The Social and Economic Research Group (SERG) is an interdisciplinary group carrying out research to develop a better understanding of the ways in which trees and woodlands can benefit society and how we make decisions about their creation, management and use.
The SERG is part of the Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences in Forest Research. We are based at two main locations, Alice Holt in Surrey (England), the Northern Research Station near Edinburgh (Scotland), with one member of the group based near Aberystwyth (Wales).
Dr Anna Lawrence - Head of the Social and Economic Research Group
Anna is focusing on the strategic development of the Social and Economic Research Group with an emphasis on identifying and responding to research priorities related to the forest strategies of England, Scotland and Wales and developing partnerships with academic researchers.
She has 18 years of experience in social forestry, and research into the cultural, social and political aspects of environmental management and prior to joining Forest Research established and developed the Human Ecology Programme at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute.
Dr Bianca Ambrose-Oji - Social Scientist
Bianca contributes to a variety of the social research programmes under the “Well Being and Governance” and the “Social Inclusion, Enjoyment, Use and Management” themes. Her key research interests and expertise relate to: the best ways of linking communities to forest and woodland use and management, as well as exploring ways to link communities with forestry agencies and foresters; the development of research methods that can link the needs and concerns of the public to policy makers; the development of adaptive forms of forest governance that respond to changing social, economic and ecological conditions.
She has 18 years of experience in social forestry and forest governance and joined Forest Research in October 2008.
Dr Norman Dandy - Research Scientist
Norman is researching collaborative approaches to deer management and developing new techniques to engage stakeholders in the decision and policy making processes.
He has a PhD on international conservation politics and joined Forest Research in May 2006.
Dr David Edwards - Project Manager
David leads research under the 'evaluation and appraisal' theme, focusing on two related agendas: development of new approaches to evaluate the social impacts of forestry and greenspace, and participation of stakeholders in the development and use of spatial planning tools and other Decision Support Systems.
He has an interdisciplinary background, with formal training in forestry and ecology, and a doctorate in social and political sciences. His PhD thesis examined the relationship between ethnic and religious identities and land-use change in southern Tanzania over a 100 year period. Prior to joining Forest Research he worked as a researcher on community forestry and rural development programmes in Africa and South Asia.
Dr Mariella Marzano - Research Scientist
Mariella contributes to a variety of interdisciplinary research programmes including adaptive forest management, human dimensions of species management, green network planning for people and biodiversity and risk management and communication.
She has Ph.D. in Social Anthropology, which explored rural development and natural resource management issues in Sri Lanka. Prior to joining Forest Research in 2007 she carried out research into volunteer biodiversity monitoring networks and co-managed a pan-European COST Action – INTERCAFE - aimed at developing interdisciplinary networks for the management of human-wildlife (specifically cormorant-fisheries) conflicts.
Dr Jake Morris - Research Scientist
Jake is researching local and regional stakeholders' perceptions of sustainability issues and developing social criteria and indicators to assess the impacts of European policy on land-use. He is also exploring barriers to increased levels of physical activity in the countryside.
He has a Social Science PhD and worked as a post-doctoral research fellow before joining Forest Research.
Dr Liz O’Brien - Deputy Head of Social and Economic Research Group
Liz is researching forestry’s contribution to public education and learning, and health and well being. She also explores the way in which people value trees and woodland.
She has a Social Science PhD and her previous work includes research on land management and environmental conservation by organisations, landowners and farmers.
Dr Vadims Sarajevs - Economist
Vadims is planning the development and integration of economics research into the Forest Research portfolio.
He has a PhD on monetary issues in transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe and has worked for the Bank of Finland Institute for Economies in Transition and the Department of Economics at the University of Stirling.
Dr Amy Stewart - Social Scientist
As well as contributing to a variety of projects within SERG covering many themes, Amy is leading a number of projects relating to urban regeneration, place-making and communities and the role of green space and trees, woods and forests. She also leads on projects focusing on woodland-related social and community enterprises and the development and uptake of forest management decision support systems.
She has a PhD in political science which examined multi-stakeholder partnerships for sustainable development, with a particular focus on water and sanitation provision in Africa and spent two years on the Forestry Commission Graduate Development Programme prior to joining Forest Research.
Dr Gregory Valatin - Project Manager
Gregory is planning the development and integration of economics research into the Forest Research portfolio.
He has a PhD on "Justice, Human Security and the Environment" and has worked for Imperial College, London on the impact of electricity market reforms in developing countries on poverty and renewable energy.
Post-graduate students
The Social and Economic Research Group works in collaboration with a range of institutions to develop post-graduate studentships, including PhDs, EngDs and CASE Studentships.
Katherine King
Under representation of social diversity focussing on young people and their use of woodlands to promote health and well being.
Anna Manukyants
Identifying the social value of forests through choice experiments.
Voluntary access agreements with riparian landowners.
Pernille Schiellerup
Identity and environmental governance: Institutional change in contemporary British forestry policy and practice.
