About

I research the role of land management in mitigating the climate crisis. My expertise is in peatland ecosystems, which store a huge amount of carbon due to their unique soil structure and vegetation communities. I use fieldwork and satellite data to assess ecosystem function and condition. I also engage with stakeholders and local communities to consider how we can optimise land management for both people and nature. 

Beyond the University of Derby, I am a visiting fellow at the Global Systems Institute (GSI) at the University of Exeter, and a member of the Peatland ECR Action Team (@PeatlandECR on Twitter). 

Research interests

I am interested in how changing land management of peatlands and upland margins is affecting ecosystem function and resilience. My research encompasses carbon fluxes specifically, as well as a broad range of ecosystem services more generally. 

Qualifications

• PhD in Environmental Science - University of Reading 
• MPhil in Polar Studies - University of Cambridge
• BSc in Geography - Durham University
• Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy 

Recent publications

• Lees K.J., Buxton J., Boulton C.A., Abrams J. F., & Lenton T. M. (2021) Using satellite data to assess management frequency and rate of regeneration on heather moorlands in England as a resilience indicator. Environmental Research Communications
• Lees K.J., Artz R.R.E., Chandler D., Aspinall T., Boulton C.A., Buxton J., Cowie N.R. & Lenton T.M. (2021) Using remote sensing to assess peatland resilience by estimating soil surface moisture and drought recovery. Science of the Total Environment
• Lees K.J., Khomik M., Quaife T., Clark J.M., Hill T., Klein D., Ritson J., Artz R.R.E. (2020) Assessing the reliability of peatland GPP measurements by remote sensing: from plot to landscape scale. Science of the Total Environment
• Lees K.J., Artz R.R.E., Khomik M., Clark J.M., Ritosn J., Hancock M.H., Cowie N.R., Quaife T. (2020) Using Spectral Indices to Estimate Water Content and GPP in Sphagnum Moss and Other Peatland Vegetation. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
• Lees K.J., Artz R.R.E., Khomik M., Quaife T., Clark J.M (2019) Changes in carbon flux and spectral reflectance of Sphagnum moss as a result of simulated drought. Journal of Ecohydrology
• Lees K.J., Quaife T., Artz R.R.E, Khomik M., Sottocornola M., Kiely G., Hambley G., Hill T., Saunders M., Cowie N. R, Ritson J., Clark J.M (2019) A model of gross primary productivity based on satellite data suggests formerly afforested peatlands undergoing restoration regain full photosynthesis capacity after five to ten years. Journal of Environmental Management
• Lees K.J., Quaife T., Artz R.R.E., Khomik M., Clark J.M (2018) Potential for using remote sensing to estimate carbon fluxes across northern peatlands – A review. Science of the Total Environment. Pp 857–874