Simon Leach

Technologist:- Biodiversity Assessment

Research Interests

Simon has a background in ecological science and have previously worked as a Remote Sensing and GIS specialist with a number of environmentally focussed government agencies and public bodies in the UK.

Simon worked for 10 years (2013-2023) with the Agricultural Catchments Programme, providing GIS and wider technical support to researchers within the programme.

Current Projects

Simon is currently working within the National Agricultural Sustainability Research and Innovation Centre (NASRIC) as a Biodiversity Assessment Technologist.

Work is focussed on developing innovative techniques and methodologies to establish a baseline metric for biodiversity, both in terms of quanitity and quality within the framework of the National Farm Survey.

Education

2002 - M.Sc. Environmental Remote Sensing, University of Aberdeen
2000 - B.Sc. Ecology, University of Aberdeen

Publications

Simon has co-authored the following publications:

McDonald, N.T., Wall, D.P., Mellander, P-E., Buckley, C., Shore, M., Shortle, G., Leach, S., Burgess, E., O’Connell, T. and Jordan, P. (2019). Field scale phosphorus balances and legacy soil pressures in mixed-land use catchments. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 274 14–23. Open access

Vero, S.E., Daly, K., McDonald, N.T., Leach, S., Sherriff, S.C. and Mellander, P-E. (2019). Sources and Mechanisms of Low-Flow River Phosphorus Elevations: A Repeated Synoptic Survey Approach. Special Issue Hydrological and Chemical Controls on Nutrient and Contaminant Loss to Water in Agricultural Landscapes. Open access