Andrea Kiewitt, BSc, MSc, Dipl.-Biol.

 

Research Scientist, Ecology Division

Email: andrea.kiewitt@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Tel: +44 (0)1420 22255
Tel direct: +44 (0)1420 526154
Fax: +44 (0)1420 23563

Address:
Forest Research
Alice Holt Lodge
Farnham
Surrey GU10 4LH
UK

Andrea studied Biology at Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany, from where she graduated with a first class degree in 1993. For the following year she obtained a grant from the European research mobility and exchange programme ERASMUS which enabled her to spend a year at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales at Swansea.

After returning to Berlin, Andrea was offered a position as research assistant at the Institute of Applied Zoology and Chemical Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin, where she investigated the chemical composition of the genus Tanacetum (Asteraceae). Following that, she took up the post of tutor at the university, organising and teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses at degree level. During that time she specialised in Chemical Ecology, Botany and Entomology, with research focussed on plant-insect-interactions. In 1999, she was awarded an MSc in Ecology for her work on induced plant responses to insect herbivore damage.

Andrea came back to Britain in 2000 and worked for the North York Moors National Park Authority in environmental education, teaching a variety of field courses.

In 2001, Andrea joined Forest Research as a research scientist to work on the Lowland Native Woodlands Programme. She was awarded the Post-Experience Certificate in Biological Recording and Species Identification from the University of Brimingham in 2004 which acknowledges her expertise in field identification.

Current role

Research Scientist, Ecology Division

• Responsibilities for setup, maintenance and managment of field experiments and laboratory assessments for research projects on native woodlands in lowland Britain
• Fieldwork including woodland plant identification, vegetation and tree seedling assessments, hemispherical canopy photography, digitisation of understorey canopy architecture, light level assessments, and soil sampling
• Laboratory assessments including microscopy, extraction and analysis of seeds, and leaf area measurements.

Current programmes

Lowland Native Woodlands

Soil sustainability - BioSoil project - biodiversity component
Project manager

Affiliations and achievements

• Editor of Ecotype – The Biodiversity and Conservation Newsletter of the Ecology Division at Forest Research
• British Ecological Society and Forest Ecology Specialist Group.

Research areas

• Natural regeneration of native broadleaved trees
• Restoration of Plantations of Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) to site-native woodland
• Competition between tree seedlings and the ground flora
• The role of bramble (Rubus fruticosus L. aggr.) as a forest weed and its development in response to woodland management, e.g. overstorey thinning
• Canopy architecture of bramble thickets based on allometric relationships and its effect on regenerating tree seedlings beneath
• Restoration processes and functioning communities in forest ecosystems.

Main recent publications

Harmer, R. and Kiewitt, A. (2007). Restoration of PAWS - testing some of the advice. Quaterly Journal of Forestry, 101, 213-218.

Harmer, R. and Kiewitt, A. (2006). Restoration of conifer PAWS ^(PDF-1299K). Forest Research Annual Report and Accounts 2005-2006, pp. 24-29. The Stationary Office, Edinburgh.

Kiewitt, A. (2006). Research on bramble in woodlands ^(PDF-564K). Ecotype 33: 5-6.

Kiewitt, A. (1999). Ursachen und Konsequenzen fraßinduzierter Veränderungen des Stumpfblättrigen Ampfers (Rumex obtusifolius L., Polygonaceae) für den Ampferblattkäfer Gastrophysa viridula DEG. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae). [Causes and consequences of induced changes within broadleaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius L., Polygonacea) by herbivory of the dock leaf beetle Gastrophysa viridula DEG. (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)]. Diplomarbeit [Dissertation], Freie Universität Berlin.

Contributions to conferences, workshops etc.

Kiewitt, A. (2007). Research on PAWS restoration. High Weald field meeting on PAWS restoration. 5 Oct 2007.

Kiewitt, A. (2006). PAWS Restoration experiments – Studies into the silviculture and ecology of Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites. Presentation at the Hampshire Woodland Forum, Micheldever, 12 Oct 2007.

Kiewitt, A. (2006). Battling with bramble – Experiments on its growth, flowering and fruiting in woodlands. Presentation at the conference ‘Bramble in woodland – bane or benefit?’, organised by Forest Research on behalf of the BES British Ecological Society Forest Ecology Group at Westonbirt National Arboretum, Tetbury, 21 June 2006. Proceedings ^(PDF-21K).

Kiewitt, A. and Harmer, R. (2005). The influence of overstorey cover on flowering and fruiting of bramble. Oral paper at the BES British Ecological Society Annual Meeting at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, 05-07 Sept 2005. Abstract.

Kiewitt, A. and Harmer, R. (2005). Restoration of ash woodland at Wakehurst Place: an experiment in co-operation with Forest Research. Presentation at the Consultative Panel meeting at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Wakehurst Place, 30 June 2005.

Kiewitt, A. and Harmer, R. (2002). Is careful thinning an answer to the bramble problem during natural regeneration of woodlands? Oral paper at the BES British Ecological Society Annual Meeting at the University of York, 18-20 Dec 2002.

Harmer, R., Kiewitt, A. and Thompson, R. (2002). Forestry Commission research on PAWS. Proceedings of the conference on Restoring planted ancient woodland sites (ed. Richard Smithers), organised by the British Ecological Society Forest Ecology Group and the Woodland Trust at the University of Warwick, 18-19 September 2002.