The Firs is spearheading our climate change research and exploring how the climate affects everything from our food security to habitats around the world and how we might mitigate climate change through natural processes.
The research station recently underwent a £2 million refurbishment, updating existing greenhouses and installing new growing units so everything from deserts to arctic growing conditions can be modelled.
Research carried out here can be used by policymakers around the world to devise strategies and ensure food and water are in plentiful supply to the millions of people who live in challenging conditions.
It will also allow us to model the effects of climate change and plan strategies to mitigate it.
Based in south Manchester, the facility offers world-leading facilities right on our doorstep – and will contribute to improved local, national and global understanding of climate change and its mitigation.
Speak to our experts
Professor Giles Johnson
- Ecophysiology
- Plant resilience
- Climate change
Professor Duncan Cameron
Chair in Environmental Sustainability
- Soil microbiology and plant nutrition
- Sustainable agriculture
- Global food security
Dr Oliver Hughes
Technical Manager Firs Environmental Research Station
- Plant conservation
- Mycorrhizal fungi and orchids
- Ecology
Dr Filipa Cox
UKRI Future Leaders Fellow
- Mycorrhizal fungi and carbon capture
- Environmental change
- Nitrogen cycling
