John Waterhouse

John taught organic chemistry at Anglia Ruskin from 1981 to retirement in 2007 and was Director of the former Environmental Sciences Research Centre. Since retiring in late 2007 John has been an Emeritus Professor engaging in two areas of research interest: mammalian semiochemistry and stable isotopic dendroclimatology. He also supervises research students.

Background

John joined what was CCAT in 1981 to teach organic chemistry, a role that he continued until his retirement in 2007.

As CCAT evolved into Anglia Ruskin University, John's career concentrated increasingly on research in the areas of mammalian semiochemistry and isotopic dendroclimatology. The latter area involved significant external collaboration, initially with the Sub-Department of Quaternary Research at Cambridge University and more recently with many institutions across Europe for European Commission-funded research projects.

John has supervised 20 research students, mainly at Anglia Ruskin but also at Cambridge University. He gained a Readership in 1996 and a Professorship in 2003. From 1996 to the end of 2007, John was Head and then Director of the Environmental Sciences Research Centre. He's currently collaborating with Dr Katja-Garmston of the Luke Research Institute in Helsinki on a five-year European Research Council funded project called Isoboreal.

Research interests

• Isotopic dendroclimatology concerns the measurement of the ratios of the stable isotopes of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen in the cellulose of tree rings. The precise values of these ratios depends upon the climatic conditions under which the tree ring was laid down, and so tree rings can provide a record of past climate in their record of isotope ratios. The great advantage of tree rings over other proxy climate records lies in the unambiguous annual resolution that the rings provide. The isotope ratios in living trees have also provided evidence for the ways in which trees are responding to the present increases in the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Work has been carried out at an international level with several institutions across the UK and Europe. Funding for projects has been obtained from NERC, the Leverhulme Trust and the European Commission.
• Mammalian semiochemistry refers to the study of chemical communication between mammals. Social interaction is often mediated by olfactory communication, which can provide information on matters such as social and sexual status, emotional state, and territoriality. The organic compounds necessary for this communication are usually volatile, so that they can be detected at a distance. Urine, faeces and glandular secretions are all used to transmit chemical information. Knowledge of olfactory communication can be a great help in understanding animal behaviour, and may be used to develop environmentally acceptable methods of control and in the conservation of endangered species.

Areas of research supervision

• Mammalian semiochemistry
• Stable isotopic dendroclimatology

Qualifications

• BSc
• PhD (Durham University)
• MRSC
• CChem (Royal Society of Chemistry)

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

Prior to 2013
Approximately half a million in external research grants from various bodies, including NERC, Leverhulme Trust, and the European Commission

Selected recent publications

D.C. Frank1, B. Poulter, M. Saurer, J. Esper JS Waterhouse et al. (2015). Water use efficiency and transpiration across European forests during the Anthropocene. Nature Climate Change (in press) Published on-line 11th May 2015 | DOI: 10.1038/NCLIMATE2614.

Saurer M., Spahni R., Frank D.C., Loader N.J., Waterhouse J.S. et al. (2014) Spatial variability and temporal trends in water-use efficiency of European forests. Global Change Biology (in press). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12717.

Loader N.J. and Waterhouse J.S. (2014) An extractor device for stuck or broken increment borers. Tree Ring Research, 70, 157-160. DOI:10.3959/1536-1098-70.2.157

Boettger, T, Haupt, M, Friedrich, M, Waterhouse, JS. (2014) Reduced climate sensitivity of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope ratios in tree-ring cellulose of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) influenced by background SO2 in Franconia (Germany, Central Europe), Environmental Pollution, 185, 281-294. DOI: 0.1016/j.envpol.2013.10.030