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Dr Clare Lawson

Profile summary

  • Central Academic Staff
  • Senior Lecturer in Ecology
  • Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
  • School of Environment, Earth & Ecosystem Sciences
  • clare.lawson

Professional biography

2017-        :  Lecturer in Ecology, School of Environment, Earth & Ecosystem Sciences, The Open University.

2014-2017:  Daphne Jackson Research Fellow, School of Environment, Earth & Ecosystem Sciences, The Open University.

2008-2010:  Research Project Officer, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development & Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning, University of Reading.

2002-2006:  Research Fellow, Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, University of Reading.

1998-2002:  Research Officer, Cranfield University.

1997:  Research Fellow, University of London, Wye.

1994-1997:  PhD University of London, Wye.

1989-1993:  BSc University of Edinburgh.

Research interests

  • Plant community ecology, vegetation dynamics and the ecology of species-rich meadows.
  • Habitat restoration and ecosystem processes within the farmed landscape.
  • Impact of management practices on farmland biodiversity.
  • The importance of plant-soil interactions in grassland ecosystems.

Publications

Experimental drought reduces the productivity and stability of a calcareous grassland (2024-04)
Jackson, J.; Middleton, S. L.; Lawson, C. S.; Jardine, E.; Hawes, N.; Maseyk, K.; Salguero‐Gómez, R. and Hector, A.
Journal of Ecology, 112(4) (pp. 917-931)

Water table depth and plant species determine the direction and magnitude of methane fluxes in floodplain meadow soils (2024-03)
Peacock, Mike; Lawson, Clare; Gowing, David and Gauci, Vincent
Ecology and Evolution, 14, Article e11147(3)

Differential responses of community‐level functional traits to mid‐ and late‐season experimental drought in a temperate grassland (2024)
Fenollosa, E.; Fernandes, P.; Hector, A.; King, H.; Lawson, C.S.; Jackson, J. and Salguero‐Gómez, R.
Journal of Ecology, 112(10) (pp. 2292-2306)

Short‐range multispectral imaging is an inexpensive, fast, and accurate approach to estimate biodiversity in a temperate calcareous grassland (2022-12-14)
Jackson, John; Lawson, Clare S.; Adelmant, Celestine; Huhtala, Evie; Fernandes, Philip; Hodgson, Rose; King, Hannah; Williamson, Lucy; Maseyk, Kadmiel; Hawes, Nick; Hector, Andrew and Salguero‐Gómez, Rob
Ecology and Evolution, 12, Article e9623(12)

Plant, soil and microbial controls on grassland diversity restoration: a long-term, multi-site mesocosm experiment (2017-09-14)
Fry, Ellen L.; Pilgrim, Emma S.; Tallowin, Jerry R.B.; Smith, Roger S.; Mortimer, Simon R.; Beaumont, Deborah A.; Simkin, Janet; Harris, Stephanie J.; Sheil, Robert S.; Quirk, Helen; Harrison, Kate A.; Lawson, Clare S.; Hobbs, Phil .J and Bardgett, Richard D.
Journal of Applied Ecology, 54(5) (pp. 1320-1330)

Effects of seed addition on beetle assemblages during the re-creation of species-rich lowland hay meadows (2012-02)
Woodcock, Ben A.; Westbury, Duncan B.; Brook, Alex J.; Lawson, Clare S.; Edwards, Andrew R.; Harris, Stephanie J.; Heard, Matthew S.; Brown, Valerie K. and Mortimer, Simon R.
Insect Conservation and Diversity, 5(1) (pp. 19-26)

The combined effect of waterlogging, extractable P and soil pH on α-diversity: a case study on mesotrophic grasslands in the UK. (2011-05)
Michalovà, Dana; Gilbert, Joanne C.; Lawson, Clare S.; Gowing, David J. G. and Marrs, Rob H.
Plant Ecology, 212(5) (pp. 879-888)

The restoration of phytophagous beetles in species-rich chalk grassland. (2010-09)
Woodcock, Ben A.; Edwards, Andrew R.; Lawson, Clare S.; Westbury, Duncan B.; Brook, Alex J.; Harris, Stephanie J.; Masters, Greg; Booth, Roger; Brown, Valerie K. and Mortimer, Simon R.
Restoration Ecology, 18(5) (pp. 638-644)

The role of management and landscape context in the restoration of grassland phytophagous beetles. (2010-04)
Woodcock, Ben A.; Vogiatzakis, Ioannis N.; Westbury, Duncan B.; Lawson, Clare S.; Edwards, Andrew R.; Brook, Alex J.; Harris, Stephanie J.; Lock, Kerry A.; Maczey, Norbert; Masters, Greg; Brown, Valerie K. and Mortimer, Simon R.
Journal of Applied Ecology, 47(2) (pp. 366-376)

Determining the important environmental variables controlling plant species community composition in mesotrophic grasslands in Great Britain (2009-10)
Kalusová, Veronika; Le Duc, Michael G.; Gilbert, Joanne C.; Lawson, Clare S.; Gowing, David J. G. and Marrs, Rob H.
Applied Vegetation Science, 12(4) (pp. 459-471)

Potential contribution of natural enemies to patterns of local adaptation in plants. (2008-10)
Crémieux, Lisèle; Bischoff, Armin; Šmilauerová, Majka; Lawson, Clare S.; Mortimer, Simon R.; Doležal, Jiří; Lanta, Vojtěch; Edwards, Andrew R.; Brook, Alex J.; Tscheulin, Thomas; Macel, Mirka; Lepš, Jan; Müller-Schärer, Heinz and Steinger, Thomas
New Phytologist, 180(2) (pp. 524-533)

The economic dimensions of integrating flood management and agri-environment through washland creation: a case from Somerset, England (2008-07)
Morris, J.; Bailey, A. P.; Lawson, C. S; Leeds-Harrison, P. B.; Alsop, D. and Vivash, R.
Journal of Environmental Management, 88(2) (pp. 372-381)

Contrasting success in the restoration of plant and phytophagous beetle assemblages of species rich mesotrophic grasslands (2008-01)
Woodcock, B. A.; Edwards, A. R.; Lawson, C. S.; Westbury, D. B.; Brook, A. J.; Harris, S. J.; Brown, V. K. and Mortimer, S. R.
Oecologia, 154(4) (pp. 773-783)

Hay strewing, brush harvesting of seed and soil disturbance as tools for the enhancement of botanical diversity in grasslands. (2007-01-01)
Edwards, Andrew R.; Mortimer, Simon R.; Lawson, Clare S.; Westbury, Duncan B.; Harris, Stephanie J.; Woodcock, Ben A. and Brown, Valerie K
Biological Conservation, 134(3) (pp. 372-382)

Carbon addition alters early succession on ex-arable fields. (2007)
Eschen, René; Mortimer, Simon R.; Lawson, Clare S.; Edwards, Andrew R.; Brook, Alex J.; Igual-Arroyo, José M.; Hedlund, Katarina and Schaffner, Urs
Journal of Applied Ecology, 44(1) (pp. 95-104)

Long-term effectiveness of sowing high and low diverse seed mixtures to enhance plant community development on ex-arable fields (2007)
Lepš, Jan; Doležal, Jiri; Bezemer, T. Martijn; Brown, Valerie K.; Hedlund, Katarina; Igual-Arroyo, Mariano; Jörgensen, Helene Bracht; Lawson, Clare S.; Mortimer, Simon R.; Peix-Geldart, Alvaro; Rodríguez Barrueco, Claudino; Santa Regina, Ignacio; Šmilauer, Petr and van der Putten, Wim H.
Applied Vegetation Science, 10(1) (pp. 97-110)

Climate vs. soil factors in local adaptation of two common plant species (2007)
Macel, M.; Lawson, C. S.; Mortimer, S. R.; Smilauerova, M.; Bischoff, A.; Cremieux, L.; Dolezal, J.; Edwards, A. R.; Lanta, V.; van der Putten, W. H.; Rodriguez Barrueco, C.; Muller-Scharer, H. and Steinger, T.
Ecology, 88(2) (pp. 424-433)

Effects of grazing management on beetle and plant assemblages during the re-creation of a flood-plain meadow (2006-09)
Woodcock, B. A.; Lawson, C. S.; Mann, D. J. and McDonald, A. W.
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 116(3-4) (pp. 225-234)

Phylogeny and the hierarchical organization of plant diversity (2006-07)
Silvertown, Jonathan; Dodd, Mike; Gowing, David; Lawson, Clare and McConway, Kevin
Ecology, 87(7, Sup) (S39-S49)

Detecting local adaptation in widespread grassland species - the importance of scale and local plant community (2006)
Bischoff, Armin; Cremieux, Lisèle; Smilauerova, Marie; Lawson, Clare S.; Mortimer, Simon R.; Dolezal, Jiri; Lanta, Vojtech; Edwards, Andrew R.; Brook, Alex J.; Macel, Mirka; Leps, Jan; Steinger, Thomas and Müller-Schärer, Heinz
Journal of Ecology, 94(6) (pp. 1130-1142)

Plant species and fuctional group effects on abiotic and microbial soil properties and plant-soil feedback responses in two grasslands. (2006)
Bezemer, T. Martin; Lawson, Clare S.; Hedlund, Katarina; Edwards, Andrew R.; Brook, Alex J.; Igual, José M.; Mortimer, Simon R. and van der Putten, Wim H.
Journal of Ecology, 94(5) (pp. 893-904)

The influence of seed addition and cutting regime on the success of grassland restoration on former arable land. (2004-11)
Lawson, Clare S.; Ford, Martin A. and Mitchley, Jonathan
Applied Vegetation Science, 7(2) (pp. 259-266)

The establishment of heathland vegetation on ex-arable land: The response of Calluna vulgaris to soil acidification (2004-04-01)
Lawson, Clare S.; Ford, Martin A.; Mitchley, Jonathan and Warren, John M.
Biological Conservation, 116(3) (pp. 409-416)

Soil aeration status in a lowland wet grassland (2004-02-15)
Barber, K.R.; Leeds-Harrison, P.B.; Lawson, C.S. and Gowing, D.J.G.
Hydrological Processes, 18(2) (pp. 329-341)

The Agri-Environment (2007-12)
Warren, John; Lawson, Clare and Belcher, Kenneth
ISBN : 978-0-521-84965-4 | Publisher : Cambridge University Press | Published : Cambridge

Chapter 9 Management (2016)
Lawson, Clare
In: Rothero, Emma; Lake, Sophie and Gowing, David eds. Floodplain Meadows - Beauty and Utility. A technical handbook. (pp. 57-67)
ISBN : 978-1-4730-2067-2 / 978-1-4730-2066-5 | Publisher : Floodplain Meadows Partnership, The Open University | Published : Milton Keynes

Chapter 10 Restoration and creation of floodplain meadows (2016)
Lawson, Clare and Rothero, Emma
In: Rothero, Emma; Lake, Sophie and Gowing, David eds. Floodplain Meadows - Beauty and Utility. A technical handbook. (pp. 68-86)
ISBN : 978-1-4730-2067-2 / 978-1-4730-2066-5 | Publisher : Floodplain Meadows Partnership, The Open University | Published : Milton Keynes

The natural capital of floodplains: management, protection and restoration to deliver greater benefits (2018)
Lawson, Clare; Rothero, Emma; Gowing, David; Nisbet, Tom; Barsoum, Nadia; Broadmeadow, Samantha and Skinner, Ann
The Valuing Nature Programme