Dr Tom Breeze
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+44 (0) 118 378 6026
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Senior Research Fellow
Areas of interest
My research is highly interdisciplinary, mixing ecology, economics and social sciences to explore ways of integrating biodiversity into human systems and decision making by quantifying and recognising the many values associated with ecosystems. Within this sphere, in am particularly interested in:
- How do biodiversity and ecosystem services influence food systems?
- How do we integrate biodiversity monitoring into decision making?
- How will changes to landscapes and land management affect the interplay between biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Postgraduate supervision
I welcome prospective students interested in interdisciplinary research around my main research themes to discuss project ideas and funding sources. I am especially interested in working with students from developing countries.
Current PhD Students
- Ellen Knight (2022-present) PhD: Does pollinator diversity moderate ecosystem function in agroforestry systems? (NERC Scenarios DTP studentship)
- Connor Russel (2022-Present) PhD: Measuring and Valuing Pollination Services in Europe (EU Horizon 2002 SAFEGUARD project)
- Rafael Pompa (2018-Present) PhD: Ecosystem services provision and adoption of agroforestry in England (Wilkie Calvert co-supported PhD studentship)
Completed PhD students
- Louise Hutchinson (2017-2023) PhD (part-time): Characterizing the pollinator communities & pollination sustainability of four economically important UK crops (NERC QMEE CDT studentship)
- Mike Image (2017-2023) PhD (part-time): The impact of agri-environment schemes on pollination services in England (Wilkie Calvert co-supported PhD studentship)
- Elena Cini (2018-2022) PhD: Assessing the effects of pressures and their interaction on commercially reared Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris colonies and implications for management practices (EU Horizon 2020 POSHBEE project)
- Tom Stanton (2017-2021) PhD: Evaluating how plant community composition influences natural enemy biodiversity and pest regulation services in temperate agroforestry systems (NERC QMEE CDT studentship)
- Duncan Coston (2015-2019) PhD: Quantifying the impacts of the neonicotinoid restriction on oilseed rape pest control, pollination and productivity (Lawes Agricultural Trust PhD scholarship)
- “Maria” Han Zhang (2013-2017) PhD: The Economic Value of UK Pest Regulation Services (EU FP7 LIBERATION project)
Teaching
APMA102 – Ecosystem Services
APMA103 – Rethinking Agricultural Development (including Horticulture)
I also run two strategic research groups within the university: The SAPD Agroforestry Research Group and the University of Reading Landscape Research Group (co-run with Eugene Mohareb)
Research centres and groups
Department of Sustainable Land Management
Research projects
Current projects
MAMBO – Modern Approaches to Monitoring of BiOdiversity (EU Horizon Europe 2022-2026)
Safeguard - Safeguarding European wild pollinators (EU H2020, 2021-2025)
FoodSEqual – Food Systems Equality (Transforming UK Food Systems 2021-2025)
DRUID: Drivers and Repercussions of UK Insect Declines (NERC, 2020-2024)
SPRING - Strengthening Pollinator Recovery through indicators and monitoring (DG Environment, 2021-2023)
EuropaBON - Europa Biodiversity Observation Network: integrating data streams to support policy (EU H2020, 2020-2023)
PoshBee - Pan-European assessment, monitoring, and mitigation of stressors on the health of bees (EU H2020 2018-2023)
SUPER Farm India - SUstainable farming through effective Pollination and pEst Regulation in India (University of Reading GCRF 2019-2021)
Past projects
Resilient Pollination - Modelling Landscapes for Resilient Pollination Services in the UK (BBSRC Resilience in the Food System, 2017-2021)
SMOOPS - Sustainable Management of Orchard Pollination Services (BBSRC, 2016-2019)
SUPER-B - Sustainable Pollination in Europe (EU COST Action, 2014-2018)
LIBERATION - Linking farmland biodiversity to ecosystem services for effective ecofunctional intensification (EU FP7 2014-2017)
NPPMF - Design and Testing of a National Pollinator and Pollination Monitoring Framework (DEFRA, 2014-2016)
Crop pollination: Sustainable Pollination services for UK Crops (Insect Pollinator Initiative, 2011-2014)
STEP - Status and Trends of European Pollinators (EUFP7, 2010-2015)