Professor Steve Ormerod

Professor

School of Biosciences

: Ormerod@cardiff.ac.uk
: +44 29208 75871
: Sir Martin Evans Building, Room Cardiff School of Biosciences, Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX

: Media commentator

Research overview and external responsibilities

Complementing the perspectives of other members of the Organisms and Environment Division, my work is explicitly ecological and unified by the theme of ecosystem-scale perspective of rivers, lakes and wetlands. Activities focus on:

Global change effects on freshwater organisms and ecosystems
Freshwater biodiversity
The ecology of river and wetland birds

Solutions to the problems of freshwater ecosystems through policy and management are also an important focus, and I co-direct the University’s Water Research Institute having been instrumental in its formation. I'm also involved in the application of ecology as Deputy Chairman of Natural Resources Wales (the largest Welsh Government sponsored body), a member of the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Vice President of the RSPB (Europe's largest wildlife charity).

Each of these themes is expanded under 'Research', while my extensive involvement with NGOs, professional bodies, businesses and government organisations is outlined under 'Biography'.

Roles

Academic Team Leader

School of Biosciences Ethics Committee

European Languages

French (fluent)

Date
Type

2024

Perry, W. B., Ahmadian, R., Munday, M., Jones, O., Ormerod, S. J. and Durance, I. 2024. Addressing the challenges of combined sewer overflows. Environmental Pollution 343, article number: 123225. (10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123225)
Larsen, S., Joyce, F., Vaughan, I. P., Durance, I., Walter, J. A. and Ormerod, S. J. 2024. Climatic effects on the synchrony and stability of temperate headwater invertebrates over four decades. Global Change Biology 30(1), article number: e17017. (10.1111/gcb.17017)
Maznikova, V. N., Ormerod, S. J. and Gómez-Serrano, M. ?. 2024. Birds as bioindicators of river pollution and beyond: specific and general lessons from an apex predator. Ecological Indicators 158, article number: 111366. (10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.111366)

2023

Lynch, A. J. et al. 2023. People need freshwater biodiversity. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water 10(3), article number: e1633. (10.1002/wat2.1633)
Hayes, L. et al. 2023. The occurrence and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium species in freshwater biota. Parasites and Vectors 16, article number: 209. (10.1186/s13071-023-05827-9)
Pharaoh, E., Diamond, M., Ormerod, S. J., Rutt, G. and Vaughan, I. P. 2023. Evidence of biological recovery from gross pollution in English and Welsh rivers over three decades. Science of the Total Environment 878, article number: 163107. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163107)

2022

Pye, M. C., Vaughan, I. P., Ormerod, S. J. and Durance, I. 2022. Organic litter dynamics in headwater streams draining contrasting land uses. Hydrobiologia (10.1007/s10750-022-05084-4)
Whelan, M. J. et al. 2022. Is water quality in British rivers "better than at any time since the end of the Industrial Revolution"?. Science of the Total Environment 843, article number: 157014. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157014)
Sinha, A., Chatterjee, N., Krishnamurthy, R. and Ormerod, S. 2022. Community assembly, functional traits and phylogeny in Himalayan river birds. Ecology and Evolution 12(6), article number: e9012. (10.1002/ece3.9012)

2021

Harper, M. et al. 2021. Twenty-five essential research questions to inform the protection and restoration of freshwater biodiversity. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 31(9), pp. 2632-2653. (10.1002/aqc.3634)
Brotherton, P. et al. 2021. Nature positive 2030 - evidence report. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Available at: https://jncc.gov.uk/our-role/the-uk/nature-positive-2030/
Cooke, S. J., Lynch, A. J., Piccolo, J. J., Olden, J. D., Reid, A. J. and Ormerod, S. J. 2021. Stewardship and management of freshwater ecosystems: from Leopold's land ethic to a freshwater ethic. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 31(6), pp. 1499-1511. (10.1002/aqc.3537)
Gutierrez-Canovas, C. et al. 2021. Populations of high-value predators reflect the traits of their prey. Ecography 44(5), pp. 690-702. (10.1111/ecog.05438)

2020

Worthington, T. A., Worthington, I., Vaughan, I. P., Ormerod, S. J. and Durance, I. 2020. Testing the ecosystem service cascade framework for Atlantic salmon. Ecosystem Services 46, article number: 101196. (10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101196)
Ciampalini, R., Constantine, J. A., Walker-Springett, K. J., Hales, T. C., Ormerod, S. J. and Hall, I. R. 2020. Modelling soil erosion responses to climate change in three catchments of Great Britain. Science of the Total Environment 749, article number: 141657. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141657)
Guschina, I. A., Hayes, A. J. and Ormerod, S. J. 2020. Polystyrene microplastics decrease accumulation of essential fatty acids in common freshwater algae. Environmental Pollution 263(PartB), article number: 114425. (10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114425)
Birk, S. et al. 2020. Impacts of multiple stressors on freshwater biota across spatial scales and ecosystems. Nature Ecology and Evolution 4, pp. 1060-1068. (10.1038/s41559-020-1216-4)
D'Souza, J., Windsor, F. M., Santillo, D. and Ormerod, S. J. 2020. Food web transfer of plastics to an apex riverine predator. Global Change Biology 26(7), pp. 3846-3857. (10.1111/gcb.15139)
Windsor, F. M., Pereira, G. M., Morrissey, C. A., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2020. Environment and food web structure interact to alter the trophic magnification of persistent chemicals across river ecosystems. Science of the Total Environment 717, article number: 137271. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137271)
Young, L. et al. 2020. Bending the curve of global freshwater biodiversity loss: an emergency recovery plan. Bioscience 70(4), pp. 330-342. (10.1093/biosci/biaa002)
Jams, I. B., Windsor, F. M., Poudevigne-Durance, T., Ormerod, S. J. and Durance, I. 2020. Estimating the size distribution of plastics ingested by animals. Nature Communications 11, article number: 1594. (10.1038/s41467-020-15406-6)

2019

Windsor, F. M., Pereira, M. G., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. River organisms as indicators of the distribution and sources of persistent organic pollutants in contrasting catchments. Environmental Pollution 255(P1), pp. -., article number: 113144. (10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113144)
Windsor, F. M., Pereira, M. G., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. Biological traits and the transfer of persistent organic pollutants through river food webs. Environmental Science and Technology 53(22), pp. 13246-13256. (10.1021/acs.est.9b05891)
Windsor, F. M., Pereira, M. G., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. Persistent contaminants as potential constraints on the recovery of urban river food webs from gross pollution. Water Research 163, article number: 114858. (10.1016/j.watres.2019.114858)
Reid, A. J. et al. 2019. Emerging threats and persistent conservation challenges for freshwater biodiversity. Biological Reviews 94(3), pp. 849-873. (10.1111/brv.12480)
Windsor, F. M., Durance, I., Horton, A. A., Thompson, R. C., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. A catchment-scale perspective of plastic pollution. Global Change Biology 25(4), pp. 1207-1221. (10.1111/gcb.14572)
Sinha, A., Chatterjee, N., Ormerod, S. J., Adhikari, B. S. and Krishnamurthy, R. 2019. River birds as potential indicators of local- and catchment-scale influences on Himalayan river ecosystems. Ecosystems and People 15(1), pp. 90-101. (10.1080/26395916.2019.1591508)
Van Looy, K. et al. 2019. The three Rs of river ecosystem resilience: Resources, recruitment, and refugia. River Research and Applications 35(2), pp. 107-120. (10.1002/rra.3396)
Windsor, F. M., Tilley, R. M., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. Microplastic ingestion by riverine macroinvertebrates. Science of the Total Environment 646, pp. 68-74. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.271)

2018

Riley, W. D. et al. 2018. Small Water Bodies in Great Britain and Ireland: Ecosystem function, human-generated degradation, and options for restorative action. Science of The Total Environment 645, pp. 1598-1616. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.243)
Feld, C. K., Fernandes, M. R., Ferreira, M. T., Hering, D., Ormerod, S. J., Venohr, M. and Gutiérrez-Cánovas, C. 2018. Evaluating riparian solutions to multiple stressor problems in river ecosystems - A conceptual study. Water Research 139, pp. 381-394. (10.1016/j.watres.2018.04.014)
Larsen, S., Chase, J. M., Durance, I. and Ormerod, S. J. 2018. Lifting the veil: richness measurements fail to detect systematic biodiversity change over three decades. Ecology 99(6), pp. 1316-1326. (10.1002/ecy.2213)
Bussi, G., Whitehead, P. G., Gutierrez Canovas, C., Ledesma, J. L., Ormerod, S. and Couture, R. 2018. Modelling the effects of climate and land-use change on the hydrochemistry and ecology of the River Wye(Wales). Science of the Total Environment 627, pp. 733-743. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.295)
Windsor, F. M., Ormerod, S. J. and Tyler, C. R. 2018. Endocrine disruption in aquatic systems: up-scaling research to address ecological consequences. Biological Reviews 93(1), pp. 626-641. (10.1111/brv.12360)
Pearson, C. E., Symondson, W. O. C., Clare, E. L., Ormerod, S. J., Iparraguirre Bolaños, E. and Vaughan, I. P. 2018. The effects of pastoral intensification on the feeding interactions of generalist predators in streams. Molecular Ecology 27(2), pp. 590-602. (10.1111/mec.14459)
Seymour, M. et al. 2018. Acidity promotes degradation of multi-species environmental DNA in lotic mesocosms. Communications Biology 1, article number: 4. (10.1038/s42003-017-0005-3)

2017

MacDonald, H. C., Ormerod, S. J. and Bruford, M. W. 2017. Enhancing capacity for freshwater conservation at the genetic level: a demonstration using three stream macroinvertebrates. Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 27(2), pp. 452-461. (10.1002/aqc.2691)

2016

Sinnadurai, P., Jones, T. H. and Ormerod, S. J. 2016. Squeezed out: the consequences of riparian zone modification for specialist invertebrates. Biodiversity and Conservation 25(14), pp. 3075-3092. (10.1007/s10531-016-1220-9)
Alix, M., Knights, R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2016. Rapid colonisation of a newly formed lake by zebra mussels and factors affecting juvenile settlement. Management of Biological Invasions 7(4), pp. 405-418. (10.3391/mbi.2016.7.4.10)
Ormerod, S. J. and Ray, G. C. 2016. Connecting the shifting currents of aquatic science and policy. Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 26(5), pp. 995-1004. (10.1002/aqc.2708)
Verberk, W. C. E. P., Durance, I., Vaughan, I. P. and Ormerod, S. J. 2016. Field and laboratory studies reveal interacting effects of stream oxygenation and warming on aquatic ectotherms. Global Change Biology 22(5), pp. 1769-1778. (10.1111/gcb.13240)
Woodward, G. et al. 2016. The effects of climatic fluctuations and extreme events on running water ecosystems. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B - Biological Sciences 371(1694), article number: 20150274. (10.1098/rstb.2015.0274)
Frame, J. L., Jones, J. I., Ormerod, S. J., Sadler, J. P. and Ledger, M. E. 2016. Biological barriers to restoration: testing the biotic resistance hypothesis in an upland stream recovering from acidification. Hydrobiologia 777(1), pp. 161-170. (10.1007/s10750-016-2772-0)
Pearson, C. E., Ormerod, S. J., Symondson, W. O. C. and Vaughan, I. P. 2016. Resolving large-scale pressures on species and ecosystems: propensity modelling identifies agricultural effects on streams. Journal of applied ecology 53(2), pp. 408-417. (10.1111/1365-2664.12586)
Thomas, S. M., Griffiths, S. W. and Ormerod, S. J. 2016. Beyond cool: adapting upland streams for climate change using riparian woodlands. Global Change Biology 22(1), pp. 310-324. (10.1111/gcb.13103)
Durance, I. et al. 2016. The challenges of linking ecosystem services to biodiversity. Advances in Ecological Research 54, pp. 87-134. (10.1016/bs.aecr.2015.10.003)

2015

Watts, G. et al. 2015. Climate change and water in the UK - past changes and future prospects. Progress in Physical Geography 39(1), pp. 6-28. (10.1177/0309133314542957)
Johnston, S. R., Vaughan, I. P. and Ormerod, S. J. 2015. Acid-base status mediates the selection of organic habitats by upland stream invertebrates. Hydrobiologia 745(1), pp. 97-109. (10.1007/s10750-014-2097-9)
Hering, D. et al. 2015. Managing aquatic ecosystems and water resources under multiple stress - An introduction to the MARS project. Science of the Total Environment 503, pp. 10-21. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.106)
Thomas, S. M., Griffiths, S. W. and Ormerod, S. J. 2015. Adapting streams for climate change using riparian broadleaf trees and its consequences for stream salmonids. Freshwater Biology 60(1), pp. 64-77. (10.1111/fwb.12467)

2014

Vaughan, I. P. and Ormerod, S. J. 2014. Linking interdecadal changes in British river ecosystems to water quality and climate dynamics. Global Change Biology 20(9), pp. 2725-2740. (10.1111/gcb.12616)
Morrissey, C. A., Stanton, D. W., Tyler, C. R., Pereira, M. G., Newton, J., Durance, I. and Ormerod, S. J. 2014. Developmental impairment in eurasian dipper nestlings exposed to urban stream pollutants. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 33(6), pp. 1315-1323. (10.1002/etc.2555)
Ormerod, S. J. 2014. Rebalancing the philosophy of river conservation. Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 24(2), pp. 147-152. (10.1002/aqc.2452)
Dray, M. W. et al. 2014. Effects of elevated CO2 on litter chemistry and subsequent invertebrate detritivore feeding responses. PLoS ONE 9(1), article number: e86246. (10.1371/journal.pone.0086246)
Larsen, S. and Ormerod, S. J. 2014. Anthropogenic modification disrupts species co-occurrence in stream invertebrates. Global Change Biology 20(1), pp. 51-60. (10.1111/gcb.12355)

2013

Hails, R. S. and Ormerod, S. J. 2013. Ecological science for ecosystem services and the stewardship of Natural Capital [Editorial]. Journal of applied ecology 50(4), pp. 807-810. (10.1111/1365-2664.12127)
Mant, R. C., Jones, D. L., Reynolds, B., Ormerod, S. J. and Pullin, A. S. 2013. A systematic review of the effectiveness of liming to mitigate impacts of river acidification on fish and macro-invertebrates. Environmental Pollution 179, pp. 285-293. (10.1016/j.envpol.2013.04.019)
Gutierrez-Casanovas, C., Millan, A., Velasco, J., Vaughan, I. P. and Ormerod, S. J. 2013. Contrasting effects of natural and anthropogenic stressors on beta diversity in river organisms. Global Ecology and Biogeography 22(7), pp. 796-805. (10.1111/geb.12060)
Merrix-Jones, F. L., Thackeray, S. J., Durance, I. and Ormerod, S. J. 2013. Spatial structure in the zooplankton of a newly formed and heavily disturbed urban lake. Fundamental and Applied Limnology / Archiv fur Hydrobiologie 183(1), pp. 1-14. (10.1127/1863-9135/2013/0459)
Murphy, J. F., Davy-Bowker, J., McFarland, B. and Ormerod, S. J. 2013. A diagnostic biotic index for assessing acidity in sensitive streams in Britain. Ecological Indicators 24, pp. 562-572. (10.1016/j.ecolind.2012.08.014)
Morrissey, C. A., Boldt, A., Mapstone, A., Newton, J. and Ormerod, S. J. 2013. Stable isotopes as indicators of wastewater effects on the macroinvertebrates of urban rivers. Hydrobiologia 700(1), pp. 231-244. (10.1007/s10750-012-1233-7)
Morrissey, C., Stanton, D. W. G., Pereira, M. G., Newton, J., Durance, I., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2013. Eurasian dipper eggs indicate elevated organohalogenated contaminants persist in urban rivers. Environmental Science & Technology 47(15), pp. 8931-8939. (10.1021/es402124z)
Barnes, J. B., Vaughan, I. P. and Ormerod, S. J. 2013. Reappraising the effects of habitat structure on river macroinvertebrates. Freshwater Biology 58(10), pp. 2154-2167. (10.1111/fwb.12198)
Iwasaki, Y., Kagaya, T. and Ormerod, S. J. 2013. Field surveys can support ecological risk assessment. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 9(1), pp. 171-172. (10.1002/ieam.1378)
Merrix-Jones, F. L., Thackeray, S. J. and Ormerod, S. J. 2013. A global analysis of zooplankton in natural and artificial fresh waters. Journal of Limnology 72(1), pp. 140-153. (10.4081/jlimnol.2013.e12)
Stockdale, A. et al. 2013. Recovery of macroinvertebrate species richness in acidified upland waters assessed with a field toxicity model. Ecological Indicators 37(Part B), pp. 341-350. (10.1016/j.ecolind.2011.11.002)

2012

Floury, M., Delattre, C., Ormerod, S. J. and Souchon, Y. 2012. Global versus local change effects on a large European river. Science of the Total Environment 441, pp. 220-229. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.09.051)
Pye, M. C., Vaughan, I. P. and Ormerod, S. J. 2012. Episodic acidification affects the breakdown and invertebrate colonisation of oak litter. Freshwater Biology 57(11), pp. 2318-2329. (10.1111/fwb.12007)
Jüttner, I., Chimonides, P. J. and Ormerod, S. J. 2012. Developing a diatom monitoring network in an urban river-basin: initial assessment and site selection. Hydrobiologia 695(1), pp. 137-151. (10.1007/s10750-012-1123-z)
Iwasaki, Y. and Ormerod, S. J. 2012. Estimating safe concentrations of trace metals from inter-continental field data on river macroinvertebrates. Environmental Pollution 166, pp. 182-186. (10.1016/j.envpol.2012.03.028)
Vaughan, I. P. and Ormerod, S. J. 2012. Large-scale, long-term trends in British river macroinvertebrates. Global Change Biology 18(7), pp. 2184-2194. (10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02662.x)
Ormerod, S. J. and Durance, I. 2012. Understanding and managing climate change effects on river ecosystems. In: Boon, P. and Raven, P. eds. River Conservation and Management. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 107-121.
Vaughan, I. P. and Ormerod, S. J. 2012. A 20-Year View of Monitoring Ecological Quality in English and Welsh Rivers. In: Boon, P. J. and Raven, P. J. eds. River Conservation and Management. Chichester: Wiley, pp. 79-89., (10.1002/9781119961819.ch7)
Morrissey, C. A., Pollet, I. L., Ormerod, S. J. and Elliott, J. E. 2012. American Dippers indicate contaminant biotransport by Pacific salmon. Environmental Science & Technology 46(2), pp. 1153-1162. (10.1021/es2028058)

2011

Larsen, S., Pace, G. and Ormerod, S. J. 2011. Experimental effects of sediment deposition on the structure and function of macroinvertebrate assemblages in temperate streams. River Research and Applications 27(2), pp. 257-267. (10.1002/rra.1361)
Vaughan, I. P., Larsen, S., Durance, I. and Ormerod, S. J. 2011. Student-centred experiments with stream invertebrates. Journal of Biological Education 45(2), pp. 106-111. (10.1080/00219266.2010.546007)
Maltby, E. et al. 2011. Freshwaters – openwaters, wetlands and floodplains. In: UK National Ecosystem Assessment: Technical Report. Cambridge: United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), pp. 295-360.

2004

Neal, C., Ormerod, S. J., Langan, S., Nisbet, T. and Roberts, J. 2004. Preface. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 8(3), pp. 277-278. (10.5194/hess-8-277-2004)
Ormerod, S. J. 2004. A golden age of river restoration science?. Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 14(6), pp. 543-549. (10.1002/aqc.663)
Petersen, I., Masters, Z., Hildrew, A. G. and Ormerod, S. J. 2004. Dispersal of adult aquatic insects in catchments of differing land use. Journal of applied ecology 41(5), pp. 934-950. (10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00942.x)
D'Amico, F., Darblade, S., Avignon, S., Blanc-Manel, S. and Ormerod, S. J. 2004. Odonates as indicators of shallow lake restoration by liming: Comparing adult and larval responses. Restoration Ecology 12(3), pp. 439-446. (10.1111/j.1061-2971.2004.00319.x)
Watson, A. M. and Ormerod, S. J. 2004. The distribution of three uncommon freshwater gastropods in the drainage ditches of British grazing marshes. Biological Conservation 118(4), pp. 455-466. (10.1016/j.biocon.2003.09.021)
Hirst, H., Chaud, F., Delabie, C., Juttner, I. and Ormerod, S. J. 2004. Assessing the short-term response of stream diatoms to acidity using inter-basin transplantations and chemical diffusing substrates. Freshwater Biology 49(8), pp. 1072-1088. (10.1111/j.1365-2427.2004.01242.x)
Watson, A. M. and Ormerod, S. j. 2004. The microdistribution of three uncommon freshwater gastropods in the drainage ditches of British grazing marshes. Aquatic Conservation-Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 14(3), pp. 221-236. (10.1002/aqc.611)
Rushton, S. P., Ormerod, S. J. and Kerby, G. 2004. New paradigms for modelling species distributions?. Journal of applied ecology 41(2), pp. 193-200. (10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00903.x)
Neal, C., Ormerod, S. J., Langan, S. J., Nisbet, T. R. and Roberts, J. 2004. Sustainability of UK forestry: contemporary issues for the protection of freshwaters, a conclusion. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions 8(3), pp. 589-595. (10.5194/hess-8-589-2004)
Ormerod, S. J., Jones, M. E., Jones, M. C. and Phillips, D. R. 2004. The effects of riparian forestry on invertebrate drift and brown trout in upland streams of contrasting acidity. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 8, pp. 578-588. (10.5194/hess-8-578-2004, 2004)
Willett, V. B., Reynolds, B. A., Stevens, P. A., Ormerod, S. J. and Jones, D. L. 2004. Dissolved organic nitrogen regulation in freshwaters. Journal of Environmental Quality 33(1), pp. 201-209. (10.2134/jeq2004.2010)

2003

Ormerod, S. J. 2003. Current issues with fish and fisheries: editor's overview and introduction. Journal of applied ecology 40(2), pp. 204-213. (10.1046/j.1365-2664.2003.00824.x)
Vaughan, I. P. and Ormerod, S. J. 2003. Improving the quality of distribution models for conservation by addressing shortcomings in the field collection of training data. Conservation Biology 17(6), pp. 1601-1611. (10.1111/j.1523-1739.2003.00359.x)
Ormerod, S. J., Marshall, E. J. P., Kerby, G. and Rushton, S. P. 2003. Meeting the ecological challenges of agricultural change: editors' introduction. Journal of applied ecology 40(6), pp. 939-946. (10.1111/j.1365-2664.2003.00872.x)
Juttner, I., Sharma, S., Dahal, B. M., Ormerod, S. J., Chimonides, P. J. and Cox, E. J. 2003. Diatoms as indicators of stream quality in the Kathmandu Valley and Middle Hills of Nepal and India. Freshwater Biology 48(11), pp. 2065-2084. (10.1046/j.1365-2427.2003.01138.x)
Lepori, F., Barbieri, A. and Ormerod, S. J. 2003. Effects of episodic acidification on macroinvertebrate assemblages in Swiss Alpine streams. Freshwater Biology 48(10), pp. 1873-1885. (10.1046/j.1365-2427.2003.01121.x)
Ormerod, S. J. 2003. Restoration in applied ecology: editor's introduction. Journal of applied ecology 40(1), pp. 44-50. (10.1046/j.1365-2664.2003.00799.x)
Lepori, F., Barbieri, A. and Ormerod, S. J. 2003. Causes of episodic acidification in Alpine streams. Freshwater Biology 48(1), pp. 175-189. (10.1046/j.1365-2427.2003.00972.x)

2002

Bradley, D. C. and Ormerod, S. J. 2002. Evaluating the precision of kick-sampling in upland streams for assessments of long-term change: the effects of sampling effort, habitat and rarity. Archiv für Hydrobiologie 155(2), pp. 199-221.
Hirst, H., Juttner, I. and Ormerod, S. J. 2002. Comparing the responses of diatoms and macroinvertebrates to metals in upland streams of Wales and Cornwall. Freshwater Biology 47(9), pp. 1752-1765. (10.1046/j.1365-2427.2002.00904.x)
Ormerod, S. J. 2002. Applied issues with predators and predation: editor's introduction. Journal of applied ecology 39(2), pp. 181-188. (10.1046/j.1365-2664.2002.00722.x)
Buckton, S. T. and Ormerod, S. J. 2002. Global patterns of diversity among the specialist birds of riverine landscapes. Freshwater Biology 47(4), pp. 695-709. (10.1046/j.1365-2427.2002.00891.x)
Ormerod, S. J., Barlow, N. D., Marshall, E. J. P. and Kerby, G. 2002. The uptake of applied ecology. Journal of applied ecology 39(1), pp. 1-7. (10.1046/j.0021-8901.2001.00705.x)
Bradley, D. C. and Ormerod, S. J. 2002. Long-term effects of catchment liming on invertebrates in upland streams. Freshwater Biology 47(1), pp. 161-171. (10.1046/j.1365-2427.2002.00770.x)
Jenkins, R. K. B. and Ormerod, S. J. 2002. Habitat preferences of breeding Water Rail Rallus aquaticus: Surveys using broadcast vocalizations during the breeding season found that Water Rail were significantly more abundant at sites that contained the most wet reed Phragmites sp.. Bird Study 49(1), pp. 2-10. (10.1080/00063650209461238)

2001

Ormerod, S. J. and Bradley, D. 2001. Community persistence among stream invertebrates tracks the North Atlantic Oscillation. Journal of Animal Ecology 70(6), pp. 987-996. (10.1046/j.0021-8790.2001.00551.x)
Manel, S., Williams, H. C. and Ormerod, S. J. 2001. Evaluating presence-absence models in ecology: the need to account for prevalence. Journal of applied ecology 38, pp. 921-931. (10.1046/j.1365-2664.2001.00647.x)
Watkinson, A. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2001. Grasslands, grazing and biodiversity: editors' introduction. Journal of applied ecology 38(2), pp. 233-237. (10.1046/j.1365-2664.2001.00621.x)
Manley, B. C., Learner, M. A., Mistry, V., Brewin, P. A. and Ormerod, S. J. 2001. Chironomid (Diptera) species assemblages in acidic Welsh waters. Archiv für Hydrobiologie 150(4), pp. 597-627.

1993

Ormerod, S. J., Rundle, S. D., Lloyd, E. C. and Douglas, A. A. 1993. The influence of riparian management on the habitat structure and macroinvertebrate communities of upland streams draining plantation forests. Journal of Applied Ecology 30(1), pp. 13-24.

I came to Cardiff in 1980 for the prestigious UWIST MSc in Applied Hydrobiology, from there completing a PhD on water quality and invertebrates in the Wye river-system. Simultaneously, I developed an interest in the ecology of river birds, showing for the first time how this group was affected by acid rain. These major themes — multiple global-scale pressures on freshwater ecosystems, river invertebrates and birds in aquatic habitats — have continued to provide my major research models.

From 1984, I led a post-doctoral group investigating the ecological effects of acidification in upland rivers using surveys, models and ecosystem-scale experiments at the Llyn Brianne Stream Observatory. These experiments have now run for almost 40 years, and my ecosystem-scale work has expanded to encompass global change effects on freshwaters ecosystems on three continents. Most recent work with a wide range of colleagues continues to expand our evidence about the sensitivity of running waters to climate change while also telling the remarkable story of how the recovery of British rivers from gross sanitary problems has been tempered by the growing challenge of diffuse pollution from urban and rural sources.

So far, my career total of over 300 scientific publications have been cited over 25,000 times at H > 78 (Google Scholar).

Research areas

Global change effects on freshwater organisms and ecosystems

For almost four decades, prominent themes in my work have been large-scale, long term impacts of global change on freshwater ecosystems as well as ecosystem recovery where multiple stressors have been managed or removed (see ‘Publications’)

Our globally unique Llyn Brianne Stream Observatory, operational from 1981, has multiple experimental and reference streams that have figured prominently in understanding global change effects on freshwater ecosystems. The site also a suite of replicate, cascading experimental channels that figure increasingly in research work.

Freshwater Biodiversity

River biodiversity and ecosystem services have become an increasingly important focus in my work, in particular to understand how biodiversity supports services and how environmental stressors erode ecosystem functions and service delivery.

Examples include:

Co leadership of the freshwater sections of the National Ecosystem Assessment http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org/ for Defra and the Devolved Administrations (Maltby & Ormerod 2011 http://uknea.unep-wcmc.org/Resources/tabid/82/Default.aspx )
Acting as Cardiff PI in the £3.1 million NERC BESS project, Duress http://nerc-duress.org/ (Diversity in Upland Rivers for Ecosystem Service Sustainability; from 2012)
Acting as Cardiff PI and co-leader of catchment studies in the €9 million EU-funded MARS project (Managing Aquatic ecosystems and water Resources under multiple Stress; from 2014)
The UK NEA assembled key data on the status and trends in ecosystem services delivered by British fresh waters.

My biodiversity work also includes significant focus on pollution

Long-standing interest in the effects of pollution on freshwaters - including acid rain, wastewater and xenobiotic substances - led in 2016 to some of the world's first assessments of microplastics in river food webs. Investigation of the Wye, Usk and Taff revealed that around 50% of insects contained plastic fibres (Windsor et al. 2019). Further work has since shown how this material is transferred to riverine predators (D'Souza et al. 2020_, also assessing its sources, fluxes, fate and effects in the river environment. Current work also includes assessments of human and veterinary pharmaceutical compounds in rivers.

The ecology of river and wetland birds

I became interested in river-birds, and in particular dippers, while researching aquatic invertebrates for my PhD. This interest led to some of the world's first evidence that birds could be affected by acid rain (eg Ormerod et al. 1991), and in turn some of the world's best known autecological bird research. The concept of using dippers as indicators of acidity led to research into their role as indicators of broader aspects of water quality that currently includes legacy or emerging contaminants, diffuse pollution and microplastics. I collaborated recently with the Wildlife Institute of India in investigations into the effects of global change on Himalayan rivers – where the most diverse assemblage of river birds on Earth occupies one of its most rapidly changing regions.

Grants

Current and recent sponsors include:

Natural Environment Research Council (including the £3.1 million Duress Project and the FRESH Centre for Doctoral Training)
European Union (where we co-led catchment-scale in the €9 million MARS project)
Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (who have funded the Llyn Brianne Stream Observatory)
Defra
Natural Resources Wales
Knowledge Exchange Studentship Scheme
Leverhulme Trust
BBSRC
ESRC
Daphne Jackson Trust
The Royal Society
RCUK
Wessex Water
Countryside Council for Wales
LWEC
Swiss Foundation for Scientific Research
The Welsh Government
The Environment Agency
Freshwater Biological Association
Royal Geographical Society
National Geographic Society (USA)
National Museum of Wales
Wye and Usk Foundation
Scottish Environmental Protection Agency
Cardiff City Council
Forestry Commission
SMEs (Shawater Ltd, Ambient Hydro, APEM Ltd, ENSIS Ltd, Cascade Consulting)

Successfully completed PhD students

Dr Sarah Lee (Joint wth Dr Rupert Perkins) Controls on algal dynamics in Cardiff Bay
Dr Ankita Sinha (Joint with Wildlife Institute of India) Himalayan River Birds
Dr Liz Davidson (Joint with UK CEH) Resolving freshwater communities and interactions using DNA
Dr Fiona Joyce (Joint with Dr Ian Vaughan) Stability and persistence in upland stream ecosystems
Dr Ankita Sinha (Joint with the Wildlife Institute of India) The ecology of Himalayan River Birds
Dr Liz Davidson (Joint with UK CEH) Resolving freshwater communities and interactions using DNA
Dr Sarah Lee (Joint with Dr Rupert Perkins) Controls on algal dynamics in Cardiff Bay
Dr Fred Windsor (Joint with Prof Charles Tyler, Exeter) The transfer and ecological effects of xenobiotic pollution in freshwater ecosystems
Dr Rhodri Thomas (President's Studentship with Ian Vaughan and Jose Constantine) Predicting river habitat response to climate change
Dr Norhisham Ahmad Razi (Joint with the late Mark Jervis and Hefin Jones) Insect life-history response to global change
Dr Rhian Newman (Joint with Sian Griffiths and Bill Riley CEFAS) Artificial light and predator-prey dynamics in freshwaters
Dr Marian Pye (Joint with Isabelle Durance and Ian Vaughan) Catchment and riparian subsidy effects on upland stream ecosystems
Dr Hannah Burton (President's Studentship joint with Mike Bruford and Hefin Jones)

- Dr Caitlin Pearson (BBSRC studentship with Ian Vaughan and Bill Symondson) Agricultural effects on upland rivers
- Dr Matt Dray (Presidents Studentship joint with Hefin Jones, Sue Hartley (York) and Rupert Perkins) Effect of elevated CO2 on tree litter chemistry and decomposition
- Dr Kate Walker-Springett (ESRC/NERC Studentship joint with Jose Constantine and Lorraine Whitmarsh) Public perception of habitat management for pearl mussel in response to climate change
- Dr Paul Sinnadurai (Jointly supervised with Dr Hefin Jones) Dispersal and distribution in riparian Coleoptera
- Dr Stephen Thomas (KESS Studentship joint with Sian Griffiths) Riparian management effects on macroinvertebates and salmonids in upland streams affected by climate change
- Dr Alisa Watson (NERC CASE studentship with WWT) The ecology of scarce wetland molluscs
- Dr Beth Lewis (Wye and Usk Foundation; co-supervised with Dr Brian Reynbolds, CEH Bangor) The effects of liming on invertebrate recovery from acidification
- Dr Clare Bale (NERC; jointly supervised with Dr Sian Griffiths) Behavioural avoidance and sheltering behaviour of salmonids during acid episodes
- Dr Dave Bradley (PhD studentship funded by Defra) Dynamic processes in acid senstitive streams
- Dr Emma Durward (Cardiff University/Llysdinam Trust; co-supervised with Dr Fred Slater)
- Dr Esther Clews (Wye and Usk Foundation) The effects of hydrochemical restoration on river organisms
- Dr Fabio Lepori (PhD studentship funded by the Swiss Foundation for Scientific Research) The ecological effects of acid episodes in the Swiss Italian Alps
- Dr Faye Merrix (Cardiff City Council; Jointly supervised by Dr Steve Thackaeray, CEH Lancaster) Zooplankton ecology in Cardiff Bay
- Dr H. Ceri Williams (NERC studentship; co-supervised with Prof Mike Bruford) Dispersal and genetic variation in Baetis mayflies
- Dr Heike Hirst Ecological influences on diatom responses to water quality
- Dr Hem Sagar Bharal (Joint with the University of Amsterdam) Community structure and habitat associations of lowland grassland birds of Nepal.
- Dr Ian Vaughan (PhD Studentship funded by the Environment Agency) Modelling the distribution of river birds using habitat data
- Dr Jacqui Barnes (NERC; joint supervision with Dr Ian Vaughan) Habitat complexity and river biodiversity
- Dr Laura Trodden (Cardiff School of Engineering; jointly supervised with Dr Catherine Wilson) Climate change, stream hydraulics and stream invertebrates
- Dr Liz Chadwick (Cardiff University/Llysdinam Trust; co-supervised with Dr Fred Slater) The influence of climatic variation on the ecology of common toads
- Dr Muriel Alix (Cardiff City Council) The ecology of invasive zebra mussels in Cardiff Bay
- Dr Renata Kowalik (PhD studentship funded by Defra) Detecting and modelling the effects of acid episodes on stream fauna
- Dr Richard Jenkins The ecology of Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
- Dr Seb Buckton The ecology of Himalayan River Birds
- Dr Stefano Larsen (Wye and Usk Foundation) Effects of sediment deposition on upland stream organisms
- Dr Zoe Masters (FBA/Cardiff University Ray Beverton Memorial Studentship) The effects of geographical isolation on stream recovery from acidification

Current responsibilities

UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee (2018 -
Deputy Chairman, Natural Resources Wales (2018 -
Welsh Government Expert Group: Biodiversity Deep Dive (2022 -
Vice-President, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2018 - )
Full Member, NERC Peer-review College (2011- )
Co-Director, Cardiff Water Research Institute (2015 - )
Member, editorial board, Global Change Biology (2015 - )

Past responsibilities

Member of Council of the Countryside Council for Wales (1991-1994);
Member, Department of the Environment Acid Waters Review Group (1987-1988);
Member, Department of the Environment Review Group on Nitrogen Deposition (1991-1992);
Member, DETR Critical Loads Advisory Group (1989-1996);
Member, DETR National Expert Group on Transboundary Air Pollution (1999-2002);
Co-ordinating peer reviewer, Defra 'Farmland Conservation and Biodiversity' research (2004-2005)
Member, Agence National de la Recherche : Institut Français de la Biodiversité, Commission d'évaluation de la recherche en Biodiversité (2005)
Member, Ecology and Environmental Biology Review Panel, Research School for Socio-Economic and Natural Sciences of the Environment (SENSE The Netherlands)
Member, Science Advisory Committee of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (1996-2006)
Member, Ornithological Affairs Committee, British Ornithologists' Union (1998-2002);
Member of Council, Freshwater Biological Association (2000-2004)
Member, RSPB Wales' Advisory Committee (1996-2007)
Member, editorial board of Aquatic Conservation : Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems (1998-2023)
Chief Editor of the Journal of Applied Ecology (1999-2005)
Editorial board member, Environmental Pollution (1988-2002 )
President, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (2008-2011)
Member of Council and Trustee, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2001- 2017)
Chairman, RSPB Wales Advisory Committee (2007-2012)
Trustee, The Rivers Trust (2008-21012)
Expert Panel Member and Freshwater co-leader, National Ecosystem Assessment (2009-2012) for Defra and the Devolved Administrations
Trustee and Council Member, British Trust for Ornithology (2011-2012)
Lead reviewer, Defra Environmental Stewardship Research (2011-2012)
Chair of Council, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2012- 2017)
Chairman, Buglife (The Invertebrate Conservation Trust) (2018 - 2021)
Chair of Science Development Group, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (2013 - 2018)
Chairman, Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water Environment Advisory Panel (2015- 2018)

Honours and awards

Elected Fellow, Royal Entomological Society (2023)
Elected Fellow, Freshwater Biological Association (2020)
Elected Fellow, Royal Society of Biology (2013)
Elected Fellow, Learned Society of Wales (2013)
Marsh Award for Marine and Freshwater Conservation (2012; Zoological Society of London)
Past-President's Medal, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (2010)
Ralph Brown Expedition Award (1999; Royal Geographical Society)
Elected Fellow, Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (1997)
Fellow, Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (1987)

Warmer, wetter winters bring risks to river insects

Professor Steve Ormerod

Overview

Research overview and external responsibilities

Roles

European Languages

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

1993

Articles

Book sections

Conferences

Monographs

Research

Research areas

Global change effects on freshwater organisms and ecosystems

Freshwater Biodiversity

My biodiversity work also includes significant focus on pollution

The ecology of river and wetland birds

Grants

Successfully completed PhD students

Biography

Current responsibilities

Past responsibilities

Honours and awards

Related news

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External profiles