About

I research the role of land management in mitigating the climate crisis. My expertise is in peatland ecosystems, which store a huge amount of carbon due to their unique soil structure and vegetation communities. I use fieldwork and satellite data to assess ecosystem function and condition. I also engage with stakeholders and local communities to consider how we can optimise land management for both people and nature. 

Teaching responsibilities

I am a member of the teaching team for our Environmental Science & Sustainability programme. I lead the second year modules GIS and Remote Sensing, and Ecosystem Services and Nature Based Solutions, and the third year module Climate Change. 

Research interests

I am interested in landscape resilience, particularly how land management can help both people and nature to thrive into the future. My work focuses on (but is not limited to) peatland and upland ecosystems. I use remote sensing to analyse trends and dramatic changes in these landscapes, most recently considering the factors affecting large and severe wildfires. My research considers a range of ecosystem services, including flood limitation, carbon sequestration, and the benefits of access to nature. 

I currently have PhD students working on the long-term peatland restoration experimental site at Combs Moss, and studying enhanced geochemical weathering in pasture land. I am interested in supervising projects on wildfire limitation.

Membership of professional bodies

I am a visiting fellow at the Global Systems Institute (GSI) at the University of Exeter.

Qualifications

• PhD in Environmental Science - University of Reading 
• MPhil in Polar Studies - University of Cambridge
• BSc in Geography - Durham University
• Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy 

In the media

I provided expert insights into the 2026 wildfires, specifically the Tintwistle fire. I am quoted in the BBC article available here.

Recent publications

• Lees K.J., Davies G.M., Lenton T.M. (2026) Wildfire size, severity and timing vary with dominant vegetation in open landscapes in England and Wales Ecological Solutions and Evidence
• Lees K.J., McCarter C.P.R., Ritson J.P., Waddington J.M., Peacock M., Evans M., Holden J., Shuttleworth E., Johnston A., Baird A.J. (2025) The Sponge Analogy Problem: Moving Towards Clearer Communication of Peatland Hydrological Processes
• Ritson J.P., Lees K.J., Hill J., Gallego‐Sala A., Bebber D.P. (2025) Climate change impacts on blanket peatland in Great Britain Journal of Applied Ecology
• Lees K.J, Carmenta R., Condliffe I., Gray A., Marquis L., Lenton T.M. (2023) Protecting peatlands requires understanding stakeholder perceptions and relational values: A case study of peatlands in the Yorkshire Dales Ambio
• Lenton T.M., Buxton J.E., Armstrong McKay D.I., Abrams J.F., Boulton C.A., Lees K.J., Powell T.W.R., Boers N., Cunliffe A.M., Dakos V. (2022) A resilience sensing system for the biosphere Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B
• Lees K.J., Buxton J., Boulton C.A., Abrams J. F., & Lenton T. M. (2021) Using satellite data to assess management frequency and rate of regeneration on heather moorlands in England as a resilience indicator. Environmental Research Communications
• Lees K.J., Artz R.R.E., Chandler D., Aspinall T., Boulton C.A., Buxton J., Cowie N.R. & Lenton T.M. (2021) Using remote sensing to assess peatland resilience by estimating soil surface moisture and drought recovery. Science of the Total Environment
• Lees K.J., Khomik M., Quaife T., Clark J.M., Hill T., Klein D., Ritson J., Artz R.R.E. (2020) Assessing the reliability of peatland GPP measurements by remote sensing: from plot to landscape scale. Science of the Total Environment
• Lees K.J., Artz R.R.E., Khomik M., Clark J.M., Ritosn J., Hancock M.H., Cowie N.R., Quaife T. (2020) Using Spectral Indices to Estimate Water Content and GPP in Sphagnum Moss and Other Peatland Vegetation. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
• Lees K.J., Artz R.R.E., Khomik M., Quaife T., Clark J.M (2019) Changes in carbon flux and spectral reflectance of Sphagnum moss as a result of simulated drought. Journal of Ecohydrology
• Lees K.J., Quaife T., Artz R.R.E, Khomik M., Sottocornola M., Kiely G., Hambley G., Hill T., Saunders M., Cowie N. R, Ritson J., Clark J.M (2019) A model of gross primary productivity based on satellite data suggests formerly afforested peatlands undergoing restoration regain full photosynthesis capacity after five to ten years. Journal of Environmental Management
• Lees K.J., Quaife T., Artz R.R.E., Khomik M., Clark J.M (2018) Potential for using remote sensing to estimate carbon fluxes across northern peatlands – A review. Science of the Total Environment. Pp 857–874