Dr Emma Coulthard
Senior Lecturer in Ecology
My profile
Biography
Academic and professional qualifications
BSc, PgCE, PhD
Expert reviewer for external funding bodies
I have reviewed papers for a number of peer-reviewed journals including Biological Conservation, and a number of MDPI publications.
Teaching
Why do I teach?
I enjoy engaging the next generation of ecologists and biologists in both practical and theoretical aspects of ecology and conservation, to inspire them and help them achieve their personal goals.
How I’ll teach you
I teach on a range of courses via laboratory sessions, traditional lectures, seminars, online sessions and PC workshops.
Why study…
Ecology is one of the widest and most varied fields of science. It overlaps with zoology, animal behaviour, environmental science, genetics, microbiology and molecular biology. As such, the study of ecology is never boring. You can be surveying mammal behaviour in the field one day and looking at microbes in the lab the next.
Postgraduate teaching
I am the programme leader for the MSc in Biological Recording and Ecological Monitoring, and the PGCert in Biologial Recording, in collaboration with the Field Studies Council. As part of this role, as well as coordinating the course, I run the unit ‘Research Methods and Design’, which helps students get to grips with designing research projects, collecting data, and analysing it in R and R Studio.
Subject areas
Ecology, conservation, biological recording
Supervision
I have supported numerous masters projects, including several which have resulted in publications in peer reviewed journals.
I currently supervise two PhD students.
Research outputs
My previous work has focused on the factors affecting moth diversity across UK farmlands, as well as studying UK pollination systems. Currently I am working on a number of projects including:
- A number of projects relating to the trade and exploitation of wild animals across the globe
- Landscape and climatic factors affecting the patterns of species richness and abundance of moths in the UK
- Landscape factors affecting roost selection in bats
- Myotis bat behaviour including roost selection, foraging and habitat use
- Meta-analysis of pollinator diversity and plant-pollinator networks across the UK
- Knowledge-Transfer Partnership focused on the ecosystem services provided by green walls in urban areas
- Work with my current PhD student on the reintroduction of the Manchester Argus butterfly across the Manchester Mosslands
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Journal articles
Hamers, M., Elwin, A., Collard, R.C., Shepherd, C.R., Coulthard, E., Norrey, J., Megson, D., D'Cruze, N. (2023) 'An analysis of Canada's declared live wildlife imports and implications for zoonotic disease risk.' FACETS, 8pp. 1-18.
Toudonou, C., Elwin, A., Penner, J., Coulthard, E., Norrey, J., Megson, D., Rödel, M.O., Sinsin, B., Harrington, L.A., Auliya, M., D’Cruze, N. (2022) 'Seeking serpents: ball python trade in Benin, West Africa.' Nature Conservation, 50pp. 85-114.
Osborne, A., Coulthard, E. (2022) 'Early dispersion and colony formation of the large heath butterfly Coenonympha tullia ssp. davus following a species reintroduced onto Chat Moss, Manchester, UK.' British Journal of Entomology and Natural History, 35pp. 81-90.
Green, J., Hankinson, P., de Waal, L., Coulthard, E., Norrey, J., Megson, D., D’Cruze, N. (2022) 'Wildlife trade for belief-based use: insights from traditional healers in South Africa.' Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10pp. 906398-906398.
Osborne, A., Longden, M., Bourke, D., Coulthard, E. (2022) 'Bringing back the Manchester Argus Coenonympha tullia ssp. davus (Fabricius, 1777): quantifying the habitat resource requirements to inform the successful reintroduction of a specialist peatland butterfly.' Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 3(2) pp. e12147-e12147.
Hetherington, M., Sterling, P., Coulthard, E. (2021) 'Butterfly colonisation of a new chalkland road cutting.' Insect Conservation and Diversity, 15(2) pp. 191-199.
D’Cruze, N., Galarza, F.E.R., Broche, O., El Bizri, H.R., Megson, S., Elwin, A., Machado, F.C., Norrey, J., Coulthard, E., Megson, D. (2021) 'Characterizing trade at the largest wildlife market of Amazonian Peru.' Global Ecology and Conservation, 28
Deane, A., Norrey, J., Coulthard, E., McKendry, D.C., Dean, A.P. (2021) 'Riverine large woody debris introduced for natural flood management leads to rapid improvement in aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity.' Ecological Engineering, 163pp. 106197-106197.
Assou, D., Elwin, A., Norrey, J., Coulthard, E., Megson, D., Ronfot, D., Auliya, M., Segniagbeto, G.H., Martin, R.O., D'Cruze, N. (2021) 'Trade in African Grey Parrots for Belief-Based Use: Insights From West Africa's Largest Traditional Medicine Market.' Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 9
Green, J., Coulthard, E., Norrey, J., Megson, D., D’Cruze, N. (2020) 'Risky Business: Live Non-CITES Wildlife UK Imports and the Potential for Infectious Diseases.' Animals, 10(9) pp. 1632-1632.
D'Cruze, N., Bates, J., Assou, D., Ronfot, D., Coulthard, E., Segniagbeto, G.H., Auliya, M., Megson, D., Rowntree, J. (2020) 'A preliminary assessment of bacteria in “ranched” ball pythons (Python regius), Togo, West Africa.' Nature Conservation, 39
Hutchinson, L., Norrey, J., Lockton, A., Coulthard, E. (2020) 'Small areas of wildflower grassland in urban areas support significant species richness and abundance of pollinating insects.' Entomologist's Gazette, 71(2) pp. 103-119.
D'Cruze, N., Assou, D., Coulthard, E., Norrey, J., Megson, D., Macdonald, D.W., Harrington, L.A., Ronfot, D., Segniagbeto, G.H., Auliya, M. (2020) 'Snake oil and pangolin scales: insights into wild animal use at “Marché des Fétiches” traditional medicine market, Togo.' Nature Conservation, 39
D'Cruze, N., Paterson, S., Green, J., Megson, D., Warwick, C., Coulthard, E., Norrey, J., Auliya, M., Carder, G. (2020) 'Dropping the Ball? The Welfare of Ball Pythons Traded in the EU and North America..' Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 10(3)
Green, J., Coulthard, E., Megson, D., Norrey, J., Norrey, L., Rowntree, J., Bates, J., Dharmpaul, B., Auliya, M., D'Cruze, N. (2020) 'Blind trading: A literature review of research addressing the welfare of Ball pythons in the exotic pet trade.' Animals, 10(2)
Megson, D., Benoit, N., Sandau, C., Chaudhuri, S., Long, T., Coulthard, E., Johnson, G. (2019) 'Evaluation of the effectiveness of different indicator PCBs to estimating total PCB concentrations in environmental investigations.' Chemosphere, 237pp. 124429-124429.
D'Cruze, N., Khan, S., Carder, G., Megson, D., Coulthard, E., Norrey, J., Groves, G. (2019) 'A Global Review of Animal-Visitor Interactions in Modern Zoos and Aquariums and Their Implications for Wild Animal Welfare.' Animals, 9(6)
Coulthard, E., Norrey, J., Shortall, C., Harris, W.E. (2019) 'Ecological traits predict population changes in moths.' Biological Conservation, 233pp. 213-219.
Coulthard, E., McCollin, D., Littlemore, J. (2016) 'The use of hedgerows as flight paths by moths in intensive farmland landscapes.' Journal of Insect Conservation, 20
Ollerton, J., Coulthard, E. (2009) 'Evolution of animal pollination.' Science, 326(5954) pp. 808-809.