Postgraduate Researcher

Contact Details

• Email: llbg1@le.ac.uk
• Fax: 0116 252 3854

PhD in Physical Geography

Restoration from Within - Developing Restoration Action Plans Through Ecological and Community Knowledge in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Indonesia is rapidly losing its tropical peat swamp forest, through fires, drainage, legal and illegal logging. After high levels of disturbance, the ecosystem is often not capable of self-recovery. This research is working towards assessing the active regeneration barriers which prevent forest recovery in a degraded area of tropical peat swamp forest, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, and to develop appropriate remedial methods to alleviate these barriers and initiate forest restoration. Potential barriers being investigated include physical and ecological forest barriers such limitations of seed dispersal, mycorrhizae and nutrients, and increased levels of competition from invasive species. Social, economic and political attitudes of the neighbouring village towards the degraded area and its potential restoration are also being explored, through focus groups, interviews, questionnaires and participant observation. Remedial methods include a seedling transplant program, for which I supervise a seedling nursery in which suitable transplant tree species are being investigated.

Selected Publications and Press

Graham, L. L. B. (Sept 2007) Interviewed for ABC Network and Discovery channel on the present state of Central Kalimantan’s TPSF, routes to restoration and activities in the seedling nursery.

Graham L. L. B., D’Arcy L. J., Page S. E., Limin S. and Eser E. (August 2007) Understanding the growth strategies of tropical peat swamp forest tree species: Establishing potential restoration tools. Presented and paper submitted to International Symposium of Tropical Peatlands, Yogyakarta, 27-31st August 2007.

Graham, L. L. B. (June 2007) Interviewed by TV-RT (Borneo-wide TV station) on PhD research and present state of Central Kalimantan’s peat forest and their global importance.

Graham, L. L. B. (May 2007) Interviewed for Indonesian National Radio for a series of programs on ‘Problems facing Central Kalimantan’s forest and people’.

Graham. L. L. B. How should we restore the tropical peat swamps forests? Presented to the International Symposium of JSPS-LIPI Core University Program: International Symposium on Nature and Land Management of Tropical Peat land in South East Asia, September 2006.

Graham. L. L. B. and D’Arcy. L. J. Degradation and restoration in tropical peat swamp forests, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Work presented at the International Conference for the Society of Ecological Restoration, Germany, August 2006.

Graham. L. L. B. (June 2006) Profile in New Scientist, Graduate Edition.