Emeritus Professor in Plant Ecology, University of Wolverhampton, UK
Honorary Member of the Polish Botanical Society
Scientific and research activities
Professor Ian Trueman is a well-known and well-respected British botanist and ecologist who has made an outstanding contribution to science, particularly in the fields of botany, plant community ecology, vegetation analysis, nature conservation and, most notably, habitat restoration. This contribution was recognized in the UK in 2012 with the award of a medal for his outstanding contribution to nature conservation by the UK Wildlife Trusts. His influence within the relevant scientific community has been considerable, but equally important, he has brought his knowledge and expertise to a much wider community of people concerned with botany and its practical applications, from nature conservation volunteer practitioners and university students to non-governmental organisations, local government and national government agencies. His enthusiasm for his subject and his uniquely engaging ability to communicate with people in every sphere, at any level, has been an important factor in bringing his knowledge and expertise to such a wide range of people.
Professor Trueman has over 40 relevant publications, many of which are seminal (often cited) papers which have paved the way for the application of good practice in habitat creation and landscape remediation, while others are on topics ranging from soil analysis and remediation, to the description and management of invasive alien plant species and associated vegetation. He is a contributing author of several books and the lead author of 3 floras, one of which covers the whole of Birmingham and the Black Country, a conurbation similar to that of Upper Silesia. He is also the author of a large number of consultancy reports.
In the course of his long academic career, Professor Trueman was an inspirational teacher who engaged and enthused generations of undergraduate and postgraduate students, many of whom have gone on to be valuable teachers themselves or highly effective botanists and nature conservation practitioners. From his roots as an agricultural botanist, he has over the years expanded his academic expertise to embrace angiosperm taxonomy, genecology, plant ecology, agricultural botany, plant diversity and systematics, nature conservation, environmental interpretation, assessment and management, habitat creation. In these topics he has supervised to successful completion 15 PhD studies, 4 MPhil studies and over 100 MSc theses, as well as teaching undergraduates at all levels. His enthusiasm for his subject and perceptive and innovative approach to teaching have led him to develop new courses and curricula both at the University (formerly Polytechnic) of Wolverhampton and at academic institutions in other parts of the UK, Poland, and Finland. He is also very much in demand as a guest lecturer at other academic and non-academic institutions and societies, as well as running training programs for professional and amateur nature conservation practitioners.
Membership of professional organizations
Professor Trueman is a member of the British Ecological Society, the Botanical Society of the British Isles and the Society of Biology. He is a Trustee of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Vice-President of the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and former member of the Conservation Committee of the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. He is Chair of both the Birmingham and Black Country Botanical Society and the Shropshire Botanical Society. He is also a former County Botanical Recorder for Shropshire. He is an involved supporter of, and advisor to, many local conservation groups.
Consultancy activities
In addition to the academic research summarized above, Professor Trueman has also undertaken major consultancy projects involving scientific research on environmental impact, habitat translocation and restoration, ecological and social landscape regeneration and species protection.
Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council, Sandwell Borough Council, Dudley Borough Council: 1990s ecological surveys and management plans for protected sites.
Isle of Man Government: 1991 advice to public inquiry on langness development environmental report on the area of Upper Foxdale, Isle of Man; 1991–1993 Heathland restoration project at Ballacallow Landfill site); 1992–1993: ecological assessment and advice to public inquiry on Kerrowdhoo Landfill site.
M.J.Carter Associates/Pioneer Aggregates/Tarmac 1995–2009: grassland monitoring scheme for a grassland translocation project. 1999–2009: grassland monitoring of a translocated grassland.
Wardell Armstrong Consultants 1996: research on grassland monitoring. 1997: appearance at Brocks Farm Public Inquiry.
Natural England 2005–date: establishing a management plan and annual monitoring of Viola lutea pastures at Blakemoorgate, Stiperstones National Nature Reserve.
2011–2013: producing a detailed vegetation survey and an ecological management plan for Penn Common Golf Course re. Higher Level Stewardship scheme.
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust 2002–2003: undertaking a survey and producing a feasibility study for nature conservation and income generation from wildlife sites in the Weaver Hills region of north Staffordshire (under the England Rural Development Programme of the UK government department DEFRA.) 2005 survey of wetland sites.
Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust 2011–date. Primary consultant for the submission of Birmingham and the Black Country for national Nature Improvement Area status with the UK government department DEFRA, and for the implementation of the scheme 2012–present.
Recent publications
Trueman I.C. 2015. Changes in the vascular plant flora of Shropshire in Lockton, A & Whild, S, The Flora and Vegetation of Shropshire. Shropshire Botanical Society, Shrewsbury.
Trueman I.C., Carvalho S., Slater A. 2013. The use of the axiophyte species concept to describe the ecological network of the Birmingham and Black Country of the UK West Midlands. Environmental and Socio-economic Studies 1, 4: 12–28.
Trueman I.C., Poulton M.W. & Reade P.L. 2013. Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country. Pisces Publications, Newbury.
Węgrzynek B., Tokarska-Guzik B., Trueman I.C., Cohn E.V.J. 2008. Galinsoga species in Poland: history of spread and habitat preferences of two successful alien weeds. [in:] Rabitsch W., Essl F., Klingenstein F. (Eds.) Biological Invasions – from Ecology to Conservation. NEOBIOTA 7: 200–209.
Trueman I., Mitchell D., Besenyei L. 2007. The effects of turf transplantation and other environmental variables on the vegetation of a large species-rich mesotrophic grassland. Ecological Engineering 31: 79–91.
McCrea A.R., Trueman I.C., Fullen M.A. 2004. Factors relating to soil fertility and species diversity in both semi-natural and created meadows in the West Midlands of England. European Journal of Soil Science 55: 335–348.
Trueman I.C., Millet P. 2003. Creating wild-flower meadows by strewing green hay British Wildlife, 15(1) 37–44.
Trueman I.C., Cohn E.V.J., Tokarska-Guzik B., Rostanski A., and Wozniak G. 2001. Calcareous waste slurry as wildlife habitat in England and Poland. [in:] Sarsby R.W. (ed.) Proceedings of the 3rd International Symposium on Geotechnics related to the European Environment, Berlin, June 2000.
McCrea A.R., Trueman I.C., Fullen M.A., Atkinson M.D., Besenyei L. 2001. Relationships between soil characteristics and species-richness in two botanically heterogeneous created meadows in the urban West Midlands. Biological Conservation 97 (2): 171–180.
Cohn E.V.J., Rostanski A., Tokarska-Guzik B., Trueman I.C., Wozniak G. 2001. The flora and vegetation of an old solvay process tip in Jaworzno (Upper Silesia, Poland). Acta Societas Botanicorum Poloniae 70(1): 47–60.
McCrea A.R., Trueman I.C., Fullen M.A. 2001. A comparison of the effects of four arable crops on the fertility depletion of a sandy silt loam destined for grassland habitat creation. Biological Conservation 97(1): 181–187.
