Department Of Animal & Plant Sciences.
Life. Newsletter
Spring 2016.
YOU DO MORE THAN LEARN BIOLOGY. When you study in Animal and Plant Sciences, you really get to do biology. That’s because we’re always finding new ways for our students put their scientific skills into practice. In this newsletter you can read about one group of students who have being doing their own research into how we might reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released from soil. You’ll also hear from Jenny, who has been working at an ecological consultancy, and Andrew, who has been helping with our public events. There’s also information about our students’ Natural History Society, who spend time organising extra biology-based activities. It all helps our students to graduate with more than just the raw scientific knowledge. By studying in APS, they can get lots of handson skills and practical experience to put on their CV. As ever, don’t hesitate to get in touch if there is anything we can help you with. Our contact details are on the back. Best wishes, Dr Rhonda Snook Director of Admissions
PICTURED: The Peak District National Park 2
Students’ research As part of their degree, our students get to complete their own research. Here, Charlotte Atherton, Benjamin Boxall, Thomas Gomersall and Marcus Wells talk through their project, which looked at the links between soil and C02 emissions.
“Our project was looking at how the UK can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions through agriculture. We were looking at peat soil in the UK, a very carbon-rich soil. “Using the peat soil for agriculture results in large amounts of the carbon stored in the soil being released into the atmosphere, which adds to the level of carbon dioxide but also reduces the level of the soil that can be used for farming. There is a lot of research looking into how we can reduce the rate of carbon released from the soil in order to reduce the UK’s carbon output, but also to save the soil from degradation. “We researched whether increasing the water table level in farmland would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released but still allow crop plants to grow. We grew radish plants in a controlled lab environment at -50cm water depth, the current UK agriculture level, and -30cm, which is the depth that we’re recommending the UK change to. We also grew the plants at the current world carbon dioxide levels (450ppm), as well as an elevated level of carbon dioxide that the IPCC have predicted the world may reach by 2050 (800ppm) in order to future-proof our research. “Our results showed that there was a significant decrease in carbon dioxide released from the soil at the -30cm water depth we recommend, and there was no significant difference in the weight of the radish plants between those grown at -50cm and -30cm water depth. This means that changing the UK recommended water depth to -30cm will help to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of the UK without affecting its food output. However, our results were only significant at the current levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere but not those that we could reach by 2050 so a lot more research is needed.” – Charlotte Atherton, Benjamin Boxall, Thomas Gomersall and Marcus Wells
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Student society When they start studying in Animal and Plant Sciences, lots of our students join the Natural History Society, which is one of dozens of societies set up through the Students’ Union. The group is dedicated to helping students explore the fascinating wildlife and scientific research that Sheffield and the surrounding area have to offer. Some current regular activities include: • Stimulating Science, an informal discussion group with guest academics, as well as major talks, where recent guests have included BBC Wildlife’s Professor George McGavin • Walks around the Peak District National Park, which is just a few minutes’ drive from campus • Attenborough Nights, where students can watch nature films dating from as far back as the 1950s, as well as more recent wildlife spectaculars • Trips and days out to zoos, aquariums, museums and more /GROUPS/UOSNATURALHISTORY @SUNATHISTSOC
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Outreach In Animal and Plant Sciences, we’re committed to sharing our excitement about science with the world – and there are lots of chances for our students to help out. Througout the year, we get involved in events like Discovery Night, which opens the University of Sheffield’s labs to the public for lots of hands-on family activities. We also run regular tours of our Alfred Denny Museum of Zoology, and each year we welcome hundreds of schoolchildren to the Octagon Centre for the fun-filled APS Christmastime Lecture. Here, Andrew Jones explains how he’s been getting involved. BELOW: An exhibition of Roboplant (the world’s first robotic plant!) at Discovery Night BELOW RIGHT: The Alfred Denny Museum of Zoology BOTTOM: The Christmastime Lecture
“I’ve been involved in APS outreach work for three years now. This year I have helped at the Christmas lecture, where 1,000 kids from local primary schools come to the Octagon for a talk. After the lecture there were interactive demo tables where the kids could play games and learn more about things that were talked about in the lecture. I helped on one of these tables. “I also lead many of the ‘Be A Scientist’ visit days, where a class of schoolkids will come to the University to work in the lab and museum. I enjoy these the most because it’s great to see children enthused about learning science and it gives them an early insight into what university is, and many of them leave saying they want to come back as a student one day. “It’s really easy to get involved in outreach work, there are many different opportunities to get involved. You can also get involved even if you’re not keen on talking to children directly as there’s things like developing new activities you can do too.” – Andrew Jones
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Work placements Once you’ve started your degree in Animal and Plant Sciences, you can opt into our Degree with Employment Experience scheme and put your scientific skills into practice in the workplace. The scheme lets you spend a year of your degree, between level two and level three, building up your CV at a great organisation. Here, Jenny Carter takes us through her time at ecological consultancy EMEC Ecology. The picture shows her carrying out a crayfish survey – one of the many skills she picked up on her placement.
“During my placement I spent 15 months working for an ecological consultancy in Nottinghamshire called EMEC Ecology. Ecological consultancies are involved with the ecological side of planning permissions and undertake a range of wildlife services to minimise the impact on biodiversity during a development. “During my placement I undertook a wide variety of wildlife surveys, including surveys for great crested newts, bats, reptiles, white clawed crayfish, water voles, nesting birds, badgers, barn owls and little owls, plus botanical surveys. I was also involved in writing reports and quotations, and managing projects including organising site visits, having meetings with clients and organising other surveyors. “I really enjoyed my time on placement and would recommend it to everyone. On a personal level I met a brilliant group of people and got to experience work life without the stresses which come with it being a ‘proper’ job. I gained so many skills while on my placement as well as making a large number of contacts – things which are really important within the ecology and conservation sectors. “Having been on a placement year has definitely made me more confident in my professional ability and has directly led to me securing a job after graduation. If you are considering a placement, I say go for it!” – Jenny Carter 7
STAY IN TOUCH +44 (0)114 222 0123 animal.plant@sheffield.ac.uk www.sheffield.ac.uk/aps