Dr Kate Ashbrook

Teaching & Research

Teaching

Kate teaches on several modules across the BSc Biology programme, including modules covering biological diversity, animal physiology, data analysis and research project design, and parasitology. 

Research

Kate’s current research interests focus on understanding the impacts of habitat change, climate change and species interactions on ecological systems. Kate is a member of the Sustainable Environments Research Group.

Key research areas include:

• Conservation of threatened species in the UK, particularly invertebrates and birds
• Invasive alien species
• Enhancing ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes
• Impacts of social behaviour on population dynamics under changing environmental conditions 
• Climate change impacts on biodiversity and human livelihoods

Postgraduate research

PhD Studentships available at the University of Worcester are advertised on FindAPhD.com. I also welcome any approach from self-funded high achieving graduates that would like to study for a PhD in Behavioural Ecology at the University of Worcester. Topics of particular interest would focus on conservation management of invertebrates, habitat management and the delivery of ecosystem services.

Current postgraduate students:

• Joe Leaper (PhD student) - Enhancing the environmental sustainability of UK grape growing (Director of Studies)
• Sarah Jatau (PhD student) – The impact of climate change on food security in sub-Saharan Africa: assessing women farmers’ adaptation strategies and livelihoods
• Andrea Tapia (PhD student) - Understanding bumblebee wildflower meadow habitat preferences using multi-scale remote sensing data (Director of Studies)
• Augustinas Bacys (PhD student) - Potential for recovery of brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations in Lithuania

Completed postgraduate students:

• Holly Roberts (MPhil student) - Microplastic pollution levels and ingestion by aquatic invertebrates in UK lakes (Director of Studies)
• Alice Mockford: Enhancing pest regulation by natural enemies in Spanish orange groves
• Zeus Fierro (PhD student): Sustainable production of sweet cherry: maximizing benefits from ecosystem services
• Chris Clarke (MRes student): Evaluation of potential release sites for Great Bustard (Otis tarda) around Salisbury Plain

Publications

Mateos-Fierro, Z., Garratt, M.P.D., Fountain, M.T., Ashbrook, K. & Westbury, D.B. (2025) Contribution of pollinators to delivering fruit quality in commercial sweet cherry orchards. JSFA Reports. [Download]

Mateos-Fierro, Z., Garratt, M.P.D., Fountain, M.T., Ashbrook, K. & Westbury, D.B. (2024) Wildflower strips in polytunnel cherry orchard alleyways support pest regulation services but do not counteract edge effects on pollination services. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 8:1423511. [Download]

Mockford, A., Urbaneja, A., Ashbrook, K. & Westbury, D.B. (2024) Wildflower strips enhance pest regulation services in citrus orchards. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 370, 109069. [Download]

Mateos-Fierro, Z., Garratt, M.P.D., Fountain, M.T., Ashbrook, K. & Westbury, D.B. (2023) The potential of wildflower strips to enhance pollination services in sweet cherry orchards grown under polytunnels. Journal of Applied Ecology, 60 (6), pp. 1044 - 1055. [Download]

Mockford, A., Urbaneja, A., Ashbrook, K. & Westbury, D.B. (2023). Developing perennial wildflower strips for use in Mediterranean orchard systems. Ecology and Evolution, 13 (7), e10285. [Download]

Mockford, A., Westbury, D.B., Ashbrook, K., Urbaneja, A., & Tena, A. (2022). Structural heterogeneity of wildflower strips enhances fructose feeding in parasitoids. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 339, 108139. [Download]

Mateos-Fierro, Z., Garratt, M.P.D., Fountain, M.T., Ashbrook, K. & Westbury, D.B. (2022) Wild bees are less abundant but show better pollination behaviour for sweet cherry than managed pollinators. Journal of Applied Entomology, 146 (4), pp. 361 - 371. [Download]

Mateos Fierro, Z., Fountain, M.T., Garratt, M.P.D, Ashbrook, K. and Westbury, D.B. (2021) Active management of wildflower strips in commercial sweet cherry orchards enhances natural enemies and pest regulation services. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 317, 107485. [Download]

Siljamo, P., Ashbrook, K., Comont, R.F. and Skjøth, C. (2020) Do atmospheric events explain the arrival of an invasive ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) in the UK? PLOS ONE, 15 (1). e0219335.  [Download]

Slater, T.S., Ashbrook, K., and Kriwet, J. (2020) Evolutionary relationships among bullhead sharks (Chondrichthyes: Heterodontiformes). Papers in Palaeontology, 6 (3). pp. 425-437. [Download]

Mateos-Fierro, Z., Garratt, M., Fountain, M.T., Ashbrook, K., and Westbury, D.B. (2018) Wildflower strip establishment for the delivery of ecosystem services in sweet cherry orchards. Aspects of Applied Biology: Ecosystem and Habitat Management: Research, Policy, Practice, 139. 179-186

Comont, R.F. & Ashbrook, K., (2016). Evaluating promotional approaches for citizen science biological recording: bumblebees as a group versus Harmonia axyridis as a flagship for ladybirds. BioControl, 62 (3), pp. 309 - 318 [Download]

Ashbrook, K., Taylor, A., Jane, L., Carter, I. & Székely, T. (2015). Impacts of survival and reproductive success on long-term population viability of reintroduced great bustards. Oryx. 50 (4): 583-592    

Gooch, S., Ashbrook, K., Taylor, A. & Székely, T. (2015). Using dietary analysis and habitat selection to inform conservation management of reintroduced Great Bustards Otis tarda in an agricultural landscape. Bird Study. 62:298 - 302

Ashbrook, K., & Székely, T. (2014). Using evidence-based conservation and public engagement in the reintroduction of Great Bustard into the UK. Research Excellence Framework Impact Case Study. Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath

Williams, T., Taylor, A. Ashbrook, K., Rose, H. & Waters, D. (2013). LIFE+ Project “Reintroducing the Great Bustard Otis tarda to Southern England (LIFE09/NAT/UK/020): Year 3 Summary

Williams, T., Taylor, A. Ashbrook, K., Rose, H. & Waters, D. (2012). LIFE+ Project “Reintroducing the Great Bustard Otis tarda to Southern England (LIFE09/NAT/UK/020): Year 2 Summary

Williams, T., Taylor, A. Ashbrook, K., Rose, H. & Waters, D. (2011). LIFE+ Project “Reintroducing the Great Bustard Otis tarda to Southern England (LIFE09/NAT/UK/020): Year 1 Summary

Ashbrook, K., Wanless, S., Harris, M.P., & Hamer, K.C. (2011). Kleptoparasitism in Common Guillemots Uria aalge at two colonies during a period of poor food availability. Seabird 24: 83-89

Ashbrook, K., Wanless, S., Harris, M.P., & Hamer, K.C. (2010). Impacts of poor food availability on positive density-dependence in a highly colonial seabird. Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences: B 277: 2355-2360

Ashbrook, K., Wanless, S., Harris, M.P., & Hamer, K.C. (2008). Hitting the buffers: conspecific aggression undermines benefits of colonial breeding under adverse conditions. Biology Letters 4: 630-633

Professional Memberships

Kate is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the British Ecological Society (http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/ ), Royal Entomological Society and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (http://bumblebeeconservation.org/ ).