Research

Ongoing research projects taking place at the reserve:

100 years of Ted Ellis

Broads Authority and Water, Mills & Marshes

The Broads Authority is currently undertaking a project celebrating 100 years since Ted began his wildlife journaling.

The project aims to digitise some of Ted’s early journals, promote a number of engagement events and also launch a digital museum on Instagram to interpret snippets, quotes and other observations from Ted’s journals.

You can follow the project on Instagram here @TedEllis_Journals and read more on the Broads Authority website.

Broadland Ecohydrological Observatory

Alice Milner (Royal Holloway University of London) and Andy Baird (University of Leeds)

A major challenge for Broadland is adapting to climate change where over the next 50 years the area is likely to experience hotter drier summers, wetter warmer winters, more intense and frequent rainfall storms, heatwaves and droughts, possibly coinciding with surge tide events, and sea level rise. There is evidence that Broadland peatland surfaces have kept pace with past sea level rise but it is unclear what will happen under future sea level rise, and how floodplain fens like Wheatfen will respond to flooding and tidal surges.

The Broadland Ecohydrological Observatory (BEO) is a new fen monitoring station at Wheatfen collecting long-term data on meteorological conditions and ecological and hydrological changes in semi-natural wet woodland. In autumn 2018, the observatory completed its first year of data collection.

Read the Broadland Ecohydrological Observatory Winter 2018 Update.

Investigating mammal population densities in relation to habitat using the Random Encounter Model

Sam Speak (University of East Anglia)

Chinese Water Deer

Using trail cameras, Sam Speak designed and undertook a research project focused around working in the Norfolk Broads to investigate the relative population sizes of mammals in the Broads. He based the project at two separate sites, Buremarsh at Woodbastwick and at Wheatfen Nature Reserve over the summer of 2018 from July until October.

Read the project article.

An archive of scientific papers and articles concerning Wheatfen:

• Kemp, T., “Galeruca laticollis (Sahlberg): some notes on the life cycle“, Transactions Norfolk Norwich Naturalists Society,  2011, 41,1: 61-63
• H.A. Binney, M.P. Waller, M.J. Bunting and R.A. Armitage, “The interpretation of fen carr pollen diagrams: The representation of the dry land vegetation“, Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Volume 134, Issues 3–4, May 2005, Pages 197-218
• M.P. Waller, H.A. Binney, M.J. Bunting and R.A. Armitage, “The interpretation of fen carr pollen diagrams: pollen–vegetation relationships within the fen carr“, Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Volume 133, Issues 3–4, February 2005, Pages 179-202
• Porley, R.D. and Ellis, R.W., “Timmia megapolitana Hedw. (Bryopsida, Timmiales) new to the British Isles“, Journal of Bryology, vol. 24, no. 2, 2002, Pages 151-156
• Nobbs, D., “Miscellaneous observations: Tapinotus sellatus (F.)“, Transactions Norfolk, Norwich Naturalists Society,  1997, 31,1: p32
• Howlett, D., “Miscellaneous observations:Pseudamnicola confusa (Frauenfeld)“, Transactions Norfolk Norwich Naturalists Society, 1997, 31,1: p38
• Baker, R. and Clarke, K., “New amphipod to Norfolk from Wheatfen Broad“, Transactions Norfolk Norwich Naturalists Society, 1997, 31,1: p66
• B.D. Wheeler and K.E. Giller, “Status of aquatic macrophytes in an undrained area of fen in the Norfolk broads“, England, Aquatic Botany, Volume 12, 1982, Pages 277-296
• C.T. Ingold and E.A. Ellis, “On some hyphomycete spores, including those of Tetracladium maxilliformis, from Wheatfen“, Transactions of the British Mycological Society, Volume 35, Issue 2, 1952, Pages 158-161
• M.B. Ellis, E.A. Ellis and J. Pamela Ellis, “British marsh and fen fungi. I.“, Transactions of the British Mycological Society, Volume 34, Issue 2, 1951, Pages 147-169
• M.B. Ellis, E.A. Ellis and J. Pamela Ellis, “British marsh and fen fungi. II.“, Transactions of the British Mycological Society, Volume 34, Issue 4, 1951, Pages 497-514
• Dobbs, C.G., “Fruiting of the oak mildew“, Nature, vol. 167, no. 4244, 1951, Page 357
• “Spring Foray, 1946, Wheatfen Broad, Norfolk“, Transactions of the British Mycological Society, Volume 31, Issues 1–2, July 1947, Pages 142-143
• Ellis, E.A., “The natural history of Wheatfen Broad, Surlingham” Transactions Norfolk, Norwich Naturalists Society, 1939, 24: 137–152

Articles taken from the annual Friends of the Ted Ellis Trust newsletter:

• The Osprey is getting closer by George Batchelor (2008)
• A guide to Wheatfen in the Summer by Rodger Goodrick (2008)
• Rodger’s Ramble by Rodger Goodrick (2008)
• Wheatfen Magic by Rodger Goodrick (2008)
• Seed to Seed by Prof. Nicholas Harberd (2008)
• Water Plant Surveys at Wheatfen by Dan Hoare (2008)
• Grey squirrel and other aliens by Bill Howell (2008)
• What’s that at Wheatfen? by Dick Meadows (2008)
• A view from exile in Cornwall by Jane Waites (2008)
• Warden’s Wildlife Report 2007 by David Nobbs (2008)
• Warden’s Wildlife Report 2006 by David Nobbs (2007)
• Broadland Flood Alleviation Project by Dan Hoare (2007)
• The Secret of Eel Island by Charlie Gauvain (2006)
• Dr. Joyce Lambert by Martin George (2006)
• A Volunteer’s View by Rodger Goodrick (2006)
• Lowestoft RSPB Group Visit by Margaret Jay (2006)
• Warden’s Wildlife Report 2005 by David Nobbs (2006)
• The Flood Plain at Wheatfen by Roy Baker and David Nobbs (2005)
• Back to the Future by Dan Hoare (2005)
• Warden’s Wildlife Report 2004 by David Nobbs (2005)
• Wheatfen’s Wetland Mammals by David Nobbs (2005)
• Botanical Discoveries No. 5 by Bob Ellis (2004)
• Orange Balsam Impatiens capensis by Bob Ellis (2004)
• A Special Place by John Ellis (2004)
• Warden’s Wildlife Report 2003 by David Nobbs (2004)
• Wheatfen’s Woodland Mammals by David Nobbs (2004)
• BTO’s 75th Heronries Census by Paul Westley (2004)
• Predictions and Quails by Paul Westley (2004)
• 14th March 2003 by Paul Westley (2004)
• Spiders? Ugh! By Susan Wooden (2004)
• Butterflies at Wheatfen by Angela Woodrow (2004)
• Wheatfen Pollen Survey part 2 by Heather Binney (2003)
• Noise Annoys by Gordon Edgar (2003)
• Botanical Discoveries No.4 by Bob Ellis (2003)
• Warden’s Wildlife Report 2002 by David Nobbs (2003)
• Wheatfen’s Spiders by David Nobbs (2003)
• Birding Snapshots 2002 by Paul Westley (2003)
• Swallowtail Day 2002 by Angela Woodrow (2003)
• Wheatfen Pollen Survey part 1 by Heather Binney (2002)
• Blame it on the Dutch! by Eddie Claessens (2001)