• Dr Andrew Hirons

    DIRECTOR

    Dr Andrew Hirons is a Director at Urban Plant Lab and a Senior Lecturer in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry at University Centre Myerscough. As well as having a range of teaching responsibilities on modules relating to tree biology, tree establishment and urban tree management, he is also actively involved in research.

    Primarily this research is motivated by the need to create resilient urban forests that meet the needs of society. He has particular interest in tree species selection for urban environments, tree water relations and abiotic stress in trees. In addition to publishing academic papers, Andrew co-authored Applied Tree Biology (Hirons and Thomas, 2018), a textbook focusing on the integration of science into the management of trees and the professional guidance, Tree Selection for Green Infrastructure (Hirons and Sjöman, 2019).

  • Dr Henrik Sjöman

    DIRECTOR

    Dr Henrik Sjöman is a Director at Urban Plant Lab, Associate Professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Scientific Curator at Gothenburg Botanical Garden and Honoree Research Associate at Royal Botanic Garden Kew. His work is focused on developing knowledge of plant-use for urban environments. This involves evaluations on plants in their natural habitats, botanic collections and within the cityscape. This holistic approach to plant selection research helps to develop evidence and guidance on plant use within the urban environment. In addition to numerous academic papers, Henrik has co-authored Träd I Urbana Landskap (Trees in the Urban Landscape [In Swedish]) (Sjöman and Slagstedt, 2015); the professional guidance Tree Selection for Green Infrastructure (Hirons and Sjöman, 2019) and The Essential Tree Selection Guide (Sjöman and Anderson, 2023).

  • Dr Harry Watkins

    DIRECTOR

    Dr Harry Watkins is a Director at Urban Plant Lab, Executive Director of St Andrews Botanic Garden and Senior Lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL). His work focuses on the ecological drivers of evolution in novel ecosystems, with areas of interest including biodiversity monitoring, data analysis, and ecological forecasting. Harry’s research has led to a number of academic papers. He also engages in policy forums and delivery of commissioned research for Defra, Forestry and Land Scotland and Plant Health Centre Scotland, the Fife Climate Forest, and leadership of the Tangled Bank project.

Directors

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Dr Andrew Hirons

Dr Andrew Hirons is a Director at Urban Plant Lab and a Senior Lecturer in Arboriculture and Urban Forestry at University Centre Myerscough. As well as having a range of teaching responsibilities on modules relating to tree biology, tree establishment and urban tree management, he is also actively involved in research.

Primarily this research is motivated by the need to create resilient urban forests that meet the needs of society. He has particular interest in tree species selection for urban environments, tree water relations and abiotic stress in trees. In addition to publishing academic papers, Andrew co-authored Applied Tree Biology (Hirons and Thomas, 2018), a textbook focusing on the integration of science into the management of trees and the professional guidance, Tree Selection for Green Infrastructure (Hirons and Sjöman, 2019).

Dr Henrik Sjöman

Dr Henrik Sjöman is a Director at Urban Plant Lab, Associate Professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Scientific Curator at Gothenburg Botanical Garden and Honoree Research Associate at Royal Botanic Garden Kew. His work is focused on developing knowledge of plant-use for urban environments. This involves evaluations on plants in their natural habitats, botanic collections and within the cityscape. This holistic approach to plant selection research helps to develop evidence and guidance on plant use within the urban environment. In addition to numerous academic papers, Henrik has co-authored Träd I Urbana Landskap (Trees in the Urban Landscape [In Swedish]) (Sjöman and Slagstedt, 2015); the professional guidance Tree Selection for Green Infrastructure (Hirons and Sjöman, 2019) and The Essential Tree Selection Guide (Sjöman and Anderson, 2023).

Dr Harry Watkins

Dr Harry Watkins is a Director at Urban Plant Lab, Executive Director of St Andrews Botanic Garden and Senior Lecturer at the Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL). His work focuses on the ecological drivers of evolution in novel ecosystems, with areas of interest including biodiversity monitoring, data analysis, and ecological forecasting. Harry’s research has led to a number of academic papers. He also engages in policy forums and delivery of commissioned research for Defra, Forestry and Land Scotland and Plant Health Centre Scotland, the Fife Climate Forest, and leadership of the Tangled Bank project.

Research Fellows

Kevin Martin

Kevin Martin is a Research Fellow at Urban Plant Lab. He serves as the Head of Tree Collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, where he is responsible for curating the tree collection. Charged with safeguarding the collection's future amid the dynamic landscape of climate change, Kevin's passion lies in comprehending its impact on trees and pioneering methods to pinpoint species resilient to forthcoming environmental shifts.

Currently pursuing a research Master's degree at the University of Lancaster, Kevin focuses on species distribution modelling and future climate projections. By embracing data-driven approaches, he aims to revolutionize tree selection strategies, ensuring that Kew Gardens remains at the forefront of botanical conservation. Through his academic pursuits, Kevin aspires to integrate cutting-edge methodologies to fortify the resilience and sustainability of Kew's botanical collections in the face of increasingly complex environmental challenges.