PhD in Atmospheric and Environmental Science
Current position: Early Warning System Expert at Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), United Kingdom
Research focus: ecosystems and climate dynamics
Resource depletion, disturbances, and uncertainties inherent in climate change pose a threat to the sustainability of the Miombo woodlands. This is especially concerning as these areas provide ecosystem services which are essential to the welfare of the rural majority and habitation for rare species of animals. Chitemene, the farming system in this area, threatens the sustainability. Trees are felled on a large scale, piled, and burnt to generate ash that fertilises the crops. As it is, only a small part of the ash is actually used for growing crops.
Brigadier examines the growth rate which is helpful for sustainable management. Scientists can use predicted growth rates to analyse how ecosystem services provisioning will change in the future and provide a better understanding into the role of the woodlands in the carbon cycle. Brigadier also carried out an intensive literature review to establish the current comprehension of tree growth.
CV as submitted for the Green Talents award (2018):
University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Research focus: ecosystems and climate dynamics
Resource depletion, along with disturbances and uncertainties inherent in climate change, pose a threat to the sustainability of the Miombo woodlands. This is especially concerning as these areas provide ecosystem services which are essential to the welfare of the rural majority, access to food, shelter, charcoal and habitation for rare species of animals. Chitemene, the so-called farming system in the Miombo area, is wasteful and poses a serious threat to sustainability. In Chitemene land use, trees are felled on a large scale, piled and burnt with the aim of generating ash that fertilises the crops. As it is, only a small part of the burnt ash is actually used for growing crops. A fundamental concern of ecologists and land managers is the understanding of the current state of the Miombo woodlands and a forecast on its change.
Based on this knowledge, Brigadier targets this understanding of growth rates which can in turn contribute to a sustainable management. Furthermore, scientists can use predicted growth rates to analyse how ecosystem services provisioning will change in the future and provide a better understanding into the sustainable role of the woodlands in the carbon cycle. Within the framework of his research, Brigadier carried out an intensive literature review to establish the current comprehension of tree growth. By synthesising all available datasets across the region, he aims to develop long-term data which is not yet widely available across the woodlands. Consequently, he is thus revealing growth rates as well as unravelling other ecological structures and functions across the Miombo area. One research issue his work addresses is the effect of climate change on tree growth. Brigadier also aims to analyse the role of models that are trying to predict climate change. His goal is to synthesise available data and employ remote sensing techniques to capture data for sparse regions across the Miombo area.
The jury acknowledged that Brigadier’s work is related to forest protection and conservation in Germany. They were also impressed by his commitment to sustainable forest use, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. They believe that his research stay will enable him to provide practical solutions in these fields.
