Why is terrestrial and freshwater science important?

The next decade will see continuing and accelerating pressure on the environment at global, continental and national scales. How will these changes affect human health, our countryside and wildlife, lakes and streams, agriculture and the rural economy, our urban environments and energy? How should policy makers and businesses prepare for these changes, and how can we prevent or plan for their damaging effects?

NERC funds a broad range of research to tackle these issues. These pages aim to give you a flavour of this research and its significance.

Areas covered by our terrestrial and freshwater science funding include:

studying the links between the environment and human health
exploring genome and post-genome science
research to help manage our lowland rivers, now and in the future
how much carbon dioxide is taken up by plants and soils, and will this change as the world warms?
understanding the social, economic, environmental and technological challenges faced by rural areas
estimating the environmental damage nitrogen pollution causes in the UK
exploring the teeming life of the microbes, animals and fungi that live in and create the soil beneath our feet.