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Dr Tom Barker

Senior Lecturer

Tom has a first class degree in biology and a PhD in ecology, specialising in catchment influences on lake ecology. He has also done post-doctoral research projects on alternative stable states of ecosystems. Tom has written and edited major publications on wetlands and was a key contributor to The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (UNEP). He has also taught ecology, sustainability and climate change to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

After a five-year stint at CAT from 1989 to 1995, when he edited Clean Slate and ran the members club (then Called The Alternative Technology Association), Tom left for academia. Two degrees and eighteen years of research and teaching later, Tom rejoined CAT as a senior lecturer.

Tom has a first class degree in biology and a PhD in ecology, in which he specialised in catchment influences on lake ecology. He then did post-doctoral research projects on alternative stable states of ecosystems. As a member of the Sustainable Water Institute at the University of Liverpool, Tom wrote and edited major publications on wetlands and was a key contributor to The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (UNEP), which made the case for economic valuation of ecosystems for economists and policymakers, and was called ‘a Stern Review for Biodiversity’. He also taught ecology, sustainability and climate change to undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Qualifications

PhD, University of Liverpool

BSc (Hons). First Class, University of Liverpool

UNEP Consultant

Teaching in the GSE

Core teaching on ecology, environment and sustainability for the Sustainability and Adaptation suite of degrees (MSc SA, MSc SAP, MSc SABE), as well as specialist modules on ecological management and understanding, e.g. within MSc Sustainable Food and Natural Resources and MSc Sustainability and Ecology.

Selected publications

  • Chen Hongyan, Kumar Pushpam and Barker Tom. (2022). Wetland Quality as a Determinant of Economic Value of Ecosystem Services: an Exploration. arXiv.  preprint arXiv:2210.01153.
  • McGowan S., Leavitt P.R., Barker T. and Moss B. (2019) Shallow water phytoplankton responses to nitrate and salinity enrichment may be modified by benthic processes, Inland Waters DOI: 10.1080/20442041.2019.1634948.
  • Barker T. and Fisher J. (2019) Ecosystem health as the basis for human health, in: Selendy J. (editor), Water and Sanitation-Related Diseases and the Changing Environment: Challenges, Interventions and Preventive Measures, Wiley, New Haven, CT.
  • Barker T. (Contributory author), Hooker-Stroud A., Oakley H., Shepherd A. (editors) and Allen P. (2019 and 2013) Zero Carbon Britain, Rising To The Challenge (and Rethinking the Future), Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth.
  • North P., Nurse A., Barker T. (2017). The neoliberalisation of climate? Progressing climate policy under austerity urbanism. Environment and Planning A, 0308518X16686353.
  • Kumar P., Thiaw I. (editors) and Barker T. (technical editor); 2013. Values, Payments and Institutions for Ecosystem Management: A Developing Country Perspective, (UNEP) Edward Elgar, Cheltenham. ISBN 978 1 78195 368 6
  • Frid C., Ellis G., Lindenbaum K., Barker T. and Plater A. 2011. Marine Planning and Management to Maintain Ecosystem Goods and Services. Chapter 4 in: Kidd S., Plater A. and Frid C. (editors) The Ecosystem Approach to Marine Planning and Management. Earthscan, London.
  • Plater A.J., Clarke D.W. & Barker T. (2011). The Likely Impacts of Climate Change on Liverpool. University of Liverpool/Liverpool City Council/National Oceanography Centre.
  • North P. and Barker T. (2011). Building the Low Carbon Economy on Merseyside. Future proofing the city for future climate and fuel price uncertainty. ESRC, Liverpool Vision, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce & Groundwork Merseyside. School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool.
  • Stamp M., Hewitt D., Blackbird S., Connor L., McAllister H., Henderson A., Barker T. and Marrs R. (2011). Assessing the restoration potential of an ex-agricultural amenity site. Aspects of Applied Biology 108 19-27.
  • Hewitt D., Stamp M., Barker T. and Marrs R. (2011). The potential use of biochar for ameliorating soil fertility in ecological restoration. Aspects of Applied Biology 108 29-36.
  • Barker T., Irfanullah H.Md. and Moss B. (2010) Micro-scale structure in the chemistry and biology of a shallow lake. Freshwater Biology 55(6) 1145-1163.       doi:10.1111/j.1365-2427.2009.02339.x
  • Elmqvist T., Maltby E., Barker T., Mortimer M., Perrings C., Aronson J., DeGroot R., Fitter A., Mace G., Norberg J., Sousa Pinto I. and Ring I. (2010). Biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services, Chapter Two in: TEEB, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Ecological and Economic Foundations. Edited by Pushpam Kumar. Earthscan, London and Washington.
  • Daniel Hering, Alexandra Haidekker, Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber, Tom Barker, Laetitia Buisson, Wolfram Graf, Gael Grenouillet, Armin Lorenz, Leonard Sandin & Sonja Stendera. (2010). Monitoring the responses of freshwater ecosystems to climate change. Chapter 5 in: Kernan M., Moss B. and Battarbee R.W. (editors) Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Ecosystems. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Maltby E. and Barker T. (editors), 2009. The Wetlands Handbook. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Maltby E., Barker T. and Linstead C. (2009) Development of a European methodology for the functional assessment of wetlands. pp 513-544 in: Maltby E. and Barker T. (editors) The Wetlands Handbook. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Barker T., Crooks S. and Schutten J. (2009) Wetlands for conservation and recreation use in the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads. pp 944-960 in: Maltby E. and Barker T. (editors) The Wetlands Handbook. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Barker T. and Maltby E. (2009) The dynamics of wetlands. pp115-119 in: Maltby E. and Barker T. (editors) The Wetlands Handbook. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Barker T. and Maltby E. (2009) Using wetland functioning. pp 349-356 in: Maltby E. and Barker T. (editors) The Wetlands Handbook.       Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Barker T. (2009) Sustainable wetlands in a global context. 821-828 in: Maltby E. and Barker T. (editors) The Wetlands Handbook. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Maltby E. and Barker T. (2009) Wetlands for the future. 983-1002 in: Maltby E. and Barker T. (editors) The Wetlands Handbook. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
  • Baker C.J., Barker T.(editor), Bishop K.H., Blackwell M.S.A., Clément B., Digby U.(editor), Hogan D.V., Maltby E.(editor), McInnes R.J., Papadimos D., Scholz M., Schulz-Zunkel C., Seferlis M., Simpson M., Tellam J., Verhoeven J.T.A., Verhoeven M.L. and Aidoud A. (2009) Functional Assessment of Wetlands: Towards Evaluation of Ecosystem Services. Woodhead Publishing, Cambridge, UK.
  • Barker T., Mageean A., Tweed J., Gillie M., Edwards G., Alexander R. and Bulmer P. (2009). Vision 2050: A Sustainable future for Cheshire West and Chester. Report for Cheshire West and Chester Authority. Chester Climate Change Ginger Group. Chester, UK.
  • Fisher J., Barker T., James C. and Clarke S. (2009). Water quality in chronically nutrient-rich lakes: the example of the Shropshire-Cheshire meres. Freshwater Reviews 2(1) 79-99. DOI: 10.1608/FRJ-2.1.5.
  • Barker T., Hatton K., O’Connor M., Connor L. and Moss B. (2008). Effects of nitrate load on submerged plant biomass and species richness: results of a mesocosm experiment. Fundamental and Applied Limnology/Archiv für Hydrobiologie 173(2) 89–100.
  • Barker T., Hatton K., O’Connor M., Connor L., Bagnell L. and Moss B. (2008). Control of ecosystem state in a shallow, brackish lake: implications for the conservation of stonewort communities. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 18(3) 221-240. DOI: 10.1002/aqc.819
  • Linstead C., Barker T., Maltby E., Kumar P., Mortimer M., Plater A. and Wood M.       (2008). Reviewing targets and Indicators for the Ecosystem Approach. Report for Defra NR0119. SWIMMER, University of Liverpool.
  • Fisher J. and Barker T. (2007).       Current knowledge of the relative concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in the meres of Cheshire and Shropshire. Report No. FST19/04/076 for Natural England.       The University of Liverpool, Liverpool.
  • Barker T., Bonnett S.A., Hogan D.V. and Maltby E. (2007). An Examination of the Potential for Carbon Sequestration Using Changes in Land Use Management. Report for the West Country Rivers Trust. University of Liverpool, UK.
  • Jin F Wang, Guo D Cheng, Yi G Gao, Ai H Long, Zhong M Xu, Xin Li,       Hongyan Chen and Tom Barker. (2007). Optimal water resource allocation in arid and semi-arid areas. Water Resources Management. 22(2) 239-258.
  • Moss B., Barker T., Stephen D., Williams A.E., Balayla D.J., Beklioglu M. & Carvalho L. (2005) Consequences of reduced nutrient loading on a lake system in a lowland catchment: deviations from the norm? Freshwater Biology 50 1687-1705