معرفی
Professor Andrew Baird serves as Chair in Wetland Science at the School of Geography, University of Leeds (Faculty of Environment), working part-time (60%) since January 2009 while also operating as an environmental consultant. His career spans positions at the University of Sheffield (11 years as lecturer/senior lecturer/reader) and Queen Mary University of London (Professor of Physical Geography).
Education
- BSc in Physical Geography from the University of Hull
- PhD in soil- and ground-water hydrology from the University of Bristol
Research Interests
Baird investigates wetland ecosystem dynamics—particularly peatlands—with emphasis on water-carbon cycle interactions, physical processes in peat soils (water/heat/gas transfer), and numerical modeling of peatland development/degradation. His work addresses peatlands' critical role as global carbon stores (containing ≥33% of soil carbon) and their climate regulation through CO2/CH4 fluxes, using the DigiBog simulation model to assess climate change and restoration impacts.
Grants and Projects
Funded primarily by NERC and Defra, current projects include: NERC Valuing Nature Programme's Peatland Tipping Points; iCASP's Optimal Peatland Restoration (co-led with Dr. Julia Martin-Ortega); and CongoPeat. Past Defra projects examined peatland restoration techniques (SP1202) and lowland peatland carbon balances (SP1210).
Supervision and Professional Service
- Supervised 3 MRes, 15 PhD students, and 6 postdocs
- Editorial roles: Ecohydrology (Board), Hydrological Processes (Associate Editor), Mires and Peat (Editor)
- External examiner for Lancaster University geography programmes
Research Group
Active member of the River Basin Processes and Management research group, collaborating with institutions including Royal Holloway University, University of Manchester, and University of Exeter.
