Professional summary

Matt is a principal scientist at UKCEH with expertise in atmospheric chemistry, air quality, plant ecology and nitrogen impacts on ecosystems.

He has a BSc in Environmental Science from Bangor University (2002), and a PhD on nitrogen pollution impacts on vegetation from Dundee University and UKCEH (2006). Matt's early work focused on deposition modelling of pollutants to vegetation. His post-doctoral work included working for the US-EPA, Bangor University and UKCEH and focused on impacts of nitrogen on ecosystems; improving modelling estimates of ammonia deposition; operating, designing and testing atmospheric gas instrumentation; meteorological measurements; and, bioremediation projects. Matt also worked as a CIEEM Ecological Consultant for four years, conducting plant/protected species surveys and environmental impact reports including managing field teams on large and small construction projects.

He returned to UKCEH in 2014 to lead field research in the atmospheric chemistry and effects (ACE) science area. Matt now manages large scale research field stations including Auchencorth Moss (UK EMEP Supersite, ICOS, eLTER, ACTRIS and WMO-GAW station), Bush Cabins (AURN/UKEAP site), Whim Moss and Glencorse (automated nitrogen field manipulation system), Easter Bush and Bush Central (field research stations). 

Matt also leads on ammonia pollution research and the effects on vegetation, and manages large scale National Capability projects on Atmospheric Chemistry and Impacts and international projects on nitrogen impacts in South Asia.

Selected publications

Ellis Christopher J. et al. , (2022), Estimating nitrogen risk to Himalayan forests using thresholds for lichen bioindicators. Biological Conservation, 265, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109401

Jones, M. R. et al. , (2007), Concentration-dependent NH3 deposition processes for mixed moorland semi-natural vegetation. Atmospheric Environment, 41, 2049-2060, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2006.11.003

Jones, M. R. et al. , (2007), Concentration-dependent NH3 deposition processes for moorland plant species with and without stomata . Atmospheric Environment, 41, 8980-8994, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.08.015

Walker, J.T. et al. , (2013), Processes of ammonia air-surface exchange in a fertilized Zea mays canopy . Biogeosciences, 10, 981-998, http://www.biogeosciences.net/10/981/2013/bg-10-981-2013.pdf

Bash, Jesse O. et al. , (2010), Estimation of in-canopy ammonia sources and sinks in a fertilized Zea Mays field. Environmental Science & Technology, 44, 1683-1689, http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es9037269

Levy Peter et al. , (2018), Response of a peat bog vegetation community to long-term experimental addition of nitrogen. Journal of Ecology, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13107

Delves Jay et al. , (2023), Lichens as spatially transferable bioindicators for monitoring nitrogen pollution. Environmental Pollution, 328, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121575

Sutton Mark A. et al. , (2020), Alkaline air: changing perspectives on nitrogen and air pollution in an ammonia-rich world. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 378, http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2019.0315

Twigg Marsailidh M. et al. , (2016), Impacts of the 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption on the UK atmosphere. http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/acp-2016-177/

Luo Ming et al. , (2015), Satellite observations of tropospheric ammonia and carbon monoxide: global distributions, regional correlations and comparisons to model simulations. 106, 262-277, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.02.007