University College Dublin, National University of Ireland

Ireland is one of Europe’s leading research-intensive universities, with strong expertise in environmental science, ecology, and sustainable land management. Through its interdisciplinary research, UCD addresses global challenges related to biodiversity loss, climate change, and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Role within ProPollSoil

The UCD team supports and co-coordinates various tasks within ProPollSoil. UCD supports the synthesis of knowledge on soil–pollinator interactions (WP2). UCD is coordinating the establishment of a pan-European monitoring network (WP3). This network will be used to assess how soil-dependent pollinators are impacted by soil conditions under various land-use types and along a climatic gradient. The UCD team is responsible for data collection in the Irish sites. Another major focus of the UCD team will be on assessing the impact of pesticides on soil-dependent pollinators, with a specific focus on bumblebees and hoverflies (WP4). UCD also coordinates the co-design of field experiments to assess the impact of ongoing management practices on soil and soil-dependent pollinators in Case Study Areas (CSAs; WP5). UCD will work closely with the Irish Case Study Area on the Mullet peninsula Co. Mayo. Finally, UCD further supports the integration and interpretation of results, helping to assess how soil management and soil quality indicators influence pollinator responses across different environmental contexts (WP6).