Oxford University is at the forefront of global efforts to understand and address the urgent challenges facing our natural world.
Through cutting-edge research, innovative solutions, and cross-disciplinary collaborations, Oxford University’s world-class programmes are driving impactful change. From the latest thinking on restoring and monitoring ecosystems, to advancing nature-based solutions to improve public health and reshaping nature finance, our research is informing policy and practice around the world. We work with a wide range of partners from governments to local communities, and we strive to ensure that human rights and social justice are at the core of all we do. Oxford University’s work on nature is embedded in Departments across the whole University, bringing a wide range of perspectives and methodological approaches to the core question of how best to repair human relationships with the natural world. The University’s excellence in nature research makes it a leader in shaping a greener, healthier world for generations to come.
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Latest Research Stories
Our Commitment to Nature.
The University of Oxford is where the beautiful complexity of nature and the urgency of conservation come together.
Our Nature Network researchers are a multidisciplinary research community working on a wide range of themes, from fundamental to applied research, with outreach and impact in each of the key areas.
Research Groups
Biodiversity and Society
E.J. Milner-Gulland
Drawing expertise from across the University in ecology, finance and economics, social sciences, human wellbeing, cultural values, AI, machine learning, satellite-based monitoring, and other disciplines and by working closely with stakeholders the programme aims to address wide-ranging challenges to move towards stemming the tide of biodiversity loss, and developing opportunities for biodiversity recovery, globally. The […]
View GroupInterdisciplinary Centre for Conservation Science (ICCS)
E.J. Milner-Gulland
We are a group of conservation scientists working on applied research at the interface of social and ecological systems. We work in collaboration with non-governmental organisations, practitioners, government agencies and businesses to provide approaches which address key conservation issues in every biome.
View GroupLeverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery
Yadvinder Malhi
Successful nature recovery requires the full engagement and support of local communities, appropriate local governance and clear articulation of financial costs and benefits. It necessitates not only an understanding of ecology and land use, but also understanding and allowing for local land rights as well as cultural, social, food provision, health and wellbeing, and the […]
View GroupNature-based Solutions Initiative
Nathalie Seddon
Our mission is to enhance understanding of the potential of nature-based solutions to address multiple global challenges whilst supporting the health of ecosystems and respecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. We are an interdisciplinary programme bringing together natural, physical and social scientists with economists, governance and finance experts from the University of […]
View GroupOXLEL Oxford Long-tern Ecology Lab
Katherine Willis
A multidisciplinary research group working on nature and wellbeing. To provide evidence to inform policies that promote the environment and the communities it sustains.
View GroupWildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU)
Amy Dickman
The mission of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) is to achieve practical solutions to conservation problems through original scientific research. Our research is used worldwide to advise environmental policy-makers.
View GroupConservation at Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum
Chris Thorogood
We work with partners across the globe to conserve rare plants. We develop ex situ conservation collections from biodiversity hotspots – areas with high plant species richness, and surveys to measure the diversity of these regions. Our work collectively focuses on the Mediterranean Basin and Canary Island Archipelago, and the Ethiopian and Japanese floristic regions. […]
View GroupAntonelli Lab
Alexandre Antonelli
Our passion is nature, and our mission is to stop biodiversity loss. To tackle this major challenge, we study the distribution and evolution of species and develop methods to speed up scientific discovery. Our research focuses on the tropics, where most species occur and the threats are most acute.
View GroupThe Agile Initiative at the Oxford Martin School
Nathalie Seddon
Effective policy and world-class science are both needed to prevent catastrophic environmental degradation on a global scale, yet science and policy often operate in different worlds and to different timelines. Agile aims to address this challenge. Deliver solution-oriented science through a new model of interdisciplinary research. Groups of researchers from across the University work with […]
View GroupThe Biodiversity and Behavioural Science Team (BBeST)
Diogo Veríssimo
The Biodiversity and Behavioural Science Team (BBeST), a research group housed jointly by WildCRU and the Environmental Research Institute in the Department of Geography. Evaluating impact We measure the impact of interventions on pro-environmental behaviour using a range of techniques, from qualitative impact evaluation methods to experimental and quasi-experimental approaches. This diversity enables rigorous evaluation […]
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Community Ecology
Owen Lewis
We are a team of researchers based at the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford. We study a broad range of interrelated questions in community ecology, with a strong emphasis on empirical work. Our research interests include tropical forest diversity, ecological networks, ecosystem functioning, inter-specific interactions, conservation biology, agro-ecology and the impact of […]
View GroupEcosystems Lab
Yadvinder Malhi
Our research aims to understand how contemporary ecosystems function, and how they are affected by global atmospheric change and anthropogenic activity.
View GroupEducation and training for the environment (ETC)
Steven Puttick
The ETC (Education and Training for the Climate) hub makes the breadth and depth of this research visible through a vibrant online presence. The hub brings together an expansive network in Oxford and a strategic group of international, interdisciplinary collaborators to generate new research insights into education and training for the climate. The ETC hub […]
View GroupEnvironmental Sustainability Team
Tom Heel
Through a range of programmes and services, Oxford University’s Environmental Sustainability team is helping the University to reach Strategy goals and to increase its positive impact on the world around us. The University’s Strategy sets two ambitious targets: to achieve net zero carbon and to achieve biodiversity net gain, both by 2035. The biodiversity-specific goal […]
View GroupEnvironmental Humanities
Venus Bivar
From understanding the origins of the climate crisis to exploring the personal and cultural dimensions of ecological grief, the environmental humanities are essential for addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the twenty-first century. The collection of scientific data regarding biodiversity loss, carbon emissions, and industrial pollution will only get us so far. Not only […]
View GroupEthno-ornithology World Atlas
Andrew Gosler
The Ethno-ornithology World Atlas is a space for community-curated bird and ecological knowledge in many languages. Founded on the recognition that humans everywhere are inspired culturally, practically and spiritually by birds, EWA is about building relationships between indigenous and local communities, conservationists, academics, and their institutions, to promote bird conservation through the engagement with, respect […]
View GroupFlourishing & Wellbeing
Ilina Singh
This programme is dedicated to advancing the science of mental health and wellbeing through the development of innovative, nature-based interventions that promote both human and planetary flourishing. Termed Ecological Collective Flourishing (E-Co-Flourishing), the approach integrates physical, emotional, social, and ecological dimensions of wellbeing. The research aims to understand and harness the mechanisms by which engagement […]
View GroupFunctional Biodiversity & Earth Observation Lab (BioEO)
Jesus Aguirre Gutierrez
Using ecological and remote sensing tools to understand the impacts of our planet’s changing climate and land-use upon biodiversity, and its contributions to people.
View GroupGlobal Finance and Economy
Michael Obersteiner
Spanning natural sciences, economics and finance, our research increases understanding of the relationships between environmental change, the economy, the financial system, and people and the solutions to advance a resilient, inclusive and sustainable world for all.
View GroupJackson Aquatic Ecology Lab
Michelle Jackson
We are interested in how anthropogenic stressors alter aquatic environments. How do stressors, such as heatwaves, species invasions, and habitat loss interact to affect individuals, communities and entire ecosystems? These stressors rarely occur in isolation, so the traditional focus on single stressors will inevitably miss key information on their interactive, and often counterintuitive, impacts. We […]
View GroupLand Society and Governance
Connie McDermott
We are a group of social scientists who examine the human dimensions of land use change. Our work spans numerous world regions, and includes a strong focus on the global to local equity dimensions of land use decisions.
View GroupMarine Conservation Ecology and Management
Katrina Davis
The Marine Conservation Ecology & Management (MCEM) group is composed of an interdisciplinary team of ecologists and environmental economists led by Associate Professor Katrina Davis. Our research assesses optimal use of natural resources to maximise the productivity of ecological and social systems. Our work combines bio-economic and demographic modelling, non-market valuation and optimisation approaches. Current projects include resolution of […]
View GroupMathmatical Ecology group
Michael B Bonsall
We undertake cross-disciplinary research using mathematical approaches to explore novel, exciting and rewarding problems in ecology, evolution, health and economics. Research in the group addresses a wide range of questions broadly concerning population biology (in developmental biology, population dynamics, community ecology, evolutionary ecology and health). Many of these projects involve the development of theoretical models […]
View GroupMore-Than-Human Geographies
Jamie Lorimer
Social science research group examining the cultural dimensions of wildlife conservation. Interested in public understandings of nature and the relationships between natural science and environmental policy. Common focus on the role of charismatic species in shaping conservation practice and policy.
View GroupNature Positive Universities
Emily Stott
We are a growing network of people from over 500 higher education institutions across the world, working together to promote nature on our campuses, in our supply chains and within our cities and communities. We were founded by UNEP and University of Oxford in partnership with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. We depend on nature […]
View GroupPlant Ecology (PlantEcol)
Andy Hector
Lindsay Turnbull
We are interested in ecological questions relating to plants and the organisms they interact with both pure and applied. Our topics of interest include: Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning/services; Coexistence; Restoration and re-wilding; Diversity and stability; Tropical forest ecology.
View GroupOxford Nature Positive Hub
E.J. Milner-Gulland
The Oxford Nature Positive Hub brings together leading researchers from across the University of Oxford, and close collaborators from other organisations. We are united by a common theme: working towards understanding and quantifying the drivers of biodiversity loss, identifying opportunities for impact mitigation and nature gains, and investigating policy mechanisms and actions that might underpin […]
View GroupOxford Sustainable Finance Group
Ben Caldecott
Aligning finance with sustainability is a necessary condition for tackling the environmental and social challenges facing humanity. It is also necessary for financial institutions and the broader financial system to manage the risks and capture the opportunities associated with the transition to global environmental sustainability. The University of Oxford has world-leading researchers and research capabilities […]
View GroupOxford Seascape Ecology Lab
Lisa Wedding
The Oxford Seascape Ecology Lab focuses on understanding the social-ecological causes and consequences of spatial patterns and processes in the sea, with the aim of developing science-based solutions to support marine biodiversity management and policy. The lab supports members of varied research experience levels in working to weave together theoretical approaches from the disciplines of […]
View GroupSalGo Team
Professor Rob Salguero-Gómez
The Salgo Team is composed by an interdisciplinary group of ecologists and evolutionary biologists led by Prof. Rob Salguero-Gómez. We work on the following research areas: Drivers of life history strategies Resilience The evolution of and escape from senescence Functional trait ecology Species distributions and habitat suitability Life history oddities and gaps of knowledge Conservation biology and population forecast […]
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