The Making of Plant Atlas 2020, From Field to Folio

Event Description

Dr Oli Pescott - Research Scientist

Lecture outline

Plant Atlas 2020 is the most comprehensive survey of plants (flowering plants, ferns and charophytes) ever undertaken in Britain and Ireland. It is based on over 30 million records, collected mainly by volunteer recorders of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) between 2000 and 2019, as well as previous nationwide surveys undertaken in the 1950s and 1990s. Dr Pescott will describe the long path to Britain and Ireland’s third plant distribution atlas, overviewing its innovations and findings in the context of understanding environmental change and conservation.

Biographical note

Oli is a plant ecologist who specialises in the design, management and analysis of volunteer-collected botanical datasets ("citizen science"). His botanical experience covers both the field- and desk-based ends of plant ecology: he contributed to the recent Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland's (BSBI) Plant Atlas 2020 as a surveyor, lead analyst and editor. He is also the referee for alien grasses for the BSBI, the Recording Secretary for the British Bryological Society, and the local bryophyte recorder for Oxfordshire. His other interests include invasive non-native species, the impacts of environmental change on biodiversity, and the communication and presentation of uncertainty in biodiversity trend analyses.

Attending the lecture

The lecture is open both to members of the Society and to guests.

The lecture will take place in Hansom Hall - how to find Hansom Hall.

Please note that tea and coffee drinks will be available between 7.00pm and 7.15pm before the formal start of the event at 7.30pm.

The lecture will also be streamed on Zoom. A recording of the lecture may be available to members only.

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