Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford

• +44 (0)1865 285171
• cecile.girardin@ouce.ox.ac.uk
• Personal website

• Ecosystems Theme

As an environmental consultant, Cécile developed strong skills in policy analysis and data manipulation. As a Ph.D. student in the Oxford University School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE), she developed skills in data gathering and analysis through intensive fieldwork in Andean and Amazonian tropical forests. More recently, Cécile gained a robust understanding of the UNFCCC processes during a contract in the UN FAO, where she worked on the implementation of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification in UN-REDD+ countries. Cécile combines years of experience in climate change policy analysis with her knowledge in tropical ecology and thorough understanding of forest ecosystem functioning, providing a multidisciplinary approach to her work for the Environmental Change Institute's Ecosystems Science Team.

Cécile's research aims to provide some insights into the effects of climate change on the carbon dynamics of South American tropical forests. Her PhD focused on the effects of climate change on carbon dynamics along an Andean elevation transect. It did so by examining the interactions between environmental factors (temperature, rainfall, light) and above- and below-ground forest carbon dynamics on a transect ranging from 3000 m (26.4 °C) to 220 m (12.6 °C), situated in the Kosñipata valley and Tambopata, Peru. The outcomes of this study are currently being published. Cécile is now working with the team in Peru on a Special Issue focussing on the information obtained through intensive monitoring of these permanent plots. the information obtained through these publications can be used by the Peruvian Government to report on REDD+ activities to the UNFCCC.

• July 2010- present: Postdoc in the Ecosystems Lab, Oxford University Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment.
• November 2009- now: Director, Oxford Biochar. Oxford Biochar is a not-for-profit organisation aiming to promote the sustainable use and commercialisation of biochar globally.
• February-July 2010: Consultant in the FAO UN-REDD team
  At the international level, I am involved in developing a Proposal for forest MRV systems for REDD+ under the UNFCCC and several peer-reviewed papers on MRV issues. At the national level, I am following MRV system development and implementation in Indonesia and Vietnam and backstopping for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• August 2009: Freelance project for World Wildlife Foundation (WWF)
  I carried out research for a Guidebook to support the development of early action REDD activities, project lead by Dr P. Moura-Costa.
• September 2008: HSBC Pilot project for Earthwatch
  Earthwatch is undertaking a five-year global programme of forest research, working with HSBC to help their employees learn more about climate change, what it means to the business and what they can do to combat it. I helped set up a pilot project for the first HSBC team collecting data in Wytham woods, Oxford, UK. This involved training and managing a team of 50 HSBC employees to set up and collect data from a 1 ha plot.
• 2007-2010: Conservation International, RAINFOR-Andes, project manager
  I was responsible for coordinating RAINFOR-Andes, a continuation and an expansion of the RAINFOR network. The project aims to provide a solid platform for monitoring the impact of global warming in the Andes over the next decade and beyond. It will result in a peer-reviewed publication, listed below.
• 2004-2006: Freelance consultant for Environmental Resources Management Ltd, Energy and Climate Change Team. List of projects available upon request.
• 2003-2004: Freelance consultant for consultancies, international and governmental organisations. List of projects available upon request.
• 2001-2003: Consultant, Environmental Resources Management Ltd., Energy and Climate Change Team
• Summer 2001: Internship with Ecosecurities Ltd. during MSc thesis.

2022

• Malhi, Y., Lander, T., le Roux, E., Stevens, N., Macias-Fauria, M., Wedding, L., Girardin, C., Kristensen, J.A., Sandom, C.J., Evans, T.D., Svenning, J.C. and Canney, S. (2022) The role of large wild animals in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Current Biology, 32(4). R181-R195.

2021

• Aguirre-Gutierrez, J., Rifai, S., Shenkin, A., Oliveras, I., Bentley, L.P., Svatek, M., Girardin, C.A.J., Both, S., Riutta, T., Berenguer, E., Kissling, W.D., Bauman, D., Raab, N., Moore, S., Farfan-Rios, W., Figueiredo, A.E.S., Reis, S.M., Ndong, J.E., Ondo, F.E., N'ssi Bengone, N., Mihindou, V., Moraes de Seixas, M.M., Adu-Bredu, S., Abernethy, K., Asner, G.P., Barlow, J., Burslem, D.F.R.P., Coomes, D.A., Cernusak, L.A., Dargie, G.C., Enquist, B.J., Ewers, R.M., Ferreira, J., Jeffery, K.J., Joly, C.A., Lewis, S.L., Marimon-Junior, B.H., Martin, R.E., Morandi, P.S., Phillips, O.L., Quesada, C.A., Salinas, N., Schwantes Marimon, B., Silman, M., Teh, Y.A., White, L.J.T. and Malhi, Y. (2021) Pantropical modelling of canopy functional traits using Sentinel-2 remote sensing data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 252. 112122.
• Malhi, Y., Girardin, C., Metcalfe, D.B., Doughty, C.E., Aragão, L.E.O.C., Rifai, S.W., Oliveras, I., Shenkin, A., Aguirre-Gutiérrez, J., Dahlsjö, C.A.L., Riutta, T., Berenguer, E., Moore, S., Huaraca Huasco, W., Salinas, N., da Costa, A.C.L., Bentley, L.P., Adu-Bredu, S., Marthews, T.R., Meir, P. and Phillips, O.L. (2021) The Global Ecosystems Monitoring network: Monitoring ecosystem productivity and carbon cycling across the tropics. Biological Conservation, 253. 108889.

2020

• Seddon, N., Chausson, A., Berry, P., Girardin, C., Smith, A. and Turner, B. (2020) Understanding the value and limits of nature-based solutions to climate change and other global challenges. Philosophical Transactions B: Biological Sciences, 375(1794).
• Seddon, N., Chausson, A., Berry, P.M., Girardin, C., Smith, A.C. and Turner, B. (2020) Understanding the value and limits of nature-based solutions to climate change and other global challenges. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 375(1794).

2019

• Seddon, N., Turner, B., Berry, P., Chausson, A. and Girardin, C.A.J. (2019) Grounding nature-based climate solutions in sound biodiversity science. Nature Climate Change: 82-87.

2018

• Rifai, S.W., Girardin, C.A.J., Berenguer, E., del Aguila-Pasquel, J., Dahlsjo, C.A.L., Doughty, C.E., Jeffery, K.J., Moore, S., Oliveras, I., Riutta, T., Rowland, L.M., Murakami, A.A., Addo-Danso, S.D., Brando, P., Burton, C., Ondo, F.E., Duah-Gyamfi, A., Amezquita, F.F., Freitag, R., Pacha, F.H., Huasco, W.H., Ibrahim, F., Mbou, A.T., Mihindou, V.M., Peixoto, K.S., Rocha, W., Rossi, L.C., Seixas, M., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Abernethy, K.A., Adu-Bredu, S., Barlow, J., da Costa, A.C.L., Marimon, B.S., Marimon, B., Meir, P., Metcalfe, D.B., Phillips, O.L., White, L.J.T. and Malhi, Y. (2018) ENSO drives interannual variation of forest woody growth across the tropics. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 373(1760).

2017

• Doughty, C.E., Goldsmith, G.R., Raab, N., Girardin, C.A.J., Farfan-Amezquita, F., Huaraca-Huasco, W., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Araujo-Murakami, A., da Costa, A.C.L., Rocha, W., Galbraith, D., Meir, P., Metcalf, D.B. and Malhi, Y.M. (2017) What controls variation in carbon use efficiency among Amazonian tropical forests? Biotropica.

2016

• Avitabile, V., Herold, M. Heuvelink, G., Lewis, S., Phillips, O., Asner, G., Armston, J., Ashton, P., Banin, L., Bayol, N., Berry, N., Boeckx, P., de Jong, B., DeVries, B., Girardin, C., Kearsley, E., Lindsell, J., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Lucas, R., Malhi, Y., Morel, A. Mitchard, E., Nagy, L., Qie, L., Quinones, M., Ryan, C., Ferry, S., Sundreland, T., Laurin, G., Gatti, R., Valentini, R., Verbeeck, H., Wijaya, A. and Wilcock, S. (2016) An integrated pan-tropical biomass map using multiple reference datasets. Global Change Biology, 22(4): 1406-1420.
• Feakins, S.J., Peters, T., Wu, M.S., Shenkin, A., Salinas, N., Girardin, C.A.J., Bentley, L.P., Blonder, B., Enquist, B.J., Martin, R.E., Asner, G.P. and Malhi, Y. (2016) Production of leaf wax n-alkanes across a tropical forest elevation transect. Organic Geochemistry, 100: 89-100.
• Girardin, C.A.J., Malhi, Y., Doughty, C.E., Metcalfe, D.B., Meir, P., del Aguila-Pasquel, J., Araujo-Murakami, A., da Costa, A.C.L., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Farfán Amézquita, F. and Rowland, L. (2016) Seasonal trends of Amazonian rainforest phenology, net primary productivity and carbon allocation. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 30(5): 700-715.

2015

• Doughty, C.E., Metcalfe, D.B., Girardin, C.A.J., Amezquita, F.F., Durand, L., Huaraca Huasco, W., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Araujo-Murakami, A., da Costa, M.C., da Costa, A.C.L., Rocha, W., Meir, P., Galbraith, D. and Malhi, Y. (2015) Source and sink carbon dynamics and carbon allocation in the Amazon basin. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 29(5): 645-655.
• Doughty, C.E., Metcalfe, D.B., Girardin, C.A.J., Farfan Amezquita, F., Galiano Cabrera, D., Huaraca Huasco, W., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Araujo-Murakami, A., da Costa, M.C., Rocha, W., Feldpausch, T.R., Mendoza, A.L.M., da Costa, A.C.L., Meir, P., Phillips, O.L. and Malhi, Y. (2015) Drought impact on forest carbon dynamics and fluxes in Amazonia. Nature, 519: 78-82.
• Malhi, Y., Doughty, C.E., Goldsmith, G.R., Girardin, C.A.J., Marthews, T.R., Aguila-Pasquel, J., Aragao, L.E.O.C., Araujo-Murakami, A., Brando, P., da Costa, A.C.L., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Amezquita, F.F., Galbraith, D.R., Quesada, C.A., Rocha, W., Salinas-Revilla, N., Silverio, D., Meir, P. and Phillips, O.L. (2015) The linkages between photosynthesis, productivity, growth and biomass in lowland Amazonian forests. Global Change Biology, 21(6): 2283-2295.

2014

• Araujo-Murakami, A., Doughty, C.E., Metcalfe, D.B., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Arroyo, L., Heredia, J.P., Flores, M., Sibler, R., Mendizabal, L.M., Pardo-Toledo, E., Vega, M., Moreno, L., Rojas-Landivar, V.D., Halladay, K., Girardin, C.A.J., Killeene, T.J. and Malhi, Y. (2014) The productivity, allocation and cycling of carbon in forests at the dry margin of the Amazon forest in Bolivia. Plant Ecology and Diversity, 7(1-2): 55-69. Special Issue: Ecosystem Dynamics of Amazonian and Andean Forests..
• del Aguila-Pasquel, J., Doughty, C.E., Metcalfe, D.B., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Girardin, C.A.J., Chung Gutierrez, J.A., Navarro-Aguilar, G.E., Quesada, C.A., Hidalgo, C.G., Reyna Huaymacari, J.M., Halladay, K., del Castillo Torres, D., Phillips, O. and Malhi, Y. (2014) The seasonal cycle of productivity, metabolism and carbon dynamics in a wet aseasonal forest in north-west Amazonia (Iquitos, Peru). Plant Ecology and Diversity, 7(1-2): 71-83. Special Issue: Ecosystem Dynamics of Amazonian and Andean Forests..
• Doughty, C.E., Metcalfe, D.B., da Costa, M.C., de Oliveira, A.A.R., Netoc, G.F.C., Silva, J.A., Aragão, L.E.O.C., Almeida, S.S., Quesada, C.A., Girardin, C.A.J., Halladay, K., da Costa, A.C.L. and Malhi, Y. (2014) The production, allocation and cycling of carbon in a forest on fertile terra preta soil in eastern Amazonia compared with a forest on adjacent infertile soil. Plant Ecology and Diversity, 7(1-2): 41-53. Special Issue: Ecosystem Dynamics of Amazonian and Andean Forests..
• Doughty, C.E., Taylor, L.L., Girardin, C.A.J., Malhi, Y. and Beerling, D. (2014) Montane forest root growth and soil organic layer depth may have stabilized Cenozoic global change. Geophysical Research Letters, 41(3): 983-990.
• Girardin, C.A.J., Farfan-Rios, W., Garcia, K., Feeley, K.J., Jørgensen, P.M., Araujo Murakami, A., Cayola Pérez, L., Seidel, R., Paniagua, N., Fuentes Claros, A.F., Maldonado, C., Silman, M., Salinas, N., Reynel, C., Neill, D.A., Serrano, M., Caballero, C.J., de los Angeles La Torre Cuadros, M., Macía, M.J., Killeen, T.J. and Malhi, Y. (2014) Spatial patterns of above-ground structure, biomass and composition in a network of six Andean elevation transects. Plant Ecology and Diversity, 7(1-2): 161-171. Special Issue: Ecosystem Dynamics of Amazonian and Andean Forests..
• Girardin, C.A.J., Malhi, Y., Feeley, K.J., Rapp, J.M., Silman, M.R., Meir, P., Huaraca Huasco, W., Salinas, N., Mamani, M., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Garcia Cabera, K., Farfan Rios, W., Metcalfe, D.B., Doughty, C.E. and Arago, L.E.O.C. (2014) Seasonality of above-ground net primary productivity along an Andean, altitudinal transect in Peru. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 30(06): 503-519.
• Girardin, C.A.J., Silva Espejob, J.E., Doughty, C.E., Huaraca Huasco, W., Metcalfe, D.B., Durand-Baca, L., Marthews, T.R., Aragao, L.E.O.C., Farfán-Rios, W., García-Cabrera, K., Halladay, K., Fisher, J.B., Galiano-Cabrera, D.F., Huaraca-Quispe, L.P., Alzamora-Taype, I., Eguiluz-Mora, L., Salinas-Revilla, N., Silman, M.R., Meir, P. and Malhi, Y. (2014) Productivity and carbon allocation in a tropical montane cloud forest in the Peruvian Andes. Plant Ecology and Diversity, 7(1-2): 107-123. Special Issue: Ecosystem Dynamics of Amazonian and Andean Forests..
• Huaraca Huasco, W., Girardin, C.A.J., Doughty, C.E., Metcalfe, D.B., Baca, L.D., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Cabrera, D.G., Aragão, L.E.O.C., Davila, A.R., Marthews, T.R., Huaraca-Quispe, L.P., Alzamora-Taype, I., Mora, L.E., Farfán-Rios, W., Cabrera, K.G., Halladay, K., Salinas-Revilla, N., Silman, M.R., Meir, P. and Malhi, Y. (2014) Seasonal production, allocation and cycling of carbon in two mid-elevation tropical montane forest plots in the Peruvian Andes. Plant Ecology and Diversity, 7(1-2): 125-142. Special Issue: Ecosystem Dynamics of Amazonian and Andean Forests..
• Malhi, Y., Farfán Amézquita, F., Doughty, C.E., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Girardin, C.A.J., Metcalfe, D.B., Aragão, L.E.O.C., Huaraca-Quispe, L.P., Alzamora-Taype, I., Eguiluz-Mora, L., Marthews, T.R., Halladay, K., Quesada, C.A., Robertson, A.L., Fisher, J.B., Zaragoza-Castells, J., Rojas-Villagra, C.M., Pelaez-Tapia, Y., Salinas, N., Meir, P. and Phillips, O.L. (2014) The productivity, metabolism and carbon cycle of two lowland tropical forest plots in south-western Amazonia, Peru. Plant Ecology and Diversity, 7(1-2): 85-105. Special Issue: Ecosystem Dynamics of Amazonian and Andean Forests..
• Marthews, T.R., Riutta, T., Oliveras Menor, I., Urrutia, R., Moore, S., Metcalfe, D., Malhi, Y., Phillips, O., Huaraca Huasco, W., Ruiz Jaén, M., Girardin, C., Butt, N. and Cain, R. (2014) Measuring Tropical Forest Carbon Allocation and Cycling: A RAINFOR-GEM Field Manual for Intensive Census Plots (v3.0). Manual, Global Ecosystems Monitoring network.
• Metcalfe, D.B., Asner, G.P., Martin, R.E., Silva Espejo, J.E., Huasco, W.H., Farfán Amézquita, F.F., Carranza-Jimenez, L., Galiano Cabrera, D.F., Baca, L.D., Sinca, F., Huaraca Quispe, L.P., Taype, I.A., Mora, L.E., Dávila, A.R., Solórzano, M.M., Puma Vilca, B.L., Laupa Román, J.M., Guerra Bustios, P.C., Revilla, N.S., Tupayachi, R., Girardin, C.A.J., Doughty, C.E. and Malhi, Y. (2014) Herbivory makes major contributions to ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling in tropical forests. Ecology Letters, 17(3): 324-332.
• Oliveras, I., Girardin, C., Doughty, C.E., Cahuana, N., Arenas, C.E., Oliver, V., Huaraca Huasco, W. and Malhi, Y. (2014) Andean grasslands are as productive as tropical cloud forests. Environmental Research Letters, 9(11). 115011.
• van de Weg, M.J., Meir, P., Williams, M., Girardin, C., Malhi, Y., Silva-Espejo, J. and Grace, J. (2014) Gross Primary Productivity of a High Elevation Tropical Montane Cloud Forest. Ecosystems, 17(5): 751-764.

2013

• Girardin, C.A.J., Aragão, L.E.O.C., Malhi, Y., Huaraca Huasco, W., Metcalfe, D.B., Durand, L., Mamani, M., Silva-Espejo, J.E. and Whittaker, R.J. (2013) Fine root dynamics along an elevational gradient in tropical Amazonian and Andean forests. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 27(1): 252-264.

2012

• Marthews, T.R., Malhi, Y., Girardin, C.A.J., Silva Espejo, J.E., Aragão, L.E.O.C., Metcalfe, D.B., Rapp, J.M., Mercado, L.M., Fisher, R.A., Galbraith, D.R., Fisher, J.B., Salinas-Revilla, N., Friend, A.D., Restrepo-Coupe, N., Williams, R.J. (2012) Simulating forest productivity along a neotropical elevational transect: temperature variation and carbon use efficiency. Global Change Biology, 18(9): 2882-2898.
• Marthews, T.R., Metcalfe, D., Malhi, Y., Phillips, O., Huaraca Huasco, W., Riutta, T., Ruiz Jen, M., Girardin, C., Urrutia, R., Butt, N., Cain, R. and Oliveras, I. (2012) Measuring Tropical Forest Carbon Allocation and Cycling: A RAINFOR-GEM Field Manual for Intensive Census Plots (v2.2). . Manual, Global Ecosystems Monitoring network.

2011

• Palin, O.F., Eggleton, P., Malhi, Y., Girardin, C., Rozas Davila, A. and Parr, C.L. (2011) Termite diversity along an Amazon-Andes elevation gradient, Peru. Biotropica, 43(1): 100-107.

2010

• Girardin, C.A.J., Malhi, Y., Aragao, L., Mamani, M., Huaraca Huasco, H., Durand, L., Feeley, K.J., Rapp, J., Silva-Espejo, J.E., Silman, M., Salinas, N. and Whittaker, R.J. (2010) Net primary productivity allocation and cycling of carbon along a tropical forest elevational transect in the Peruvian Andes. Global Change Biology, 16(12).

2009

• Malhi, Y., Saatchi, S., Girardin, C.A.J. and Aragao, L. (2009) The production, storage and flow of carbon in Amazonian forests. In, Keller, M., Bustamante, M., Gash, J. and P. Silva Dias (eds.) Amazonia and Global Change. American Geophysical Union. 576 pp. ISBN: 978-0-87590-476-4. Geophysical Monograph Series, Vol. 186.

2008

• Malhi, Y., Saatchi, S., Girardin, C.A.J. and Aragao, L.E.O.C. (2008) Carbon Storage and Flow in Amazonian Forests. Proceedings of the Large-Scale Atmosphere Biosphere.

2005

• Girardin, C.A.J. (2005) Regulatory treatment of Carbon Capture and Storage in different jurisdictions. International Energy Agency GHG R&D Programme

2004

• Girardin, C.A.J. (2004) Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Simulation 4 (GETS4) for Eurelectric, 2004, scenario modeling of the international emissions trading market under different post-2012 "beyond Kyoto" scenarios. Eurelectric.
• Girardin, C.A.J. (2004) Recommendations to the European Commission on Monitoring and Reporting of Carbon Capture and Storage under the EU ETS. UK Department of Trade and Industry
• Girardin, C.A.J. (2004) World Bank Guidelines for CDM Projects in China. Guidelines for project developers in waste to energy projects in China. World Bank