I was born in East Sussex, United Kingdom, where I grew up until I moved away to undertake an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science at Leicester University. My degree was very focussed on vascular plants, and I don’t remember bryophytes being mentioned outside of learning their life-cycle. I first became interested in bryophytes after graduating, when I was studying on a field skills course with Margaret Pilkington at the University of Sussex. She introduced me to their structure, identification and use as indicator species. The fact that they could provide information about habitats was what initially sparked my interest and I started to learn some common species. I was lucky to be living in East Sussex at the time – despite this being in the south of England, the woodlands in this county provide habitat for species more typical of the west of Britain.
During my PhD (on grazing impacts on chalk grassland) I joined the British Bryological Society Southern group and attended their winter meetings. I was very fortunate to spend time in the field with Rod Stern, Howard Matcham, David Streeter, Jeff Duckett, Jeff Bates, Fred Rumsey and (once) Francis Rose. I was incredibly lucky to have such inspiring bryologists to support me and they were so helpful as I slowly developed my field skills.
After my PhD I went to work in Scotland at the Macaulay Institute in Aberdeen (now James Hutton Institute). Here I worked with Robin Pakeman and Alison Hester on the impacts of land-use, climate change and grazing on upland plant communities. The fieldwork took me into upland areas all over Scotland and I was fascinated by the bryophyte communities. Summer field meetings with the British Bryological Society to places such as Mull and north-west Sutherland not only introduced me to new bryophytes, but also rugged upland bryologists such as Gordon Rothero and David Long. I’ll never forget my first outing with Gordon Rothero to look at hepatic mat liverworts. I passed him a sample of Hookeria lucens and asked ‘what liverwort species it was’. He was very kind in his reply!!
From Scotland I moved down to Cambridgeshire to start a career in ecological consultancy. It was a very different landscape from the Scottish Highlands, but I grew to appreciate the flat fenland under the helpful and encouraging guidance of Mark Hill and Chris Preston. The highlight of the BBS Cambridgeshire bryophyte group winter meetings was often a churchyard – a hotpot of diversity in the agricultural landscape of the fens.
In 2008 I moved to the Republic of Ireland. I am based in Dublin and work as a freelance ecological consultant specialising in bryophytes and aquatic and wetland habitats (with a focus on petrifying springs, fens, wet woodland and bogs). When I moved to Ireland, there weren’t any recording groups (and very few active bryologists), so I started the Irish Bryophyte Group and now run this with Rory Hodd. Initially we were focussed on recording bryophytes for the BBS Atlas project (which was completed in 2014). We had 1-2 day local recording meetings, but I also organised longer meetings for the BBS in various under-recorded Irish counties. We often had visiting bryologists from the UK join our meetings and share their expertise which was incredibly useful. Thanks, in particular to Gordon Rothero, Sam Bosanquet, David Chamberlain, Chris Preston, Mark Hill, Nick Hodgetts, Tom Blockeel, Liz Kungu, David Long and Sharon Pilkington who have provided so much training and support over the years. I’m currently the BBS Regional Bryophyte recorder for Co. Wicklow and Co. Kildare. In 2014 I received the National Biodiversity Data Centre ‘Distinguished Recorder Award’ in 2014 in recognition of outstanding contribution to bryological recording in Ireland. Our current recording project is a bryophyte flora of County Wicklow.
As I write this, my consultancy work involves botanical and bryological survey, monitoring and assessment for a range of projects such as Ecological Impact Assessments (for industry, housing developments, road schemes and sustainable energy projects) and habitat management and restoration. I also provide specialist advice and training to organisations such as the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Environmental Protection Agency and local councils. In recent years my work has had a focus on petrifying spring habitats and I’m currently working on updated national monitoring guidance for this habitat with NPWS. I am also undertaking research into air pollution impacts on bog and petrifying spring habitats, with a focus on their impacts on bryophytes. I regularly teach bryophyte identification courses to undergraduates (University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin) and to organisations and professionals. Courses include using bryophytes as habitat indicators, microscope identification skills, field identification skills and habitat specific courses. I’m incredibly lucky to have my hobby as my job and whilst I frequently complain that I’m too busy, it really is a luxury to be busy doing what I love! Thanks to all those who have helped me on my bryological journey – I have found it an incredibly supportive community and have made great friends along the way.
If you have any questions, or you might be visiting Ireland then do get in contact: joanne@denyerecology.com
Publications
Denyer, J. (In prep.). Guidelines for the Assessment of Annex I Priority Petrifying Springs in Ireland. Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. XX. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Ireland.
O’Neill, F.H., Perrin, P.M., Denyer, J., Martin, J.R., Daly, O.H., & Brophy, J.T. (In prep.). Scoping Study and Pilot of Survey of Fens. Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. XX. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Ireland).
Denyer, J. & Hodd, R.H. (2020). Meeting Report:BBS ‘Summer’ Meeting 2019. Field Bryology 124, 52-64.
Denyer, J. (2012-ongoing). Biodiversity Tales: Bryophytes. In Biodiversity Ireland magazine published by National Biodiversity Data Centre [Regular column (twice per annum) on Irish bryophyte news].
Crushell, P., Crowley, W., Denyer, J., Foss, P., Gallaghar, M.C., MacGowan, F. and Smith, G. (2019) NHA Raised Bog Monitoring Project 2018 – Cloncrow Bog (NHA 000677), County Westmeath – Site Report. National Parks & Wildlife Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin.
Denyer, J. & Long, M.P., (2018). Backing document – National Conservation Status Assessment for Petrifying Springs with Tufa Formation (Cratoneurion) (7220). Unpublished report to National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Long, M.P., Crowe, O., Kimberley, S. and Denyer, J. (2018) Backing document – National Conservation Status Assessments (NCAs) for three fen habitat types: 7140 – Transition mires and quaking bogs, 7210 – Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of Caricion davallianae, 7230 – Alkaline fens. Unpublished report to National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Denyer, J.L (2017). Meeting Report:BBS Summer Meeting 2016. Field Bryology 117, 54-61.
Long, M.P., Breen, C., Conaghan, J., Denyer, J., Faulkner, J., MacGowan, F., McCorry, M., Northridge, R. and O’Meara, P. (2017). Telling the story of eight uncommon/ declining Irish plant species – first results from the Irish Species Project (ISP). Irish Botanical News 27, 55-77.
Fernandez, F., Connolly K., Crowley W., Denyer J., Duff K. & Smith G. (2014). Raised Bog Monitoring and Assessment Survey 2013. Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 81. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht, Dublin, Ireland.
Hill, M.O.H., Denyer, J.L., Bosanquet, S.D.S.B. and Blockeel, T.L.B. (2013). Meeting Report:BBS Summer Meeting 2012. Field Bryology 109, 38-47.
Denyer, J.L. (2011). Encouraging bryophyte recording in Ireland: a mini-flora of the Wicklow Mountains. Field Bryology 104, 12-17.
Denyer, J.L. (2010). The path to bryological recording. Field Bryology 102, 80.
Denyer, J.L., Hartley, S.E. and John, E.A. (2010). Both bottom-up and top-down processes contribute to plant diversity maintenance in an edaphically heterogeneous ecosystem. Journal of Ecology 98, 498–508.
Denyer, J.L., Hartley, S.E. and John, E.A. (2007). Small mammalian herbivore determines vegetation response to patchy nutrient inputs. Oikos 116, 1186-1192.