Palynology and Palaeoecology
This study area is concerned with the reconstruction of past environments and biological communities from the study of pollen, diatoms, beetles and other organic materials preserved in accumulated sediments of bogs, lakes and marine environments.
It is interdisciplinary, involving most natural sciences and human-environment relationships. Results of studies are applied in a number of areas including testing the validity of predictive atmospheric circulation models, understanding the dynamics of biological communities, and assessing the environmental impact of people on aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Study in this field involves a combination of outdoor and laboratory based work.