insect ecology, sustainable agriculture and well-being
my research @RHUL
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I am an ecologist with a PhD in pollination ecology and ecosystem services from the University of Southampton and currently an Associate Professor at Royal Holloway University of London, UK.
Much of my research fall into three overlapping themes: -Agroecology - beneficial insects and sustainable agriculture Human development and biodiversity conservation are often perceived as conflicting aims, but food production and economic development rely heavily on natural processes and biological diversity. For example, beneficial insects within agroecosystems are essential to deliver crucial ecosystem services to crops such as pollination and pest-control. My work focuses on the protection and enhancement of beneficial insects within agricultural systems. -Pollinators contribution to human well-being
Pollinators are intricately related to human well-being for their influence in securing quantity and diversity of food, supporting cultural and aesthetic values and maintaining wild plant population. Thus, the ongoing decline of pollinators is likely to have a significant adverse impact on these numerous benefits including medicinal plants. My research aims to enhance our knowledge of medicinal plant-pollinator interaction, pollinator contribution to medicinal plants reproduction, germinability and long term survival for the benefit of ecosystems and human wellbeing -Insect ecology and conservation
Every kid has a bug period…I never grew out of mine (E.O. Wilson) Insects are without a doubt a dominant component of diversity on earth, for their species diversity, abundance and biomass and I am fascinated by any aspect of their ecology and conservation, particularly Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera. |
Contact
Dr Fabrizia Ratto Department of Biological Sciences Faculty of Sciences Royal Holloway, University of London Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX [email protected] |
