Tom Connolly, BSc, PhD

Statistician, Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences

Tom Connolly joined Forest Research as a research statistician in 1997. He took an honours degree in statistics at Glasgow University (1985-89) and was awarded a statistics Ph.D. at Heriot-Watt University (1989-92). In 1993 he completed a six-month study in specific case analysis with Dr. Colin Aitken at Edinburgh University and the Home Office Police Research Group in London. Tom then joined Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS) as a consultant statistician (1993-97).

Current role

Statistician, Centre for Human and Ecological Sciences

• Providing a statistical consultancy service to researchers at Forest Research Northern Research Station.
• Designing experiments, analysing data and refereeing Forest Research publications with a significant statistical content.
• Liaising with project leaders on all aspects of experimental design and analysis.

Current programmes

Selection and testing of conifers
Statistical consultant, analysing multi-trait individual-tree data using a pedigree structure.

Silviculture and timber properties
Statistical consultant, assessing the effect of site factors, e.g., windiness, elevation or yield class, on timber straightness and quality.

Affiliations and achievements

Co-recipient of the 1997 P.W. Allen Award presented by the Forensic Science Society for the paper “Statistical modelling in specific case analysis” (Aitken et. al., 1996).

Research areas

• Spatial indices for the quantification of tree stand dynamics
• Modelling gene flow in oak and cherry using microsatellite data
• Modelling the effect of stand parameters on compression wood
• Determination of genotype by environment interactions and clonal plasticity in Sitka spruce
• Predicting oak shake from standing tree measurements.

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Main recent publications

Brotherstone, S., White, I. M. S., Sykes, R., Thompson, R., Connolly, T., Lee, S and Woolliams, J. (2011). Competition Effects in a Young Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis, Bong. Carr) Clonal Trial. Silvae Genetica 60(3-4):149-155.

Lee, S. J. and Connolly, T. (2010). Finalizing the selection of parents for the Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr) breeding population in Britain using Mixed Model Analysis. Forestry 2010; doi:10.1093/forestry/cpq024.

Mochan, S., Moore, J. and Connolly, T. (2009). Using acoustic tools in forestry and the wood supply chain ^(PDF-315K). Forestry Commission Technical Note 18, Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.

Macdonald, E., Moore, J., Connolly, T., and Gardiner, G. (2009). Developing methods for assessing Scots pine timber quality ^(PDF-331K). Forestry Commission Research Note 5, Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.