Dr Olivia Bragg

Research Interests

- in the ecohydrology of all types of wetlands.:

Individually, my primary focus has been on the ombrogenous (rain-fed) peatland ecosystems that occur in the circumboreal zone - where they are known as raised and blanket mires - and in the tropics (peatswamp forests). This work encompasses the structure and function of the unique soil layers of these systems, vegetation/water table relationships, local and whole-site water budgets, hydrological modelling, effects of human intervention on water and carbon dynamics, 'sustainable use' and restoration options. It has led to the development of some non-standard equipment designs, e.g. for mire lysimeters and water level recorders, which have found additional uses in monitoring applications.

As part of a University of Dundee team, I have also been substantially involved in research stimulated by the European Water Framework Directive. This has investigated the ways in which man has modified the hydrology and morphology of Scottish rivers, lakes and coastal waters and the implications for aquatic ecology; and has developed procedures for the assessment of flow regime alteration, the identification of Heavily Modified Water Bodies, and Lake Habitat Survey.

Postgraduate research projects supervised

Runoff generation by a raised mire: an ecohydrological study, Rita Smit: PhD 1996, University of Dundee.

Effects of Tree Encroachment on the Water Balance of a Scottish Raised Mire: A Lysimeter Study, Julia Kelemen: PhD 1996, University of Dundee.

Describing Bog Surfaces, Theodore Loizou: PhD 1994, University of Dundee.

Academic Background

Career summary

• Research Fellow in Geography since 1996
• 7 years as Honorary Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Dundee
• 5 years as Consultant in Ecology
• 7 years as Nature Conservancy Council Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Hydrology and Drainage of Mire systems (University of Dundee)
• 4 years as Research Assistant in Biological Sciences, University of Dundee (mire hydrology data archive, littoral and estuarine pollution monitoring; endomycorrhizas of crop plants)
• 2 years as Senior Demonstrator in Biological Sciences, University of Dundee

Professional Memberships

• British Ecological Society (BES)
• International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG)
• International Peat Society (IPS)
• British Hydrological Society (BHS)
• Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT)

Professional Roles

• IMCG-IPS terminology group member since 2008
• Editor of Mires and Peat (the academic journal of IMCG and IPS) since 2004;
  see www.mires-and-peat.net
• IMCG Main Board member since 2002; 'Decision Making Group' member (1996-2000)
• SWT Peatland Conservation Group member (2000-2003)
• Co-ordinator of Darwin Initiative Peatland Biodiversity Programme (1998-2002)
• Council Member of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh (1987-1990)
• Hon. Secretary of the BES Mires Research Group (1986-1989)

Minayeva, T., Sirin, A. & Bragg, O. (eds.) (in press 2009) A Quick Scan of Peatlands in Central and Eastern Europe. Wetlands International, Wageningen, The Netherlands, vi + 93 pp. ISBN/EAN: 978-90-5882-044-0.

Fraga, M.I., Bragg, O. & Garcia-Rodeja, E. (eds.) (2008) Wind Farms on Peatland: Book of Abstracts. University of Santiago de Compostela, 44 pp.

Bragg, O. (2006) Peatland Restoration: Issues, Problems and Perspectives. Pamphlet for Wetlands International Russia, 70 pp. (translated into Russian).

Bragg, O.M., Black, A.R., Duck, R.W. and Rowan, J.S. (2005) Approaching the physical-biological interface in rivers: a review of methods for ecological evaluation of flow regimes. Progress in Physical Geography 29(4), 1-26.

Black, A.R., Rowan, J.S., Duck, R.W. Bragg, O.M. and Clelland, B.E. (2005) DHRAM: a method for classifying river flow regime alterations for the EU Water Framework Directive. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 15(5), 427-446.

Bragg, O. (2004) The restoration of Kirkconnell Flow: searching for a bog amongst the trees. International Peat Journal 12, 33-40.

Bragg. O. and Lindsay, R. (eds.) (2003) Strategy and Action Plan for Mire and Peatland Conservation in Central Europe. The Central European Peatland Project (CEPP), Publ. No. 18, Wetlands International, Wageningen, 93pp.

Bragg, O. (ed.) (2003) Sharing Expertise for the Conservation of Peatlands in Central and Eastern Europe. Geography, University of Dundee. 200 pp. ISBN 0 903674 38 6. http://www.imcg.net/ (Publications).

Bragg, O. (2002) Hydrology of peat-forming wetlands in Scotland. The Science of the Total Environment 294: 111-129.

Ingram, H.A.P., Coupar, A.M. and Bragg, O.M. (2001) Theory and practice of hydrostatic lysimeters for direct measurement of net seepage in a patterned mire in north Scotland. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 5(4): 693-709.

Bragg, O.M. and Tallis, J.H. (2001) The sensitivity of peat-covered upland landscapes. Catena 42: 345-360.

Bragg, O. (2000) Conservation and trees at Flanders Moss. Forth Naturalist and Historian 23: 37-49.

Smit, R., Bragg, O.M. and Ingram, H.A.P. (1999) Area separation of streamflow in an upland catchment with partial peat cover. Journal of Hydrology 219: 46-55.

Bragg, O. (1997) Understanding ombrogenous mires of the temperate zone and the tropics : an ecohydrologist's viewpoint. In: Rieley, J.O., and Page, S.E. (eds.) Biodiversity and Sustainability of Tropical Peatlands. Samara Publishing Limited, Tresaith.

Bragg, O.M. (1995) Towards an ecohydrological basis for raised mire restoration. In: Wheeler, B., Shaw, S., Fojt, W. and Robertson, R.A. (eds.) Restoration of Temperate Wetlands. John Wiley, Chichester.

Bragg, O.M. and Clymo, R.S. (1995) Seven years of change following liming of Sphagnum communities in Sector VII of the Loch Fleet catchment. Chemistry and Ecology 9: 231-245.

Bragg, O. and Steiner, G.M. (1995) Applying groundwater mound theory to bog management on Puergschachenmoos in Austria. Gunneria 70: 83-96.

Bragg, O.M., Hulme, P.D., Ingram, H.A.P., Johnston, J.P. and Wilson, A.I.A. (1994) A maximum-minimum recorder for shallow water tables, developed for ecohydrological studies on mires. Journal of Applied Ecology 31: 589-592.

Bragg, O.M., Brown, J.M.B. and Ingram, H.A.P. (1991) Modelling the ecohydrological consequences of peat extraction from a Scottish raised mire. In: Nachtnebel, H.P. and Kovar, K. (eds.) Hydrological Basis of Ecologically Sound Management of Soil and Groundwater. Publ. No. 202, IAHS, Wallingford.

Edwards, I., Bragg, O. and Droop, S. (eds.) (1990) The Conservation of Plants and Their Habitats in Scotland. Trans. Bot. Soc. Edinb. 45 (5).

Ingram, H.A.P. and Bragg, O.M. (1984) The diplotelmic mire: some hydrological consequences reviewed. Proceedings of the 7th International Peat Congress, Dublin. Irish National Peat Committee, Dublin, Ireland.

Bragg, O.M., Lindsay, R.A., Robertson, H. and others (1984) An Historical Survey of Lowland Raised Mires, Great Britain. Report to the Nature Conservancy Council, 76 pp.

Selected Recent Research Reports

Bragg, O. (2007) Appraisal of Appendix 11E of the Lewis Wind Farm Proposal: Farr Dipwell Studies. Report to University of East London/RSPB.

Bragg, O. (2006) Scoping and Appropriate Assessment for West Fannyside Moss SAC, Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire. Draft report to RPS Group for North Lanarkshire Council, 25 pp. plus Figures and Plates.

Bragg, O. (2006) Peatland and the Clashindarroch Wind Farm Proposal. Report to Malcolm Hay, 56 pp.

ESRG (2006) Development of a Technique for Lake Habitat Survey (LHS): Phase 2. Report to SNIFFER (WFD42).

Bragg, O. (2005) Heavily Modified Water Bodies in Scotland: Identification of Provisional HMWB (pHMWB). Report to SNIFFER.

Bragg, O. (2005) The Clashindarroch Wind Farm proposal: peat-related aspects. Report to the Deveron, Bogie and Isla Rivers Charitable Trust.

Lindsay, R. and Bragg, O. (2004) Wind Farms and Blanket Peat. The Bog Slide of 16th October 2003 at Derrybrien, Co. Galway, Ireland. Report to V.P. Shields & Son, Loughrea.

Rowan, J.S., Duck, R.W., Carwardine, J., Bragg, O.M., Black, A.R. and Cutler, M.E.J. (2004) Lake Habitat Survey (LHS) in the United Kingdom: Draft Survey Guidance Manual. Draft Report for SNIFFER Project (WFD48).

Bragg, O. (2003) Landscape Hydrology Study of Kampar-Siak Peat Dome to Guide Sustainable Development. Report on Initial Site Visit. Report to RAPP.

Bragg, O.M., Duck, R.W., Rowan, J.S. and Black, A.R. (2003) Review of Methods for Assessing the Hydromorphology of Lakes. SNIFFER/Environment Agency Report No. WFD06, 132 pp.

Bragg, O. (2003) Red Moss Hydrological Survey. Report to Scottish Natural Heritage. 30 pp.

Lindsay, R.A., Steer, J.M., Everingham, F., Bragg, O.M., Brown, A and Freeman, J. (2003) Munsary Peatlands Monitoring Project : Establishment of Monitoring (Surveillance) Baseline - Final Report. Report to Plantlife.