Grass Roots of Research

Dr Mary Dean is celebrating her Doctorate success having achieved a PhD at Edge Hill University.

Dr Dean joined family, friends and colleagues at Edge Hill's higher degrees award ceremony at Lancaster University to mark the culmination of eight years work on botanical research into six species of sedges.

The work with sedges - grass-like plants found in wetlands - pioneered new methods of separating the closely related species found in only three estuaries in North East Scotland. The study also employed the latest computer techniques, used very rarely in the UK, to analyse the characteristics of the plants.

Currently working as a part-time lecturer at the University's Department of Natural Geographical and Applied Sciences, Dr Dean's research continues, as she investigates the saltmarsh sedge, recently found in Scotland.

Dr Dean commented: "I am currently investigating how sedges that were once thought to be native to Scandinavia and Eastern Canada have appeared in Scotland, whether through dispersal or evolution. They may in fact be related to Canadian or Norwegian species and we are collaborating with pre-eminent Canadian researcher Dr Jacques Cayouette to take the study further."

Dr Dean's work is one of many research projects taking place within the department covering areas such as biology, ecology, climatic and environmental change, geology and geography.