Science Strategy

Science connecting land and people

Across the globe, nations are facing growing demands to provide food, energy and water from finite land and natural resources. These challenges are complex, interconnected and ever-changing. The Institute has world-class strengths in land, crop, water, environmental and socio-economic sciences. We are structured in a way that allows a broad range of science disciplines to interconnect their work. We operate in partnership with people, organisations and governments to deliver practical solutions for our shared future. The James Hutton Institute vision and mission The James Hutton Institute was formed on 1st April 2011 when SCRI (Scottish Crop Research Institute) and the Macaulay Research Institute (MLURI) joined forces to create one of the world’s leading scientific organisations focused on land, crops, water and the environment. Our research is supported by the which funds a number of world-class research institutes. We will lead the way in relation to interdisciplinary research which places people at the heart of our approach to solving problems. Our research will be conducted and delivered in partnership with people, organisations and governments to enhance sustainable environmental, social and economic development. We will adopt the ecosystem approach: a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainability. We will deliver knowledge, products and services that improve the quality of life. As one of the largest research organisations in Europe we will be influential in setting the agenda for land use and development for the 21st Century. Our aim is to help maintain ’s world-leading reputation for excellence in environmental science.

Vision We will be a world leader in research and engagement to deliver evidence-based solutions to the global challenges facing land and natural resource use both now and in the future.

Mission To deliver the highest quality integrated and innovative science that contributes knowledge, products and services to meet the multiple demands on land and natural resources.

Our values We believe people, particularly our staff, will always be at the heart of a successful and thriving organisation. Our staff have worked together to identify these values shared by everyone at the James Hutton Institute:

• We respect and value our people and the people we engage with

• We want to make a difference

• We strive to be excellent in everything we do

• We lead by example

• We foster creativity and innovation

2 Strategic aims 2011-2016

Research Themes To target research to meet ongoing and emerging policy and societal demands at local, national and international levels.

We will:

• embed mechanisms for seeking and sharing external information to steer research priorities and exploit external funding opportunities

• collaborate with other organisations to boost research capacity and build international credibility

• review on a regular basis our theme structure to match changing external needs.

Science Groups To produce leading-edge research of an international standard to make important contributions in our chosen fields of study.

We will:

• build on existing areas of excellence in plant genetics, genomics, virology, pathology, food biochemistry, isotopic chemistry, soil science, ecology, socio-economics and bioinformatics

• expand our capacity in socio-economics, informatics and bioinformatics

• use seedcorn funds to develop strategic science areas

• use performance management to identify and evolve science disciplines

• develop a vibrant and distinctive postgraduate school in strategic and applied research through a network of academic partners including the development of a strong alumni base

• implement a range of strategies for enhancing science excellence such as mentoring, internal peer review and joint appointments with other institutes of excellence.

3 Science challenges Land and the ecosystems it supports underpin the provision of food, fuel, clean water and air and many of the cultural experiences that provide for human livelihoods and wellbeing. The provision of these goods and services is supported by ecosystem functions such as climate regulation, nutrient cycling, protection from disease and natural hazards, collectively referred to as ecosystem services. These create a platform on which economic activity occurs, governance regimes are built, resource use is negotiated, land management decisions are framed and lives are lived.

Ecosystem services are now seriously threatened by high levels of consumption and ecosystem degradation that contribute to food and energy insecurity, increased vulnerability to natural disasters such as floods and droughts, reduced availability and quality of water, threats to cultural heritage, poor plant, human and animal health and conflict. These challenges will be exacerbated further by environmental change and population growth.

Environmental security Globally and as a nation we need to address the scarcity and degradation of environmental assets that support life and wealth creation and to become more resilient to risks and adverse events that are at times beyond our control. Degradation of environmental assets undermines our and the supporting services that nature provides. Depletion of natural resources (such as soil and ) and threats from pollution (including environmental change) can also undermine our resilience to extreme events, including natural and human induced disasters. Many of the limits to our use of the natural environment are already being exceeded and many more are not yet quantified (Rockstrom et al. 2009).

4 The biodiversity crisis Global biodiversity is being lost at a rate that is about 1000 times higher than it has been for millennia, largely as a consequence of human-driven environmental changes, with knock-on effects on ecosystem services that are essential for the economy and human wellbeing. This includes individual species extinctions, habitat destruction, land conversion (e.g. for and development), environmental change, pollution and the spread of invasive species. The International Convention on Biodiversity challenges signatories to adopt new measures to stem the decline in biodiversity by 2020, for example by increasing protected areas coverage to 17% of the land surface by 2020 and ensure that areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably, supporting the conservation of biodiversity. Still much more needs to be done. Environmental change is now emerging as one of biodiversity’s greatest ‘threats’ and the interactions between climate, land use change and other major drivers such as pollution are highly complex and still poorly understood. There are major scientific challenges to be urgently addressed to provide the best possible information on biodiversity management and ecosystem services provision, integrating human, ecological and environmental scientists with policy-makers and other stakeholders. It is essential that biodiversity and ecosystem services are central issues in policy and land use decision-making across the globe and scientists need to provide robust, underpinning information and provide policy- makers with the tools to assess the consequences of different policy instruments on biodiversity and ecosystem services, to aid decision-making.

The global Living Planet Index (LPI) monitors more than 7,100 populations of 2,300 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish around the globe. The LPI (shown here by the orange middle line) has declined more than 30% since 1970, suggesting that on average, vertebrate populations fell by nearly one-third during this period. Tropical species (in red) show a sharper decline of almost 60% while Temperate species (in blue) show an increase of 15%, reflecting the recent recovery of some species populations.

Source: WWF/ Zoological Society of London.

5 Building on the MLURI and SCRI’s international reputations in biodiversity research across agricultural through to highly natural landscapes, the James Hutton Institute will use an interdisciplinary approach to improve our understanding of the drivers of biodiversity change, the role of biodiversity in key ecosystem services and the best approaches to guiding policy-makers in implementing management change. We will engage with citizens, organisations and governments to develop, implement and monitor innovative approaches to land management and policy assessment, options and scenario frameworks for the restoration and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services across the globe.

Measuring the impacts of agriculture on bird populations.

6 “The history of every Nation is eventually written in the way in which it cares for its soil.” Franklin D Roosevelt, President of the USA. Statement on Signing the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act. March 1, 1936

Soil degradation Soils are a fundamental part of every nation’s natural capital. They perform multiple functions that underpin ecosystem services. In developing countries, they make up 70% of the value of natural capital (Where is the Wealth of Nations, World Bank 2006). Soils are slow to form but they and their functions can be lost quickly as a result of extreme events, improper management or contamination. Soil degradation is a major global problem threatening the sustainability of terrestrial ecosystem services. Different soils face different threats and new solutions are required to protect and enhance soils in all parts of the world. Protecting and improving the health of soil for different purposes is a major way to increase food security and fibre production; to protect water supplies; to mitigate climate change; and to make our ecosystems more resilient to environmental change. Building on the MLURI and SCRI’s international reputation for soil research and unique resources (e.g. the National Soils Archive, databases and long term field experiments), the James Hutton Institute will use an interdisciplinary approach that connects our understanding of soil to provide solutions for the wider problems and scientific challenges facing the world today.

Extreme gully soil erosion in Kenya on land grazed by goats. (2010, CD Campbell).

7 Environmental change Environmental change is recognised widely as the most serious environmental threat facing our planet today and is becoming central to policy-making and land use decision- making. Scotland has shown leadership in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 in setting the ambitious target of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by the year 2050. Scotland also has obligations to contribute to the UK’s monitoring and reporting of emissions and to the emission reductions required by Annex 1 countries of the Kyoto Protocol. The adverse global consequences of climate change are likely to be considerable. Furthermore, there is growing recognition that some environmental change will occur even if emissions are reduced successfully and so adaptation to this will be necessary. Consequences of these targets and proposed adaptive responses for Scotland’s environment, land use, and rural communities need to be better understood. Similarly, we need to understand how to manage the systems needed to sustain landscapes and the provision of ecosystem services in the face of a changing climate.

The graph shows atmospheric concentrations of important long-lived greenhouse gases over the past 2000 years. Increases since about 1750 are attributed to human activities since the industrial era. Credit: Graph courtesy of the IPCC. Source: climatechange.govt.nz

The James Hutton Institute will build on ongoing work on environmental change impacts, mitigation and adaptation in the rural and land use sectors both nationally and globally. Recognising the complexity of the problems, particularly the interactions between mitigation and adaptive responses, interdisciplinary approaches integrating knowledge from a range of biophysical, social and economic disciplines and stakeholders will be used to provide the evidence base for effective policy-making.

8 Food security Food security has been recognised as one of this century’s key global challenges as we move towards a potential world population of approximately nine billion by 2050. Significant and sustainable increases in food supply will be needed to meet the challenge that will place increasing demands on the natural resources required to sustain primary agriculture. This, in turn, will impact on food prices and competition with other users of land. Clearly, the availability of water and high quality soils will be required to support crop production but their positive impacts will be undermined unless yield losses are minimised through innovative solutions for controlling pests and diseases (both existing and emerging) and weeds (native and invasive). Furthermore, innovative scientifically sound and socially acceptable solutions are required to minimise food wastage, both pre- and post- marketing by improving raw material quality, reducing deterioration in storage and addressing the psychology of household purchasing and consumption patterns. Thus Projected productivity growth. solutions to complex food security issues require a multi-disciplinary approach.

New crop varieties were a cornerstone of the ‘green revolution’ and advances in plant breeding will also be part of the solution to the issues we currently face. Advances in genomic and functional genomic research are revolutionising our knowledge of genes underpinning growth, yield, disease resistance, quality and nutritional value and responses to abiotic (chemical and physical) stresses. SCRI was recognised internationally for its innovation in these areas and in the success of its crop improvement programmes. This was facilitated by the extensive pool of useful genes and phenotypes available within its germplasm collections of wild and cultivated species (i.e. potatoes, soft fruits and barley). The James Hutton Institute will continue to use these collections and combine our genomic and genetic skills with those in environmental, ecological and social sciences to target food security issues, including the adaptation of crops to changing climates. This will help us to develop new crop varieties that are fit for purpose for local conditions but which can also impact on wider markets. The transfer of knowledge and skills to facilitate crop improvement more globally will be an important goal.

9 Energy security Global demand for energy is set to double by 2050. Reduced supplies of fossil fuels and government action to engender energy security will drive innovation in the development of renewable alternatives. Social change, political unrest and natural disasters contribute to volatility and uncertainty of energy supply, and increased costs to the consumer. As production and consumption of energy are closely linked to all aspects of sustainable development, increasing demands will be placed on land, water and social resources. International agreements and strategies (e.g. European Union’s ‘Energy 2020’) seek to deliver competitive, sustainable and secure energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions, move to low carbon energy systems and identify and exploit new energy alternatives, while recognising the entitlement of people to affordable energy. The scientific challenges are to work towards achieving energy security through better understanding of the social, economic and biophysical components and interactions of systems under different scenarios of use, generation and cost and to address fuel poverty in effective ways.

The James Hutton Institute will build on the reputation of our staff for research into estimating biophysical capability for renewable energy, social and behavioural drivers and acceptance, and economic appraisal of benefits. It will use interdisciplinary approaches to understand the relationships between energy supply and demand, local options for land use, implications of energy developments for other ecosystem services, and identification of risks, opportunities and constraints in meeting future water and energy needs. This will enable future proofing of decisions about use of land and natural resources, through better understanding of the role of energy in social and ecological systems.

10 Water security The global use of available fresh water increased six fold during the last century and is expected to soar in the next 50 years as population growth concomitant with increases in urbanisation, industrialisation and food demand place additional pressures on this finite resource. Environmental change will compound water availability by directly impacting on the increase and severity of drought and flood events and negatively impact on millions of people, particularly in some of the poorest parts of the world. The wider environmental impacts are already evident with global freshwater biodiversity declining at a far greater rate than even the most adversely affected terrestrial ecosystems. The scientific challenges include understanding the impacts of environmental change, agriculture, industry and domestic fresh water abstraction on water availability and management and the resultant consequences for human populations and aquatic and terrestrial ecology. Efforts will also focus on the adoption of the catchment context as the central unit through which to manage water resources from source to sea, and awareness that water is a global issue best addressed at the local or regional scales. Finally, there is an increasing demand to link natural and managed water cycles, and to address life cycle consequences of the energy, food trade and water nexus.

Research at the James Hutton Institute builds on established understanding of the need to manage water in a holistic and interdisciplinary manner. We will use the catchment to coast approach to ensure land and water are considered in an integrated fashion and that people are involved in finding a solution to sustainable management and

Global water stress

Little or no water scarcity Approaching physical water scarcity Not estimated Physical water scarcity Economic water scarcity

11 policy development. Expertise in water and nutrient use efficiencies in arable and non- arable vegetated landscapes is generating knowledge for technological innovation and new approaches for improved water management in food production. These complementarities provide a unique opportunity for science to address the pressing challenges facing water resources management in a global context.

Rural development At the global scale, the pivotal role of rural areas in achieving sustainable development outcomes is widely acknowledged. The current socio-economic conditions of rural areas vary widely, with deep-seated poverty in many developing countries and considerable affluence in some rural areas of developed countries. Rural communities face competing demands on land for food, energy, clean water, biodiversity and living and leisure space and need to build new synergies with urban areas to ensure against marginalisation, enhance and diversify sustainable economic growth and support aggregate wellbeing. The greening of the economy is viewed as a challenge and a necessity but also constitutes an opportunity. The ecological and environmental footprint of contemporary production must be reduced at the same time as creating opportunities for green growth in both developed and developing countries, taking account of the need to sustain viable enterprise and develop adaptive pathways towards greener outcomes.

Building on the substantial body of innovative evaluative work previously undertaken by socio-economic scientists at the MLURI, the James Hutton Institute will undertake multi-faceted evaluations of rural policy measures to support the pursuit of sustainable rural development. We will explore how new institutions and governance mediate the changes and how multiple stakeholders can effectively engage in change and transition management. This desire to promote sustainable rural development will also benefit from connecting with SCRI’s previous and ongoing interactions with the land manager and business communities from SMEs to large multi-national companies.

12 Delivering the strategy The nature of the demands and pressures on land are diverse and decisions about its use occur within complex socio-ecological contexts. Delivering innovative solutions necessitates the development and application of high-quality interdisciplinary research in partnership with people, organisations and governments. This solution building has to be responsive to the requirement for land to meet current and future needs of our environment and society. We will deliver for local communities in Scotland and for communities around the world. The James Hutton Institute is structured to deliver integrated scientific output relevant to global challenges, both now and in the future.

Delivering our science is premised upon the need to:

1 Ensure that our science is of the highest calibre (Science Groups). The Groups are the foundation of research excellence of the James Hutton Institute. Their function is to maintain and nurture the science and infrastructure necessary to build the interdisciplinary teams required to deliver the vision. The Groups therefore will focus on excellence (i.e. promoting science that is credible and leading-edge) and that is undertaken in a supportive, enabling environment (i.e. properly resourced, with good infrastructure and supportive management) (Figure 1).

2 Integrate our research to address the demands and challenges on land and natural resources to deliver goods and ecosystems services more sustainably (Research Themes). The Themes recognise global dynamics and are purposely responsive and flexible in their planning and delivery. A key aim is to ensure that knowledge generated within the research and other communities flows and reaches the people who can apply it in a timely manner. The Themes, therefore, will focus on engagement (i.e. research that is relevant, timely, adaptable and business-focused), and on effectiveness (i.e. identifying synergies, reducing duplication, and delivering knowledge exchange) (Figure 1).

13 The James Hutton Institute’s science will be managed using a matrix structure. Governance structures, processes, procedures and rewards will be established to ensure a collegiate approach to management across the matrix.

Figure 1: Transition from excellence, through engagement to effectiveness through the James Hutton Institute delivery structure.

14 Science Groups The Groups are the basic building blocks for developing and maintaining scientific excellence. The matrix structure ensures that these different types of science can come together in Themes to provide interdisciplinary solutions to pressing environmental and human challenges. The Groups, outlined below, are longer term clusters of our science expertise across sites and are based on internationally recognised groupings, which will allow us to audit our performance against other research institutions. They will be the focus for skills and quality audits, recruitment, training and career development.

Cell and Molecular Sciences The Cell and Molecular Sciences Group comprises research scientists with expertise in cell and molecular biology, genomics, genetics, pathology and physiology. We study processes from the level of genes and molecules to whole plants and microbial pathogens at the field scale. We focus principally on the improvement of cereals, potatoes and soft fruit crops with respect to yield and quality, resource use efficiency and pest and disease resistance. We utilise a range of advanced techniques and hold unique scientific resources in the form of germplasm and pathogen collections. Our work provides new knowledge to tackle problems of food security and sustainability against a background of environmental change. Close relationships with breeding and agronomy companies, as well as Government agencies and other national and international stakeholders ensures the translation of our research into practical applications through the Research Themes. We have a unique relationship with local universities, and scientists from the Universities of Dundee and St Andrews are affiliated to the Cell and Molecular Sciences Group.

15 Environmental and Biochemical Sciences The Environmental and Biochemical Sciences Group comprises soil scientists, mineralogists, physicists, hydrologists and a range of analytical, environmental and natural product chemists, with both field and laboratory skills. We are concerned with measuring and understanding the character and composition of materials and the environmental processes that interact and form our environment. The extensive resources within this group enable us to work across a wide range of scales from entire landscapes to highly targeted compound and elemental analysis. We work at research sites across Scotland monitoring weather, mapping soils, measuring river flows and environmental responses and apply our knowledge and techniques internationally. We hold the nationally important soil archive and national soil datasets and apply our knowledge to the development of novel methods for soil monitoring, biophysical resource analyses and rapid methods of soil characterisation and assessment. We utilise glasshouses, controlled environment rooms and specialist laboratories within the Institute and have advanced analytical techniques to characterise environmental materials both physically and chemically; we quantify macro and micronutrients, potentially toxic elements and compounds, measure and identify organic compounds and a range of stable isotopes and can identify and visualise minerals and clays. We are able to screen groups of compounds from different plant varieties for both nutritional value and health benefits as well as more subtle physical and organoleptic qualities. The resources of this group underpin work and science delivery within a number of the Research Themes.

16

Ecological Sciences The Ecological Sciences Group encompasses scientists who study the ecology and physiology of whole organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems. We cover a wide range of biodiversity from microorganisms, invertebrates, plants, and animals as well as landscape processes. Expertise in these different aspects covers the spectrum of eco-physiological responses and the use of chemical and molecular markers to characterise the diversity and functional state of organisms and communities as well as spatial patterns at a range of scales from micron to landscape. Experiments are conducted, therefore, at a range of relevant scales from microcosms and pot experiments in controlled environments, to plot, field and landscape studies, many of which include unique long term ecological studies and the use of large scale field experimentation for example at our research stations (e.g. Balruddery, Glensaugh and Hartwood). We work in a number of partnerships with national and international groups, Government agencies and NGOs, addressing issues in agroecology, the biological control of important crop pests, biodiversity and ecosystem services, and environmental security.

17 Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences The Social Economic and Geographical Sciences Group encompasses a range of disciplines including economics, geography, environmental psychology and sociology. Our work comprises both free-standing social science and interdisciplinary work, often with natural scientists, as well as trans-disciplinary work with a range of stakeholders. We are frequently involved in policy evaluation using a range of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Our strength lies in developing research tools and methods that can be applied to environmental and rural problems across all the Institute’s Research Themes. By using and developing a variety of quantitative and qualitative research tools, we provide new insights into complex problems. Our scientists contribute expertise to the following main areas: the exploration of society, institutions and governance with respect to rural areas and natural resource management; the study of values, choices and behaviour with respect to natural resource use and rural land management; and the application of economic analysis to rural, natural resource and environmental problems.

Information and Computational Sciences The Information and Computational Sciences Group brings together an exceptional combination of scientific skills and expertise ranging from genome scale bioinformatics, computer programming for advanced visualization and understanding of data, systems modeling to integrate understanding and the analysis of edaphic or climate information on various geographical scales. The breadth of skills and resources in the group gives us a unique capability to rise to the challenges that come from the new high throughput data generation technologies that are revolutionising genome, environmental and diversity analysis and the need to integrate information across a broad range of scales and develop a more integrative or system approach to our science. A feature of our work is to provide access to key relevant data sets based on integrating conceptual or data models and thus provide a structured approach to addressing both scientific and policy questions through the Research Themes. A key component of these activities is to maintain and develop our interactions with scientists and data providers at both national and international levels.

18 Research Themes The diversity of our research skills and resources are integrated to tackle national and global challenges and deliver outcomes through six Research Themes.

Safeguarding Natural Capital Natural capital comprises the air, water, soil, land and the living organisms which underpin the life support systems of the globe. Safeguarding natural capital is one of the biggest global challenges facing us today and into the future. The challenge for scientists is to provide robust, underpinning information to progress understanding and guide decision-making. Safeguarding natural capital is focused in two main ways: firstly protecting natural capital and minimising ‘detrimental’ effects of human activities and secondly protecting the services it provides for economic prosperity and human health and wellbeing. Changing social and economic drivers are placing new demands on all aspects of natural capital, while the stocks of natural capital continue to degrade at alarming rates through habitat loss, pollution, over-exploitation and environmental change. New approaches and understanding are needed to identify and value critical ecosystem services (e.g. waste disposal, resilience to environmental change, water supply, biodiversity conservation and soil quality) and to define trade-offs and win-win opportunities. We combine our skills in molecular, ecological, environmental, social and computational sciences to develop interdisciplinary knowledge and tools that can be used to support effective decision-making and sustainable management of air, water, soil, land and biodiversity as the critical assets of our global natural capital.

19 Enhancing Crop Productivity and Utilisation Population growth and demands on land, coupled with the impacts of changing climates, have increased the need for a second ‘green revolution’ to improve yield and yield stability. There will also be growing demands for product differentiation through improved quality, nutritional value and health benefits for crop based foods. Multi-disciplinary research is needed to deliver knowledge and products into the marketplace which fulfil these requirements. We will deploy advances in fundamental genetics, translational genomics, plant biochemistry, pathology and related disciplines to capture value from the functional diversity present in diverse germplasm collections to produce next generation crops which meet the challenges and deliver on economic development at national and global levels.

Delivering Sustainable Production Systems Feeding nine billion people by 2050 using the resources available on earth in a sustainable manner is a primary challenge facing humanity. Our strong environmental, crop, livestock, modelling and socio-economic expertise give us a unique combination of skills to cross from laboratory to field and beyond. We produce higher yielding and lower input crop varieties for specific environments, assess farming impacts on the health of soil and ecosystems, find ways to increase resource use efficiency in the farm supply chain and investigate social, economic, environmental and global drivers that affect the farming sector. Understanding and optimising biodiversity in farming systems is being used to protect the environment, improve yield and provide a natural control of pests. We study how crop roots push through compacted soils, resist drought, capture more resources and enhance soil health. On-farm research in our suite of controlled field experiments and on commercial operations allows us to assess more sustainable arable and livestock production systems. Decreased inputs, increased outputs and a smaller environmental footprint from farming are our ultimate goals.

20 Controlling Weeds, Pests and Diseases Pests (including weeds) and diseases can cause major reductions in crop yields even where modern control methods are employed. Preventing or mitigating these losses, while also ensuring sustainable use of natural resources, supports the major goal of increased food security. Proposed reductions in the availability and use of agrochemicals, a mainstay of modern agriculture, will present an additional challenge to reducing losses. Environmental change and expanding global trade will increase the risk of introducing new pests and diseases that may destroy native plant species as well as crops. Such factors may also affect the spread and survival of human and animal pathogens in the environment. Novel strategies are needed to meet all of these challenges. These strategies will be developed and deployed through multi- disciplinary teams, combining modern methodologies with our increasing knowledge of the organisms and their hosts.

Managing Catchments and Coasts Effective catchment management requires an integrated approach to balance the needs of multiple interests across scales from headwaters to the estuarine and coastal environment. This theme brings together expertise in biogeochemical, hydrological, ecological sciences and socio-economics to understand the conflicting demands for products and services across spatial scales. Water is central to the delivery of ecosystem services such as aquatic biodiversity, nutrient attenuation, provision of drinking waters and recreation and can limit the provision of a range of services e.g. flood management, food and timber production, and renewable energy. Water and energy are intimately related through the cycle of energy required to treat polluted waters and the loss of nutrients and energy in ‘wastes’. Our river systems provide an integrated signal of catchment pressures. These issues together with multi-scale governance necessitate coordinated management. We seek to identify opportunities to achieve multiple benefits for land, water and people that are cost-effective and resilient to the future changes in climate, land use and policy.

21 Nurturing Vibrant and Low Carbon Communities As greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to rise, bringing with them changes in climate, there is an urgent need for the land use sector and rural communities to move towards a low carbon future. The challenge is to decouple economic performance from GHG emissions without adversely affecting livelihoods, social equity, food production and other ecosystem services. We will address this challenge by improving the evidence base for monitoring progress towards a net reduction of GHGs in the land use sector, and how this might enhance the vibrancy of rural communities and businesses. This includes assessing options for increasing use of renewable energy and sequestration of carbon in vegetation and soils. We will enhance our understanding of the factors influencing individual decisions to adopt these options, evaluate the governance, institutions and policy and other incentives needed to ensure their uptake, and assess the implications of these for community vitality. We will consider how transitions towards a low carbon future impact on net global emissions, and relate experience gained in Scottish systems to that from similar systems in other parts of the world.

22 Management structure

Chief Executive (Iain Gordon)

Director Director Director Director Research Impact Science Excellence Finance and Corporate Services (Bob Ferrier) (Colin Cambell) Company Secretary (Mark Sinclair) (Beth Corcoran)

Executive Team

Research Themes Science Groups Finance and Corporate Services

Senior Management Group

23 Chief Executive Professor Iain Gordon

Director of Research Impact Professor Bob Ferrier

Director of Science Excellence Professor Colin Campbell

Director of Finance and Company Secretary Beth Corcoran

Director of Corporate Services Mark Sinclair

Aberdeen Craigiebuckler AB15 8QH Scotland UK

Dundee Invergowrie Dundee DD2 5DA Scotland UK

Tel: +44 (0)844 928 5428 Fax: +44 (0)844 928 5429

[email protected] www.hutton.ac.uk

A Scottish charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered in Scotland No SC374831 Registered office: The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Charity No SC041796