Plant ecologist Dr Mark Hovenden researches the effects of climate change on native plants. Mark has an experiment set up at the Army shooting range at Pontville. The location is a good example of a pristine native grassland with many rare and endangered native plants. The equipment Mark has set up at the site is very expensive. To maximise the amount of research gained from the set-up, Mark encourages his third year ecology students to undertake small research projects using the equipment.

Major Case Themes

• Learner-centred teaching
• Teaching-research nexus