Ruth Mitchell
The James Hutton Institute
Craigiebuckler
Aberdeen AB15 8QH
Scotland UK
Biography
Ruth's work has focussed on the biodiversity and ecosystem services implications of tree diseases. Ruth has a long standing interested in successional processes and her work on plant-soil interactions studies how changes in land-use (principally tree colonisation on moorland) affects the vegetation, soil chemistry, soil fauna and ecosystem functioning. Amongst many other projects, Ruth is leading work on projected areas and contributing to work on restoration of plantations in ancient woodlands, invasive species - particularly plant pests and pathogends and healthy soils.As the past chair of the British Ecological Society’s Scottish Policy Group and current member of NatureScot’s Scientific Advisory Committee,and Defra’s Trees and Woodlands Science Advisory Group, Ruth aims to make her work policy relevant with practical applications for stakeholders.