Dr Fred M Slater
Director Llysdinam Field Centre

Dr Fred Slater is Director of Cardiff University's Llysdinam Field Centre at Newbridge-on-Wye which incorporates the Wales Biomass Centre. A botanist by training, in the early 1980s he developed an interest in the need for agricultural diversification in the Welsh uplands following studies into the extent of reversion of improved upland pasture as the agricultural economy declined.
In the early 1990s, following work on the effects of sewage amendments on deciduous woodland ground flora, he initiated the first of several studies into the possibility of growing energy crops in upland Wales as a contribution to agricultural diversification. The studies on short rotation willow coppice confirmed it as a viable crop and subsequently his interests have widened to include perennial rhizomatous grasses such as miscanthus, switch grass, reed canary grass and giant reed.
He was a member of the NAfW Woodland and Biomass Strategy Group, is currently a Director of Mid Wales Energy Agency, Assistant Director Royal Welsh Show and
Director of their Spring Show, member of the Environment Agency's statutory FERAC committee, management committee member of IGER Willows for Wales project and a member of the WAG Agricultural Research & Development Committee.

Dr Peter F Randerson
Economics of Energy Crops and Biofiltration

Dr Simone C Lowthe-Thomas
ACRE Project Manager
Research Associate – Energy Crops

Simone has responsibility of the day-to-day running of the European Objective 1 ERDF funded Alternative Crops for Renewable Energy (ACRE) project and also manages the willow field trails for the Leader+ funded Willows in Powys project. This involves co-ordinating the field trials and research at each of the sites, liaising with the landowners, project partners and stakeholders, with regard to budgets, staff and publicity.
Simone’s research work originally focused on the growth and management of short rotation willow coppice including comparisons of planting and harvesting techniques and using the manipulation of ground cover management to maximise environmental benefits. More recently, Simone has established trials of novel energy crops at sites across Wales and works to coordinate the research of the other team members on the assessment, demonstration and promotion of these alternative crops.

Dr Robert K Luxton
ACRE Site Manager
Research Associate – Energy Crops

Robert is responsible of the management and husbandry of each of the ACRE trial sites. This involves the planning and implementation of planting, management and harvest plans to best utilise the resources at each site. He is responsible for liaising with landowners and partners that each have a stake in the success of the ACRE demonstration plots and with local contractors to ensure the best job possible is done to bring the benefits of biomass crops to the attention of the agricultural community and the general public. As a research associate, Robert is involved in the assessment of novel biomass crops in Wales, undertaking and cooperating in work that will identify those crops best suited and most appropriate for the Welsh climate and infrastructure. As a senior member of the team he is also heavily involved with the guidance of biomass research projects undertaken by postgraduate members of the ACRE team. Robert also takes an active role in dissemination events attended and organised by the ACRE project.

Mrs Julie Goodwin
ACRE Project Administrator

Julie is responsible for the administration at Llysdinam Field Centre and the European Objective 1 ERDF funded ACRE project.

Dr Tzehaye Semere
Research Associate – Biodiversity in Energy Grass Crops

Tzehaye's interest lies in the response of biodiversity to land-use changes, especially to the introduction of commercial-scale perennial biomass grass farming. He is currently working on the effect of rhizomatous perennial biomass grasses on biodiversity. In order to determine how miscanthus and reed canary grass on ex-arable land affect key flora and fauna, baseline studies were conducted on a range of organisms including vegetation, ground beetles, epigeal invertebrates, hoverflies, bumblebees, birds and small-mammals.

Miss Rachel Smith
ACRE Project Assistant
Research Assistant – Energy Grass Crops

Rachel's primary research involves monitoring energy grass crops for the crops' establishment success and yields with respect to site conditions and climate, and estimating their yields at sites across Wales and on the Herefordshire boarders. She is also analyzing the response of the crops to different organic manures and inorganic fertilizers and studying crops senescence in terms of loss of yield, loss of moisture content and translocation of nutrients back to the rhizomes during the autumn and winter. These factors are important when considering the optimal timing of harvest. In addition to this agronomy study, Rachel is interested in the ecology of the crops and is investigating this in terms of the soil and ground invertebrate communities present.

Miss Danielle Fry
IGER Helgy I Gymru
Research Assistant – Ecology of Short Rotation Willow Coppice

Danielle's work focuses on the ecological impacts of planting short rotation willow coppice in a Welsh context. Her work is part of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER) Objective 1 ERDF funded project Helyg i Gymru / Willow for Wales. The seven IGER sites and additional Cardiff University plots encompass a cross section of the Welsh environment from the uplands over 300m above sea level to the coast. Because of their significance to governmental legislation (bird populations are a headline quality of life indicator) and their recent declines in the farmland environment, bird numbers and their use of short rotation willow coppice is a major focus of Danielle's work. With willow set to become a major landscape crop in Wales it is essential that the ecological impacts are fully evaluated.

Mr Gareth Jordan
ACRE Project Assistant
Research Assistant – Willow for Biofiltration Systems

Gareth’s work focuses on the use Willow (Salix) for biofiltration; but in a laboratory setting. The laboratory environment is more amenable to fine scale manipulations than the field, thus allowing him to investigate root development in response to experimental variables, chiefly: nutrient loading, flooding regimen and the influence of mycorrhizal fungi. Positive improvements in root development, with regards to oxygen-release potential and suitability as microbial habitat, may lead to new initial-treatment protocols; which could be used improve the efficiency of large-scale field systems.

Miss Clare James
ACRE Project Field Assistant

Miss Fiona Ross
ACRE Project Field Assistant

Miss Kate Davidson
ACRE Project Field Assistant

Miss Eleanor Sherrard-Smith
ACRE Project Field Assistant