Tim Hill: My Research

 I am ecosystem scientist interested in the how our changing use of the planet is altering the functioning of the terrestrial biosphere and its interactions with the atmosphere (My Exeter homepage). I am based in the University of Exeter’s Geography department (Geography at Exeter), where I teach computing and land-atmosphere interactions to our Physical Geography students and coordinate an informal research group focusing on ecosystem ecology.

My research is diverse, taking me to field sites in Africa, America, Asia and sometimes I even stay in the UK! The ecosystems I work on include: agricultural systems, drylands, saltmarshes, temperate peatlands, tropical forests and tropical peat systems (including oil palm plantations). Much of my research focuses on stocks and fluxes of carbon, energy and water – but I am also interested in other trace gases and even lightning!

To study these ecosystems, I employ field measurements, remote sensing and models. Often, my research makes use of the use of Eddy Covariance technique. Increasingly, I have found my attempts to answer key research questions has led me to develop custom eddy covariance systems. These new systems either expand the range of greenhouse gases measured, or to reduce instrumentation costs to facilitate true spatial replication using eddy covariance.

You can find out more about some of the projects I am involved in (My Research) and the recent work I have been doing (Recent Posts).