and in doing this investigate the ultimate driver of growth trends. Wood density measurements will be used to quantify changes in biomass increment, thus improving current understanding of the response of beech growth which is largely based on ring-with or volume increment measurements. Using a network of tree ring data, I am investigating temporal and spatial changes in growth, and the sensitivity of growth to climate, along elevational and latitudinal transects.

The dataset of tree-ring widths and wood density that I generate through my field and lab work will be used to help develop, test and verify modelling efforts.

Publications

Posters

"Dendroecology of Fagus sylvatica in Northern Greece" - Poster presented at IUFRO 9th Beech Symposium, Dresden (September 2011)

Teaching

Demonstrator for undergraduate field and laboratory courses
Supervisor for Part IA (Physical Geography) and IB (Biogeography)
Supervisor for Part II dissertations

External activities

Postgraduate Fellow and Ambassador of the Royal Geographical Society
Member of International Biogeography Society
Member of Association for Tree Ring Research
Member of the British Ecological Society
Sutton Trust co-ordinator, Geography Summer School 2012