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About Dr Jane Bevan

I am a physical geographer with research interests in biocrusts in semi-arid areas, environmental change and the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on the Earth’s vegetation and soils. I also work with the Met Office to monitor the airborne pollen count. I am an experienced field and laboratory researcher and manage local/UK/international fieldwork and laboratory spaces for the department.

Teaching

The focus of my teaching is on Biogeography.  I am also particularly interested in student learning in the field and laboratory.

  • GE4001 Introduction to Physical Geography (Contribute to teaching)
  • GE4003 Foundations for Successful Studentship (Lead Residential Fieldwork)
  • GE5012 Environmental Change: Minutes to Millennia (co-delivery)
  • GE5013/14 Research Design (Contribute to teaching, fieldwork & project tutor)
  • GE6001 Dissertation (Research supervisor)
  • GE6017 Anthropocene (Contribute to teaching)
  • GE6021 International Fieldwork Experience (Contribute to fieldwork)

Research

My research interests span physical geography and ecology including; environmental change, terrestrial ecosystems, community ecology, description and analysis of vegetation, biocrusts in stressed semi-arid environments, ecological processes in coastal dunes and glacial forelands, microclimate monitoring and analysis.

As a member of the UK Pollen Network I work with the Met Office to monitor the pollen count. Pollen forecasts are produced and designed to help support allergy and hay fever sufferers through the most difficult time of the year.

My PhD research entitled “Dynamics of Lichen Dominated Biological Soil Crusts in the El Cautivo Badlands Southeast Spain” focused on biological soil crusts in a semi-arid environment. In particular terricolous (soil) lichen in the El Cautivo badlands, part of the Tabernas Desert, which is the most arid part of Mediterranean Europe. The El Cautivo badlands are a result of episodic fluvial processes driven by climate and tectonic change (over the last 100ka). This research identified distinct lichen dominated biological soil crust communities and explored their microclimate, biohydrology and resistance to and recovery from erosion. It is rare to find protected areas of biological soil crusts; the project was granted permission to set up permanent plots within the protected environment of El Cautivo to monitor the community dynamics of these crusts and in particular, their recolonisation after disturbance. The survey and experimental work also contributed to an international project, entitled PECOS, which explored the potential role of soil crust lichen dynamics as a sensor for climate change in south east Spain. PECOS was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (REN2003-04570).

Published Work

Bevan, J., Alexander, R. and Lazaro-Suau, R. (2012) Transplant experiments to examine the habitat exclusivity of lichen dominated soil crust communities in the El Cautivo badlands, SE Spain. Geophysical Research Abstracts 14, EGU2012-11040, 2012.

Calvo Cases, A., Alexander, R.W., Arnau-Rosalén, E., Bevan, J., Cantón, Y., Lázaro, R., Puigdefábregas, J. and Solé-Benet, A.  (2009).  Interacción de procesos geomórficos y distribución de components de la superficie de suelo en relación a la evolución de los abarrancamientos de Tabernas (Almería). (Interactions of geomorphic processes and components distribution in the soil surface in relation to the evolution of badlands in Tabernas (Almería).  Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica 35 (1)43-62. ISSN 0211-6820, Universidad de La Rioja.

Lázaro, R., Cantón, Y., Solé-Benet, A., Bevan, J., Alexander, R., Sancho, L.G., Puigdefábregas, J. (2008). The influence of competition between lichen colonization and erosion on the evolution of soil surfaces in the Tabernas badlands (SE Spain) and its landscape effects, Geomorphology 102, 252-266. doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.05.005

Conference papers:

Bevan, J., Alexander, R and Lazaro-Suau, R. Transplant experiments to examine the habitat exclusivity of lichen dominated soil crust communities in the El Cautivo badlands, SE Spain. EGU General Assembly 2012, Vienna, April, 2012

Lázaro-Suau R, Pegoraro E & Bevan J. Impact of biological factors on soil hydrology. Runoff length over terricolous lichen crusts depending on rainfall intensity and antecedent soil moisture. International Conference on Biohydrology 2006 Prague, Czech Republic.

Bevan J. Lichens inhabiting Biological Soil Crusts in the stressed environment of semi-arid southeast Spain. Chester Centre for Stress Research seminar, University of Chester, UK, 2006.  

Lázaro Suau, R., Bevan, J., Alexander, R. and Garcia Sancho, L. Colonizacíon y crecimiento de líquenes terrícolas en el desierto de Tabernas, Almería. XV Symposium on Cryptogamic Botany 2005, Bilbao, Spain.

Alexander, R.W., Lazaro Suau, R. and Bevan, J. Biodiversity of Lichen Crusts in the El Cautivo badlands, Tabernas, Spain. AEET Conference on Biodiversity Loss 2005, Almería, Spain.

France D, Fletcher S, Sanders M and Bevan J. GEES practitioner consultation on E-leaning: Initial themes. GEES Subject Centre Annual Conference 2005, Belfast, Ireland.

Bevan, J., Alexander, R. and Lazaro-Suau, R. Soil Crust Lichens in the El Cautivo Badlands, SE Spain. 30th International Geographical Congress 2004, Glasgow, Scotland.

Bevan, J., Alexander, R. and Lazaro-Suau, R. Terricolous Lichen Dynamics in the El Cautivo Badlands. 5th Symposium of the International Association of Lichenologists, Tartu, Estonia, August, 2004. Book of Abstracts of the 5th IAL Symposium, Lichens in Focus, p49. Tartu University Press. ISBN 9985-56-922-9.

Alexander, R., Bevan, J. and Lazaro-Suau. Mapping and Monitoring Biological Soil Crusts in SE Spain. 5th Symposium of the International Association of Lichenologists, Tartu, Estonia, August, 2004. Book of Abstracts of the 5th IAL Symposium, Lichens in Focus, p69. Tartu University Press. ISBN 9985-56-922-9.

Bevan J. Terricolous Lichen Survey in the El Cautivo Badlands SE Spain. Plant Biogeography and Vegetation Study: "Methods, Problems & Solutions" a workshop hosted by the Biogeography Research Group (Royal Geographical Society) at University College Chester, April, 2004.

Alexander, R. W.; Bevan, J.; Calvo, A; Cantón, Y.; Lázaro, R.; Solé, A. Interaction between geomorphic processes and vegetation distribution affecting gully evolution in the Tabernas Badlands (Almería, Spain): Scale and long-term development influences. International Conference on Gully erosion in Mountain Areas, Digne les Bains, October, 2003 

Alexander, R., Bevan, J. and Lazaro-Suau, R. (2002) ATM data as an aid to investigating biological soil crust communities in the El Cautivo badlands, Almería, Spain. NERC ARSF Workshop, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, 2002.

Qualifications

BSc Hons. (UCC; Liverpool), PhD (Liverpool), FHEA (Higher Education Authority)

Professional Affiliations

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers

Member of the British Ecological Society

Member of the European Geophysical Union

Member of the UK Pollen Network