Geography

Dr David Luscombe

Dr David Luscombe

Research Fellow

 D.J.Luscombe@exeter.ac.uk

 Amory C255

 

Amory Building, University of Exeter, Rennes Drive, Exeter, EX4 4RJ , UK

Overview

My research focuses on understanding ecological and hydrological structure and function across rural and upland landscapes, to answer questions relating to their management, resilience and vulnerability. My work utilizes remotely sensed structural and spectral proxies of ecohydrological structure, combined with high temporal and spatial resolution in-situ hydrological monitoring to better quantify ecological status and inform ongoing management of dynamic and degraded landscapes. This research allows me to integrate ecohydrological monitoring across multiple spatial and temporal scales and across large spatial extents. My work has direct impact for those managing these landscape systems, including the water industry, National Parks, landowners and local and national government.
 

Qualifications

  • PhD Understanding the ecohydrology of shallow, drained and marginal blanket peatlands - University of Exeter, 2014
  • MRes Science of the Environment - Lancaster University, 2005
  • BSc (Hons) Environmental Science - University of Brighton, 2003 

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Research

Research interests

My research focuses on understanding ecological and hydrological structure and function across rural and upland landscapes, to answer questions relating to their management, resilience and vulnerability. My work utilizes remotely sensed structural and spectral proxies of ecohydrological structure, combined with high temporal and spatial resolution in-situ hydrological monitoring to better quantify ecological status and inform ongoing management of dynamic and degraded landscapes. This research allows me to integrate ecohydrological monitoring across multiple spatial and temporal scales and across large spatial extents. My work has direct impact for those managing these landscape systems, including the water industry, National Parks, landowners and local and national government.   

Research projects

SWEEP 023 Woodlands to Moorlands. This is a specific project within the NERC funded SWEEP project, aiming to improve the environmental and economic prosperity of the South West. This project aims to implement fine resolution habitat mapping across Dartmoor National Park and the North Devon Biosphere Reserve, using emerging high resolution satellite data. This 2 year project also aims to integrate the knowledge and skills required to undertake this work into the partner organisations. 

Mires on the Moors Project, University of Exeter. Undertaking research to assess the ecohydrological condition of blanket peatland systems and understand how they are altered by restoration activity. 

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Publications

Journal articles

Grand-Clement E, Luscombe DJ, Anderson K, Gatis N, Benaud P, Brazier RE (In Press). Antecedent conditions control carbon loss and downstream water quality from shallow, damaged peatlands. Science of the Total Environment, 493, 961-973.
Gatis N, Anderson K, Grand-Clement E, Luscombe D, Hartley I, Smith D, Brazier R (In Press). Evaluating MODIS vegetation products using digital images for quantifying local peatland CO2 gas fluxes. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation
Grand-Clement E, Anderson K, Smith D, Angus M, Luscombe D, Gatis N, Bray L, Brazier R (In Press). NEW APPROACHES TO THE RESTORATION OF SHALLOW MARGINAL PEATLANDS. Journal of Environmental Management Abstract.
Gatis N, Luscombe D, Grand-Clement E, Hartley I, Anderson K, Smith DM, Brazier RE (In Press). The effect of drainage ditches on vegetation diversity and CO2 fluxes in a Molinia caerulea dominated peatland. Ecohydrology
Gatis N, Benaud P, Anderson K, Ashe J, Grand-Clement E, Luscombe DJ, Puttock A, Brazier RE (2023). Peatland restoration increases water storage and attenuates downstream stormflow but does not guarantee an immediate reversal of long-term ecohydrological degradation. Sci Rep, 13(1). Abstract.  Author URL.
Luscombe DJ, Gatis N, Anderson K, Carless D, Brazier RE (2023). Rapid, repeatable landscape-scale mapping of tree, hedgerow, and woodland habitats (THaW), using airborne LiDAR and spaceborne SAR data. Ecol Evol, 13(5). Abstract.  Author URL.
Gatis N, Carless D, Luscombe DJ, Brazier RE, Anderson K (2022). An operational land cover and land cover change toolbox: processing open‐source data with open‐source software. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 3(3). Abstract.
Puttock A, Graham HA, Ashe J, Luscombe DJ, Brazier RE (2021). Beaver dams attenuate flow: a multi-site study. Hydrological Processes, 35(2). Abstract.
Gatis N, Luscombe DJ, Benaud P, Ashe J, Grand-Clement E, Anderson K, Hartley IP, Brazier RE (2020). Drain blocking has limited short-term effects on greenhouse gas fluxes in a Molinia caerulea dominated shallow peatland. Ecological Engineering, 158, 106079-106079.
Carless D, Luscombe DJ, Gatis N, Anderson K, Brazier RE (2019). Mapping landscape-scale peatland degradation using airborne lidar and multispectral data. Landscape Ecology, 34, 1329-1345.
Gatis N, Luscombe D, Carless D, Parry L, Fyfe R, Harrod T, Brazier RE, Anderson K (2018). Mapping upland peat depth using airborne radiometric and lidar survey data. Geoderma, 335, 78-89. Abstract.
Luscombe DJ, Anderson K, Grand-Clement E, Gatis N, Ashe J, Benaud P, Smith D, Brazier RE (2016). How does drainage alter the hydrology of shallow degraded peatlands across multiple spatial scales?. Journal of Hydrology, 541, 1329-1339. Abstract.
Luscombe DJ, Anderson K, Gatis N, Grand-Clement E, Brazier RE (2015). Using airborne thermal imaging data to measure near-surface hydrology in upland ecosystems. Hydrological Processes, 29(6), 1656-1668. Abstract.
Luscombe DJ, Anderson K, Gatis N, Wetherelt A, Grand-Clement E, Brazier RE (2014). What does airborne LiDAR really measure in upland ecosystems?. Ecohydrology Abstract.
Grand-Clement E, Anderson K, Smith D, Luscombe D, Gatis N, Ross M, Brazier RE (2013). Evaluating ecosystem goods and services after restoration of marginal upland peatlands in South-West England. J Appl Ecol, 50(2), 324-334.  Author URL.

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