Elle
Chmiewliski
School of Architecture and Landscape
PhD Research Student
Full contact details
School of Architecture and Landscape
Arts Tower
- Profile
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Ellé is a PhD researcher at the University of Sheffield investigating how different combinations of climate change stressors, in particular water stress (drought and waterlogging) and heat, impact garden plant resilience.
Her doctoral research thus far blends large scale public engagement with controlled experimental science to tackle the impacts of climate change on horticulture. To capture gardeners’ firsthand experiences and future research priorities, she developed and launched a nationwide questionnaire promoted by the Royal Horticultural Society, which also featured on national TV. Alongside this public outreach, Ellé has conducted three years of experiments investigating how combinations of climate related stressors affect plant resilience. Recently, she expanded this research to analyse reproductive output, specifically investigating how water stress impacts pollen quantity and quality.
Ellé brings a strong background in Ecology and Conservation, holding a First Class BSc (Hons) in Conservation Biology from the University of Plymouth. She also has experience working as a field ecologist, where her practical expertise includes completing bat surveys, PEAs, and EcIAs to provide clear ecological guidance for development.
- Qualifications
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2024 - present: PhD - Understanding Resilience in Garden Flora Within the Context of a Changed Climate.
School of Architecture and Landscape, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Sheffield, UK.
2019 - 2023: BSc (Hons) Conservation Biology with a Placement Year (Accredited by the Royal Society of Biology)
Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK.
- Research interests
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Ellé’s research interests include:
- Responses of plants to climate change, including how plants are responding to climate change, what this means for national and global biodiversity, and what can we expect landscapes to look like in a changing climate and how this affects conservation.
- Plant-animal interactions, including phenological shifts, how this affects interactions and subsequent populations, interactions between plants and pollinators (with specific interests in butterflies).
- Butterfly conservation, what does climate change mean for british butterflies and their habitat preferences, and restoration of endangered butterfly habitats.
- Research group
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Supervisors:
Prof Ross Cameron - School of Architecture and Landscape, University of Sheffield.
Dr Kimberley Simpson - School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield.
Dr Alastair Culham - Department of Ecology, University of Reading.
Prof Alistair Griffths -Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
Dr Mark Gush - Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
- Teaching activities
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Ellé has previous experience assisting with and teaching biology, ecology and geography fieldwork courses with the Field studies Council during the placement year of her BSc. Within this role she both assisted with teaching and solo taught groups of students ranging from Key Stage 2 - Undergraduate degree level. In addition to teaching a variety of fieldwork she helped students to plan experiments focusing on methodology and appropriate sampling, provide feedback and guidance for student coursework, and assist students with statistical analysis of results. Her main teaching areas within this role included:
- Identification and sampling methods of grassland plant species.
- Identification and sampling methods of moorland plant species.
- Identification and sampling methods of freshwater invertebrates.
- Identification and sampling methods of rocky shore organisms.
- Field measurements, sampling and measurements of Rivers.
Ellé also helped to run and facilitate a weekly gardening group for SEN young adults and monthly sessions helping young families connect with nature. Additionally, she presented at an Eco-schools conference, helping to inform teachers and engage students about the importance of biodiversity, its current decline and how students could improve the biodiversity within their school grounds by introducing wild areas and pollinator friendly plants.
After finishing work as a field ecologist, Ellé worked as a teaching assistant for SEN students at a secondary school in the science department before starting her PhD in January 2024.
Alongside her PhD, Ellé has worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) in the school of Biosciences during the 2024/2025 Academic year, where she assisted with the teaching of undergraduate students fieldwork projects and freshwater invertebrate sampling, as well as marking lab reports. She also worked as a research assistant on the landscape project titled ‘Noticing Nature after Dark’ alongside Prof. Clare Rishbeth, Dr Elisa Olivares, Dr Simone Farris and Catherine Higham.
- Professional activities and memberships
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Memberships:
British Ecological Society (BES), Student Membership No: CON-1979089.
Butterfly Conservation.
Presentations:
- Presented at the annual LSC PGR symposium, introducing her research project, aims and scope.
- Presented a poster at the British Ecological Society (BES) annual meeting detailing the results of a questionnaire investigating gardeners' perceptions and struggles with gardening in a changing climate.