Marielena Margraf – Exploring the Intersection of Ecology, Biodiversity, and Sustainability

Among the Sustainability Research Institute’s (SRI) new PhD students we’re very pleased to welcome Marielena Margraf to the department. We caught up with Marielena to hear about her project and get her sage advice for other Early-Career Researchers.

During her master’s degree at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany, Marielena also spent six months studying at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna and completed her master thesis on “Urban regeneration using nature-based solutions” in collaboration with the SRI at UEL, under the supervision of Stuart Connop and Caroline Nash at UEL as well as Ingo Grass at the University of Hohenheim.

Marielena is a new doctoral researcher in the SRI pursuing her PhD on plant species selection in blue-green infrastructure. This blog is a catch-up with her about how she arrived at studying at the SRI and what direction she’s taking her work in.

“My master’s course in comparison was very broad and exposed me to a wide range of topics where it sparked my interest in ecology.”

“It’s so helpful to talk to different people about your research and how you’re approaching it. Everyone can have different ideas and input.”

You started out in chemistry and then moved to environmental protection and food production, how did you then end up researching ecology and biodiversity?

My bachelor’s degree in chemistry really built a good foundation for my research career, I learnt a lot about good practice in research and conducting work meticulously, chemistry has a big emphasis on fundamentals. My master’s course in comparison was very broad and exposed me to a wide range of topics where it sparked my interest in ecology. I also focused on crop growth and food production, plant selection, companion planting, and the best use of space. I became fascinated with the life cycle of plants, their roots and how they develop, and I love watching them grow, especially in our garden and at our allotment. I am continuously fascinated by them and keep learning every day.

What is your current research with the SRI focused on?

My PhD is looking at plant selection in green spaces. There are many plants in the UK that are known to be ecologically sound and beneficial for enhancing biodiversity in green infrastructure, and I’m really interested in how they will adapt climatically compared to non-native or near native species such as mediterranean plants. I also hope to investigate the effects of topology, soil type/composition and exposure.

That’s interesting, so really zooming in on making our future cities more resilient with more healthy nature. How did this idea come about?

The idea was very broad at first, but when two of my supervisors, Stuart Connop and Caroline Nash were conducting field work in other cities, they saw that some places in hot Mediterranean climates were planting a lot of the same non-native species. This inspired them to question the sustainability of this, because if everyone is planting the same species in green infrastructure like green roofs and parks, it becomes very homogenised, and more prone to health and pest problems due to a lack of biodiversity. That’s how this native/non-native climate adaptive idea emerged, and examining resilience to drought for example, in the hope that we can help to broaden the selection of plant species used in green space and reverse the biodiversity decline that is going on.

You’ve studied in Germany and now the UK, and you spent some time during your MSc in Austria. You seem to be good at, or enjoy, building your own networks of researchers and institutions.

"If everyone is planting the same species in green infrastructure like green roofs and parks, it becomes very homogenised”

It’s so helpful to talk to different people about your research and how you’re approaching it. Everyone can have different ideas and input. Vienna for example was very different in terms of course focus to what I was studying in Germany, many courses were really invested in forestry, one of them for example how different tree species are going to develop further north. I learnt a lot about climate methodologies there.

There are so many people with good ideas. I like to think about how to continuously improve by building upon and learning from what other people have done. There are loads of good solutions already out there, but we just need to bring these together.

What would be your advice to potential PhD applicants and other Early-Career Researchers starting their journey in research, approaching doctorates and study abroad experiences?

Just always be polite, try to be helpful and respectful towards other people. Try and reach out to people whose work seems interesting to you and ask them lots of questions, even if it’s not quite your own topic. People love it when you are interested in their work, and they want to share their knowledge since that is why we do research.

A strong network around you of supportive people is very good, both at home and at university. Be prepared for lots of documents if you are going abroad! It’s all manageable, but it can be overwhelming. I really appreciated the opportunities to work in so many different places and being able to work internationally, living in London and trips abroad during school have helped that.

When making applications, my advice would be to get things proofread! Ask friends, colleagues and supervisors to look at documents. Have a look at projects that are already out there, previous publications from the supervisor who you are planning to work with. If you want to do a PhD, it must be something that interests you and excites you since you’re going to do it for three to four years, but if you find that project then go for it, I’m sure it’s going to be a great experience!

“I really appreciated the opportunities to work in so many different places and being able to work internationally, living in London and trips abroad during school have helped that.”

What do you like the most and what do you dislike the most about working in research?

One of my greatest challenges is encountering a roadblock, particularly when the path forward is unclear. Planning methodologies to align with realistic timelines can be difficult, and this complexity often leads to frustration. It’s in these moments, when an obstacle affects my motivation, I find it important to remind myself why I’m researching and how much I enjoy the topic.

The best thing about research is discovering something new. In my bachelor’s thesis for instance, I made a brand new compound! In my PhD maybe I will make a design, or planting concept, something that’s not already out there. Something that benefits society, people and nature. It’s rewarding and really interesting creating new knowledge. I love trying different things and seeing how they work out.