Dr Zarah Pattison

Senior Lecturer in Plant Sciences

Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Dr Zarah Pattison

Contact details

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http://www.stir.ac.uk/people/zarahpattison2

About me

Relevant job roles

•2023 - present: Senior Lecturer in Plant Science, University of Stirling

•2019 - 2023: Lecturer in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University

•2018 - 2019: Statistician, Scottish Government

•2016 - 2018: Postdoctoral Research Assistant, University of Stirling, funded by NERC

•2012 - 2016: Ph.D., University of Stirling, funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and Scottish Environment Protection Agency

•2011 - 2012: MRes Biological Sciences by Research, Royal Holloway University of London

•2008 - 2011: BSc (Hons) Ecology, Royal Holloway University of London

•2006 - 2007: Certificate in Natural Science, Distance Learning Access course, The Open University

University roles:

•2024 - Present: Deputy Associate Dean of Internationalisation

•2023 - Present: Faculty Health and Safety committee focussing on field work safety

•2023 - Present: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion committee focussing on inclusivity in field work

Expert panels:

•2022 - present Expert on NEOBIOTA council for the UK

Editorial boards:

•2023 - Present: Associate Editor for Biological Invasions, Springer Journals

•2021 - Present: Associate Editor for NeoBiota, Pensoft Journals

•2020 - 2023: Guest Editor for River Research and Applications special issue ‘Biological invasions of global river systems’

•2019 - 2023: Associate Editor for Plant-Environment Interactions, Wiley Journals

Scientific Committees

•2021 - present: International Young Researchers Conference on Invasive Species

Professional memberships:

•British Ecological Society

•Freshwater Biological Association

My research is broadly focussed on the dispersal, impacts and management of invasive non-native species.

Impacts: I have expertise in community and ecosystem responses to invasive non-native plant species in freshwater and forest environments and I am interested in the threats to water and food security due to invasion by non-native species, particularly in rural landscapes.

Pathways of dispersal: As a group we research understudied dispersal pathways such as Raw Water Transfer schemes and the role of anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., river degradation due to agriculture) in facilitating the spread of invasive non-native species.

Restoration: We also focus the restoration of habitats degraded by urbanisation and agricultural land use coupled with climate extremes and invasions, particularly the promotion of native species in restoration practices.

Social perceptions and management: We are interested in the social perceptions of invasive non-native species and how this may impact management action. We work with various stakeholders to implement and assess management methods tackling invasive non-native species, with a focus on working towards the UN SDG goals 15 and 6, CBD Target 6.

Policy: I support Horizon Scanning exercises as a plant taxonomic group expert, having contributed to several exercises for Scottish Government, Chilean Government and the European Union.

Field safety and inclusion: Over the last few years, I have been carrying out various projects on safety and equality in fieldwork.

Where we work: We have a range of projects in the UK and sub-Saharan Africa, alongside collaborative work in Europe.

see: https://zarahsinthefield.com/

Outputs (33)

Article

Restoring riparian habitats for benefits to biodiversity and human livelihoods: a systematic map protocol for riparian restoration approaches in the tropics

Davis S, Grainger M, Pfeifer M, Pattison Z, Stephens P & Sanderson R (2025) Restoring riparian habitats for benefits to biodiversity and human livelihoods: a systematic map protocol for riparian restoration approaches in the tropics. Environmental Evidence, 14, Art. No.: 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-025-00355-8

Article

Taming the terminological tempest in invasion science

Soto I, Balzani P, Carneiro L, Cuthbert RN, Macêdo R, Serhan Tarkan A, Ahmed DA, Bang A, Bacela‐Spychalska K, Bailey SA, Baudry T, Ballesteros‐Mejia L, Bortolus A, Briski E, Britton JR & Pattison Z (2024) Taming the terminological tempest in invasion science. Biological Reviews, 99 (4), pp. 1357-1390. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.13071

Book Chapter

Biological invasions: Impact and management

Jeschke JM, Evans T, Pattison Z, Saul W & Robertson PA (2022) Biological invasions: Impact and management. In: Mehner T & Tockner K (eds.) Encyclopedia of Inland Waters. 2 ed. Kidlington, Oxford: Elsevier, pp. 368-381. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-819166-8.00034-7

Book Chapter

Impacts of Aquatic Plant Invasions

Bradbeer S & Pattison Z (2022) Impacts of Aquatic Plant Invasions. In: Barros A, Shackleton R, Rew L, Pizarro C & Pauchard A (eds.) Tourism, Recreation and Biological Invasions. Wallingford, Oxfordshire: CABI, pp. 97-108. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781800620544.0011

Article

Fifteen emerging challenges and opportunities for vegetation science: A horizon scan by early career researchers

Yannelli FA, Bazzichetto M, Conradi T, Pattison Z, Andrade BO, Anibaba QA, Bonari G, Chelli S, Ćuk M, Damasceno G, Fantinato E, Geange SR, Guuroh RT, Holle MJM & Küzmič F (2022) Fifteen emerging challenges and opportunities for vegetation science: A horizon scan by early career researchers. de Bello F (Editor) Journal of Vegetation Science, 33 (1), Art. No.: e13119. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13119

Article

Global economic costs of aquatic invasive alien species

Cuthbert RN, Pattison Z, Taylor NG, Verbrugge L, Diagne C, Ahmed DA, Leroy B, Angulo E, Briski E, Capinha C, Catford JA, Dalu T, Essl F, Gozlan RE & Haubrock PJ (2021) Global economic costs of aquatic invasive alien species. Science of The Total Environment, 775, Art. No.: 145238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145238

Article

Above- and belowground carbon stocks are decoupled in secondary tropical forests and are positively related to forest age and soil nutrients respectively

Jones IL, DeWalt SJ, Lopez OR, Bunnefeld L, Pattison Z & Dent DH (2019) Above- and belowground carbon stocks are decoupled in secondary tropical forests and are positively related to forest age and soil nutrients respectively. Science of The Total Environment, 697, Art. No.: 133987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133987

Teaching

Module co-ordinator:

BIOU6PE Plant Ecology

ENVU9FC International Field Course

Module contributor:

BIOU4BD Biodiversity

ENMPG17 Field Techniques (MSc)

ENMPG24 Tropical Ecology and Conservation (MSc)

ENMPG18 Dissertation (MSc)

BIOU9PR/GEOU9PR/ENVU9PR Dissertation (BSc)

Research programmes

Research centres/groups

Research themes