Welcome to the Conservation Palaeoecology Lab!

The Lab based is based at the Department of Geography, University of Cambridge, and head by Dr Matthew Adeleye. Research in the lab focuses on using fossil proxies to understand the different roles of people and climate in shaping terrestrial ecosystems over centuries to millennia, and how this knowledge can assist in addressing contemporary biodiversity management issues. We pay special attention to local communities' lived experiences in study areas, incorporating their perspectives with palaeo data interpretation to better understand past human-ecosystem/landscape interactions and present-day implications. Lastly, research in the lab is strongly motivated by present biodiversity management challenges; therefore, we work closely with Indigenous and non-Indigenous land managers to target our research questions to specific management needs. We describe our overall approach to research as Conservation Ethnopalaeoecology. Please feel free to look around and learn more about ongoing work and opportunities in the lab.

There are currently multiple opportunities for graduate students, especially PhD students, please get in touch if you are interested in working on a palaeoecology or conservation palaeoecology project for your thesis.