OUR DIRECTOR

Picture

Dr Keith Ronald Skene  


Dr Keith Skene was born in the beautiful cathedral city of Armagh in Northern Ireland, in 1965.  Having gained a First Class Honours degree in Botany and a PhD in Ecology (during which time he was awarded the Australian Association of Rhodes Scholars Scholarship at RSBS, ANU), Keith was appointed as a principal investigator in the world-renowned College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee.   He has carried out research across the planet, from Kenya to Vietnam and from Australia to the West Indies.  Currently, he is director of the Biosphere Research Institute, where he is responsible for vision enhancement, facilitation and development. He is also Lead of the Living Laboratory, University of Dundee. He is the author of five books and over forty papers in international peer-reviewed journals, applying ecology to global issues such as economics, sustainability and social progress.  He regularly reviews papers for many of the leading international academic journals.

Keith is a leading world expert in sustainability, a recent Stanford University analysis rating him in the top two percent of scientists globally. Keith has been a Visiting Research Fellow at both the University of Winchester Business School and the University of Leeds Business School and has been a consultant at the Centre for Low Carbon Futures, University of York.  He has been a keynote speaker at conferences globally, while also regularly contributing to popular science events such as the Edinburgh Science Festival and Greenbelt Festival.  Keith has made numerous appearances on radio and television documentaries and news programmes in the UK and the USA, including Countryfile, BBC World Service and GTV.  He has served as co-ordinator of the European Plant Ecophysiology Consortium (EPEC), a consortium of eight European universities focusing on teaching and research and as National Consultant for Ecology in the Life Sciences Teaching Network Discipline for Ecology in the UK.  He has represented Summer School Access Courses in Higher Education at the 15th Commonwealth Meeting of Leaders.

In 2018, Keith was invited to join the Taylor and Francis Advisory Board to the United Nations Education Programme (UNEP) on Sustainable Development Goals and was further invited to join the Register of Scientific Experts for the Ministero dell’ Istruxione, dell’ Universita e della Ricerca (REPRISE), advising the Italian Government on fundamental research.  He also works as an assessor for scientific funding councils in the UK and Switzerland. He is a member of the Scientific Editorial Board of the journal Circular Economy and Sustainability. Married with a young son, a cat and a Vizla, Keith currently lives in rural Angus in Scotland.  He enjoys playing blues guitar and studying philosophy, which, he claims, are inextricably linked!
 
Fundamental Beliefs
 
The primacy of depth and breadth in research;
The necessity for an interdisciplinary approach, deconstructing silos;
The centrality of co-design, involving all parties;
The essentiality of innovative and appropriate communication approaches.
 
Latest Grants
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January 2025-December 2027 Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Title: Research on Sustainable Development Science Theory and Coupling Methods. Total value: £325 000. Collaborators:  of Biosphere Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, Groningen University and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Publications

(i)             Books

Skene K.R. (2020). Artificial Intelligence and the Environmental Crisis: Can Technology Really Save the World? Routledge, Abington, UK. Winner of the American Libraries Association CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Award 2020. Artificial Intelligence and the Environmental Crisis: Can Technology Really Save the World? eBook : Skene, Keith Ronald: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
Skene, K.R. and Murray, A. (2017). Sustainable Economics: Context, Challenges and Opportunities for the 21st-Century Practitioner. Routledge, Abingdon, UK.Sustainable Economics: Context, Challenges and Opportunities for the 21st-Century Practitioner eBook : Skene, Keith, Murray, Alan: Amazon.co.uk: Books 
Skene, K.R. (2011). Escape from Bubbleworld: Seven Curves to Save the Earth. Ard Macha Press.Escape from Bubbleworld: Seven Curves to Save the Earth eBook : Skene, Keith: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
Skene K.R. (2009). Putting Colour into your Curriculum: Flexible Classroom Activities for Science Teachers. Ard Macha Press.The Protein Game, the Conman Simulation and Monkey Business: Pt. 1 (Putting Colour into Your Curriculum): Amazon.co.uk: Skene, Keith: 9780956250117: Books
Skene K.R. (2009). Shadows on the Cave Wall: A New Theory of Evolution. Ard Macha Press. Shadows on the Cave Wall: A New Theory of Evolution: Amazon.co.uk: Skene, Keith Ronald: 9780956250100: Books

(ii)             Reports and Chapters

Oarga-Mulec, A., Luin, U., Skene, K. and Valant, M. (2024). Environmental priorities in the circular economy: examples from iron-based technologies. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on the Development of Industrial Engineering 21. November 2024 Novo mesto, Slovenia. Pp. 53-57. Click here.
Skene, K.R. (2023). Biosphere Evolution, Ecology and Sustainability: Why Thermodynamics and System Theory Matter. In: B. Veress and J. Szigethy, eds. Horizons in Earth Science Research Volume 24 pp. 1-46. Nova Science Publishers. Click here.
Skene, K.R. (2022). Chapter 15. Steering the circular economy: a new role for Adam Smith's invisible hand. In: A. Stefanakis and I. Nikolaou (Eds.), Sustainability and the Circular Economy. Elsevier, London. Pp. 21- 33.   circular_economy_and_sustainability_chapter_2.pdf
Skene, K.R. (2022). The circular economy: a critique of the concept. In: A. Alvarez-Risco (Ed.). Towards a Circular Economy.  Springer, Cham. Pp. 99-116. chapter_6._a_critique_of_the_concept_.pdf
Skene, K.R. (2021). COP26: An Open Letter. Biosphere Research Institute. Click here.
Kučera, A., Samec, P., Bajer, A., Skene, K.R., Vichta, T., Vranová, V., Meena, R.S. and Datta, R. (2020). Forest Soil Water.  In: R.S. Meena and R. Datta (Eds.), Soil Moisture Importance. Intech Open, London.  Forest Soil Water in Landscape Context | IntechOpen
Malcolm, J. and Skene, K.R. (2020). Using the SDGs to promote change and nurture connectivity in an undergraduate design module. In: E. Sengupta, P. Blessinger and T.S. Yamin (Eds.), Teaching and Learning Strategies for Sustainable Development (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Vol. 19, pp. 41-56). Bingley: Emerald Publishing.
Skene, K.R. and Murray, A. (2012). The Circular Economy: A Literature Review. Centre for Low Carbon Futures, York. Available here.
Skene, K.R. and Murray, A. (2012). The Circular Economy: A Definitional Paper. Centre for Low Carbon Futures, York.
Skene, K.R. (2003). Plant-insect interactions in ultramafic habitats.  In: Recent Research Developments in Entomology, Vol. 4: 59-75.
Raven, J.A. and Skene, K.R. (2003). Chemistry of the oceans: the environment of early life. In: L.J. Rothschild and A.M. Lister (Eds.), Evolution on Planet Earth – The Impact of the Physical Environment. Academic Press, San Diego. Pp. 55-64. Abstract available here.
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(iii)                 Most significant peer-reviewed journal publications  
  1. Zhang, J, Skene, K.R., Wang, S., Ji, Q., Zheng H., Zhou, C., Pradhan, P., Meadows, M.E. and Fu, B. (2024). Beyond borders: assessing global sustainability through interconnected systems. Sustainable Development. Beyond borders: Assessing global sustainability through interconnected systems - Zhang - Sustainable Development - Wiley Online Library 
  2. Skene, K.R. and Oarga-Mulec, A. (2024). The circular economy: the butterfly diagram, systems theory and the economic pluriverse. Journal of Circular Economy, 2 (3). Skene_and_Oarga-Mulec_The-circular-economy-the-butterfly-diagram-systems-theory-and-the-economic-pluriverse.pdf (circulareconomyjournal.org)
  3. Skene, K.R. (2024). Systems theory, thermodynamics and life: Integrated thinking across ecology, organization and biological evolution. Biosystems, p.105123. Available here.
  4. Skene, K.R. (2022). How can economics contribute to environmental and social sustainability? The significance of systems theory and the embedded economy. Frontiers in Sustainability, p.107. Available here.
  5. Skene, K.R. (2022). What is the unit of empowerment? An ecological perspective. British Journal of Social Work 52 (1): 498–517. Available here.
  6. Seják, J., Pokorný, J., Seeley, K. and Skene, K.R. (2022). Why ecosystem services should be counterbalanced by nature’s thermodynamic costs. Ecosystem Services 57: 101469. Available here.
  7. ​Sabater, B. and Skene, K.R. (2022). Plant Thermodynamics. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13.   www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9241335/
  8. Skene, K.R. (2021). The Dark Shadows of the Jolly Green Giants: Urgent Policy and Research Priorities in Renewable Energy Technologies. Sustainability and Climate change 14 (5): 335-357.  Available here.
  9. Skene, K.R. (2021). Sustainability policy and practice: Is Nature an appropriate mentor? Environment, Development and Sustainability, pp. 1-19. sustainability_policy_and_practice_is_nature_an_ap.pdf
  10. Skene, K.R. (2021). No goal is an island: the implications of systems theory for the Sustainable Development Goals. Environment, Development and Sustainability.  Available here
  11. Kučera, A., Skene K.R. and Kupec, P. (2020). Soil hydric properties and carbon stock in a semi-arid region of Iraqi Kurdistan: the importance of historical pedogenesis, climate and locality in atmospheric decarbonization. Ecological Indicators Vol. 119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106813 
  12. Skene, K.R. (2020). In pursuit of the framework behind the biosphere: S-curves, self-assembly  and the genetic entropy paradox. Biosystems, 190: 104101. biosystems_paper_krs.pdf​
  13. Skene, K.R. (2018). Circles, spirals, pyramids and cubes: why the circular economy cannot work. Sustainability Science, 13: 479-492. Available here
  14. Murray, A., Skene, K. and Haynes, K. (2017). The circular economy: an interdisciplinary exploration of the concept and application in a global context. Journal of Business Ethics, 140: 369-380. https://10.1007/s10551-015-2693-2
  15. Skene, K.R. (2017). Thermodynamics, ecology and evolutionary biology: A bridge over troubled water or common ground? Acta Oecologica, 85: 116-125. https://10.1016/j.actao.2017.10​.010 
  16. Skene, K.R. (2015). Life’s a gas: a thermodynamic theory of biological evolution. Entropy, 17: 5522-5548. Entropy | Free Full-Text | Life’s a Gas: A Thermodynamic Theory of Biological Evolution (mdpi.com)
  17. Skene K.R. (2013). The energetic of ecological succession: a logistic model of entropic output. Ecological Modelling, 250: 287-293. https://10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2012.11.020
  18. Vranová, V., Rejšek, K., Skene, K.R., Janous, D. and Formanek, P. (2013). Methods of collection of plant root exudates in relation to plant metabolism and purpose: a review. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 176: 175-199. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.201000360
  19. Skene, K.R. (2011). Form, function, forests and fossils: sustainability revisited. Contemporary Review, 293: 462-472.
  20. Vranová, V., Zahradnickova, H., Janous, D., Skene, K.R., Matharu, A.S., Rejšek, K. and Formanek, P. (2011). The significance of D-amino acids in soil, fate and utilization by microbes and plants: review and identification of knowledge gaps. Plant and Soil, 354: 21-39. https://10.1007/s11104-011-1059-5
  21. Vranová, V., Rejšek, K., Skene, K.R. and Formanek, P. (2011). Non-protein amino acids: plant, soil and ecosystem interactions. Plant and Soil, 42: 31-48. https://10.1007/s11104-010-0673-y
  22. Skene, K.R. (2010). After the Copenhagen Conference: carbon is not the planet’s greatest threat. Contemporary Review, 292: 15-22.
  23. Carfrae, J.A., Skene, K.R., Sheppard, L.J., Ingleby, K. and Crossley, A. (2006). Effects of  nitrogen with and without acidified sulphur on an ectomycorrhizal community in a Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Bong. Carr) forest. Environmental Pollution, 141(1): 131-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2005.08.020
  24. McCluskey J., Herdman, L and Skene K.R. (2004). Iron deficiency induces changes in metabolism of citrate in lateral roots and cluster roots of Lupinus albus L.. Physiologia Plantarum, 121: 586-594. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3054.2004.00372.x
  25. Skene, K.R. (2004). Key differences in photosynthetic characteristics of nine species of intertidal macroalgae are related to their position on the shore.  Canadian Journal of Botany, 82(2): 177-184. https://doi.org/10.1139/b03-148
  26.  Taylor, B. and Skene, K.R. (2003). Forensic palynology: spatial and temporal considerations of pollen deposition in forensic investigations.  Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 35: 193-204. https://doi.org/10.1080/00450610309410582
  27. Skene, K.R. (2003). The evolution of physiology and development in the cluster root: teaching an old dog new tricks? Plant and Soil, 248: 21-30. https://10.1023/A:1022303201862
  28. Wall, J.W., Skene, K.R. and Neilson R. (2002). Nematode community and trophic structure along a sand dune succession.  Biology and Fertility of Soils, 35: 293-301. https://10.1007/s00374-002-0478-0
  29. Skene, K.R. (2001). Cluster roots: model experimental tools for key biological problems. Journal of Experimental Botany, 52: 479-485. click here.
  30. Averiss, R.J. and Skene, K.R. (2001). Changes in nutrient heterogeneity in a sand dune succession at Tentsmuir Point, Eastern Scotland. Botanical Journal of Scotland, 53(I): 45-56.
  31. Hagstrom, J., James, W.M. and Skene, K.R. (2001). A comparison of structure, development and function in cluster roots of Lupinus albus L. under phosphate and iron stress. Plant and Soil, 232: 81-90.
  32. Hoang, D. and Skene, K.R. (2001). Racines très spéciales pour sols carencés. Recherche, 343: 40-42.
  33. Skene, K.R. (2000). Cluster roots: their physiology, ecology and developmental biology.  Annals of Botany, 85: 899.
  34. Skene, K.R. (2000). Pattern formation in cluster roots: some developmental and evolutionary considerations. Annals of Botany, 85: 901-908. Available here
  35. Skene, K.R., Sprent, J.I., Raven J.A. and Herdman, L. (2000). Biological Flora of the British Isles. Myrica gale L.. Journal of Ecology, 88: 1079-1094. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00522.x
  36. Skene, K.R. and James, W.M. (2000). A comparison of the effects of NAA on cluster root initiation and development in Grevillea robusta and in the genus Lupinus (Leguminoseae). Plant and Soil, 219: 221-229.
  37. Davison, G, Lambie, C.L., James, W.M., Skene, M.E. and Skene, K.R. (1999). A comparison of heavy metal content in insects associated with ultramafic and non-ultramafic sites in the Scottish Highlands. Ecological Entomology, 24: 1-6.
  38. Skene, K.R. (1998). Cluster roots: some ecological considerations. Journal of Ecology, 86: 1062-1066.  besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2745.1998.00326.x
  39. Skene, K.R., Raven, J.A. and Sprent, J.I. (1998). Cluster root development in Grevillea robusta (Proteaceae) I. Xylem, pericycle, cortex and epidermal development in a determinate root. New Phytologist, 138: 725-732. Cluster root development in Grevillea robusta (Proteaceae). I. Xylem, pericycle, cortex, and epidermis development in a determinate root (wiley.com)
  40. Skene, K.R., Sutherland, J.M., Raven, J.A. and Sprent, J.I. (1998). Cluster root development in Grevillea robusta (Proteaceae) II. The development of the endodermis in a determinate root and in an indeterminate, lateral root. New Phytologist, 138: 733-742.Cluster root development in Grevillea robusta (Proteaceae). II. The development of the endodermis in a determinate root and in an indeterminate, lateral root - SKENE - 1998 - New Phytologist - Wiley Online Library
  41. Skene, K.R. and Raven, J.A. (1998). Photosynthetic characteristics of nine species of marine macroalgae on the east coast of Scotland in relation to the intertidal position in which they occur. Botanical Journal of Scotland, 50(1): 55-62.
  42. Skene, K.R., Kierans, M., Sprent, J.I. and Raven, J.A. (1996). Structural aspects of cluster root development and their possible significance for nutrient acquisition in Grevillea robusta (Proteaceae). Annals of Botany, 77: 443-451. click here.
  43. Skene, K.R., Sprent, J.I. and Ong, C.K. (1996). Cluster roots of Grevillea robusta – foragers or scavengers? Agroforestry Today, 8(2): 11-12.

(iv) Visual exhibits  (in collaboration with Gina Czarnecki)

Silvers Alter
     Arts Catalyst Production, Clean Rooms, London, 2000;
     Oldham Museum and Art Gallery, Natural History Museum, London, 2003;
     Humancraft Union Fish Building, Auckland, New Zealand, 2005.
 
Infected (2000) Commissioned by Capture commissions A.C.E. Produced by David Metcalfe Associates.
     Microwave Festival, Hong Kong, 2001;
     Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery, 2003;
     The Place Theatre, London, 2002.

Contagion Wellcome Trust Sciart 2005-2008
      In 2005, the Sciart scheme funded us as one of 14 new projects through Development Awards and Production and Research         Awards. This was the first such award made to the  University of Dundee. contagion_floor_brochure_01.pdf 
     Brisbane Festival, The Block, QUT, Brisbane, Australia, 2008.
 
 Broadcasting

Numerous appearances on radio and television, including Countryfile, BBC World Service, American radio and GTV.  
 
Web pages:
https://www.routledge.com/authors/i19507-keith-skene
https://biosri.org/index.html