I manage NatureScot's (SNH) Evidence and Reporting, and Terrestrial Vascular Plant teams. This includes conservation of wild plants, and development and production of indicators such as Ecosystem Health Indicators and Convention on Biological Diversity reports. This work relies heavily on citizen science. I work with colleagues on conservation of genetic diversity, urban biodiversity and evidence-based conservation.

My first collaboration with RBGE was as part of the team developing a world first genetic diversity indicator for wild species. We used a scorecard approach for wild species of cultural and socio-economic importance to promote long-term conservation of genetic diversity.

I am interested forest management, and in particular opportunities for multiple benefits from woodlands: economic, social and biodiversity conservation. I have also study the interaction between non-native species and novel pests and pathogens. Our work analyses the implications of introducing additional tree species for commercial or conservation purposes.

Relevant publications

Hoban, S., Paz-Vinas, I., Aitken, S., Bertola, L.D., Breed, M., Bruford, M., Funk, W.C., Grueber, C.E., Heuertz, M., Hohenlohe, P., Hunter, M.E.,  Jaffe, R., Lopes-Fernandes, M., Mergeay, J., Moharrek, F.,  O'Brien, D., Segelbacher, G., Vernesi, C., Waits, L. and Laikre, L. 2020. Effective population size remains a suitable, pragmatic indicator of genetic diversity for all species, including forest trees . Biological Conservation; 108906`

Takacs, V., Mizera, T., Kujawa, D. and O'Brien, C.D., 2020. Can’t see the Woodlark for the trees? Commercial forests as a habitat for a bird of conservation concern. Forest Ecology and Management, 476, p.118409.

Hoban, S., Bruford, M., D'Urban Jackson, J.,  Lopes-Fernandes, M., Heuertz, M., Hohenlohe, P., Paz-Vinas, I., Sjögren-Gulve, P., Segelbacher, G., Vernesi, C., Aitken, S., Bertola, L.D., Bloomer, P., Breed, M., Rodríguez-Correa, H., Funk, W.C.,  Grueber, C.E.,  Hunter, M.E., Jaffe, R., Liggins, L., Mergeay, J., Moharrek, F., O'Brien, D., Ogden, R., Palma-Silva, C., Pierson, J., Ramakrishnan, U., Simo-Droissart, M., Tani, N., Waits, L. and Laikre, L. 2020. Genetic diversity targets and indicators in the CBD post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework must be improved. Biological Conservation; 248:108654.

Ennos, R., Cottrell, J., O'Brien, D., Hall, J., Mason, W. 2020. Species diversification - which species should we use? Quarterly Journal of Forestry; 114(1):33-41.

Hollingsworth P.M., O’Brien, D., Ennos, R.A., Ahrends, A., Ballingall, K.T., Brooker, R.W., Burke, T., Cavers, S., Dawson, I.K., Elston. D.A., Kerr, J., Marshall, D.F., Neaves, L., Pakeman, R.J., Trivedi, C., Wall, E., Wright, F., Yahr, R., Bean, C., Blake, D., Campbell, R., Comont, R., Finger, A., Fraser, K., Genney, D., Hall, J., Hannah, A., Jehle, R., Jones, S., Kohn, D., Llewellyn, M., Lurz, P., Macdonald, I., McIntosh, J., Mitchell, R., O’Dell, J., Page, S., Pemberton, J., Pérez-Espona, S., Piertney, S., Sime, I., Thompson, D. and Ogden, R. 2020. Scotland’s Biodiversity Progress to 2020 Aichi targets: Aichi target 13-Genetic Diversity Maintained-Supplementary Report 2020. Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes.

Hollingsworth, P.M., O’Brien, D., Ennos, R.A., Yahr, R., Neaves, L., Ahrends, A., Ballingall, K.T., Brooker, R.W., Burke, T., Cavers, S., Dawson, I.K., Elston, D.A., Kerr, J., Marshall, D.F., Pakeman, R.J., Trivedi, C., Wall, E., Wright, F. and Ogden R. 2020. Scotland’s biodiversity progress to 2020 Aichi targets: conserving genetic diversity–development of a national approach for addressing Aichi Biodiversity Target 13 that includes wild species. Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes

Griffiths, S.M., Galambao, M., Rowntree, J., Goodhead, I., Hall, J., O’Brien, D., Atkinson, N. and Antwis, R.E., 2020. Complex associations between cross‐kingdom microbial endophytes and host genotype in ash dieback disease dynamics. Journal of Ecology, 108(1), pp.291-309.

Pakeman, R.J., Brooker, R.W., O'Brien, D. and Genney, D., 2019. Using species records and ecological attributes of bryophytes to develop an ecosystem health indicator. Ecological Indicators, 104, pp.127-136.

Ennos, R., Cottrell, J., Hall, J. and O'Brien, D., 2019. Is the introduction of novel exotic forest tree species a rational response to rapid environmental change?–A British perspective. Forest Ecology and Management, 432, pp.718-728.

Antwis, R.E., Griffiths, S.M., Harrison, X.A., Aranega-Bou, P., Arce, A., Bettridge, A.S., Brailsford, F.L.,  de Menezes, A., Devaynes, A., Forbes, K.M., Fry, E.L., Goodhead, I., Haskell, E., Heys, C., James, C., Johnston, S.R., Lewis, G.R., Lewis, Z., Macey, M.C., McCarthy, A., McDonald, J.E., Mejia-Florez, N.L.,  O’Brien, D., Orland, C., Pautasso, M., Reid, W.D.K., Robinson, H.A., Wilson, K. and Sutherland, W.J. 2017. 50 important research questions in microbial ecology. FEMS Microbiology Ecology; 93(5)., DOI:10.1093/femsec/fix044

Membership and Committees

Member of Scottish Universities Green Infrastructure Research Group. 2018 -

Steering Committee member of GEO-BON, Genetic Composition working group. 2018 -

Member of UrBioNet. 2017 -

Member of Scottish Biodiversity Strategy - Science Support Group. 2016 - 2021

Chair of Scottish Government, Coordinated Agenda for Marine Environment & Rural Affairs Science. 2014 - 2016

Awards

Nature of Scotland Award for Innovation 2020 - Winner: Conserving genetic diversity – helping nature to help itself (with P. Hollingsworth and R. Ogden)