Matthew Clark

PhD: Delivering Ecoacoustic Net Gain in the UK

Location: Lancaster University

Email: m.a.clark@lancaster.ac.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-a-clark-4a517b1aa/

I graduated from the University of Bristol with a BSc in Zoology in 2015. I then worked, volunteered, and studied at several conservation NGOs and research institutes in Latin America and Europe, before returning to the UK and working in a practical conservation and land management role with the Wildlife Trust for three years. I attained an MSc in Global Ecology and Conservation from Cardiff University in 2023, with my thesis focusing on the relationships between invertebrate abundances and ecoacoustic indices in lowland calcareous grasslands.

My research project is focused on determining whether differences in habitat type and condition as described by the new UK Government Biodiversity Net Gain Metric can be measured using acoustic monitoring techniques. I will examine the biases found in ecoacoustic surveys, including the influences of hardware, analysis software, species detectability and environmental influences. I am interested in developing practical advice and methodologies in the use of ecoacoustics for ecologists, landowners, conservation practitioners and others interested in the natural world.