Jacqui James

My research interests focus on understanding the interactions between plants and pollinators, the ecological and evolutionary processes behind them, how these interactions are impacted by habitat and climate change, and the implications of these changes for the persistence of species and the sustained functioning of ecosystems. 

My PhD research investigates the ecology and drivers of decline of the Shrill carder bumblebee (Bombus sylvarum), one of the UK’s most threatened bumblebee species. I am investigating the effects of flower-rich grassland restoration on B. sylvarum and the greater pollinator community in Somerset, UK. Our field sites in Somerset form one of the case study areas in the Horizon Europe project RestPoll: Restoring pollinator habitats across European agricultural landscapes.

Bombus sylvarum only remains in five localities in the UK and the populations are small and fragmented. I am investigating the genetic consequences of this on B. sylvarum in the UK in comparison to populations in continental Europe. The results of my research will help guide conservation actions for the species.