"How Peatlands Remember": Faculty Inaugural Lecture by Prof. Paul Morris

We are delighted to announce that the first lecture in the Faculty of Environment and Social Sciences Inaugural Lecture Series will be delivered by Professor Paul Morris (School of Geography). 

Professor Morris is Professor of Biogeoscience whose research aims to understand the role of wetlands in the Earth system, and their response to external drivers such as climate and human alteration. He is particularly interested in carbon-dense wetlands such as peatlands and mangroves and uses modelling, field and laboratory techniques in the pursuit of his research questions.

The Lecture

Title: How Peatlands Remember

Abstract

It is easy to think of memory as a uniquely human attribute. We are all shaped by the events we have experienced, the relationships we have built, and the lessons we have learnt along the way. Yet landscapes can also remember their own past. Peatlands, in particular, preserve records of former climates, ecosystems and disturbances, carrying traces of ancient events across millennia. But peatlands are not only archives of the past; their present behaviour and their role in the Earth system are also influenced by the legacy of their past, and by connections that extend across the wider landscape.

In this inaugural lecture, I explore various ways in which peatlands remember. Drawing on examples from across my research career, I examine different forms of environmental memory, from palaeoecological archives preserved within peat stratigraphy, to ecological legacies, pathway dependence in peatland hydrological functions, and landscape-scale networks of connectivity. These scientific concepts also serve as metaphors for turning points in my own development as a researcher, including opportunities, collaborations and unexpected discoveries along the way.

Through these stories, I reflect on some of the lessons that research has taught me: the value of good colleagues, the importance of placing trust in others, the power of a good idea, the importance of following one's passions, and the role of science as a quest for simplicity. Ultimately, I argue that peatlands – just like our own lives and careers – are products of memory.

We would like to welcome everyone – be they colleagues, postgraduate researchers, students, alumni or visitors – to this lecture celebrating the achievement and research contributions of Professor Morris. 

The lecture will take place on Wednesday 7th October 2026 at 16:00 in Liberty Building (Moot Court) LT (1.28) on the Western University of Leeds campus. The lecture will take place from 16:00-17:00 including introductions and a Q&A session, after which there will be a drinks reception. Registration is free of charge.

If you have any questions about this lecture, or about the ESS Inaugural Lecture Series, please direct them by email to Dr Izzy Jenkinson (Faculty Events and Communications Officer) at I.K.S.Jenkinson@leeds.ac.uk.