kirsti ashworth

My research interests lie in the interactions between terrestrial vegetation, atmospheric composition and society over a range of time and distances. I want to understand how atmospheric changes (air pollution, greenhouse gases and climate change) affect plants, particularly forests and crops but also how the vegetation itself can affect the atmosphere. For example, trees act as a major carbon sink, helping to keep CO2 levels down, BUT they also emit highly reactive chemicals (think of the pine scent in a forest) which can cause air pollution. Most land is managed, so I also consider how our actions affect what grows and where. I therefore collect, access and use a range of different types of data in very different forms that need to be harmonised and analysed.