Nikolaos Toumasis

Areas of expertise

• Digital Agriculture
• Monitoring and Environmental Informatics
• Natural Capital
• Soil Resources
• Sustainable Land Systems
• Water Science and Engineering

Background

Dr Nikolaos Toumasis is an environmental scientist with expertise in the multidisciplinary study of ecological resilience. He is a specialist in European Union Law-governance and integration, combining legal expertise with deep knowledge of Soil Erosion Dynamics, Soil Monitoring Law, European history, institutions, policy processes, and socio cultural dynamics. Alongside this, he has a strong expertise in applied computer science and AI, supported by advanced training through Harvard’s University CS50 programme, with strong capabilities in Python programming, algorithmic problem solving, and AI driven application development. He holds a PhD in Landscape Resilience, specialising in how ecological, soil, and hydrological systems respond to environmental pressures and how nature based solutions can enhance the adaptive capacity of landscapes under climate change. Bringing these fields together, Nikolaos works at the intersection of governance, digital innovation, and environmental science to support evidence based, technologically informed approaches to sustainability and resilience. He applies basic scientific and practical problems at the intersection of ecology, hydroclimatology, water quality, geomorphology, and integrated land-water management from a whole system perspective. Nikolaos has specific interest in computational-Integrated Catchment Modelling, Coding and Analytics. Landscape rehabilitation and restoration, geomorphology-ecology interactions in river-floodplain systems, and coastal erosion are the three primary areas of focus for Nikolao's research group. Statistical and time series analyses of suspended ecology dynamics in wetlands and field surveys to ascertain ecological responses to soil processes and human interventions are just a few of the many methods used in this research area, which covers spatial and temporal scales.

Prior to his PhD, Sergeant Nikolaos Toumasis graduated in 2006 from Technical School Aviation (Military Academy) from the Air Training Command. In 2007, Nikolaos gained a degree in Civil Aviation for the Certification Program ‘Introductory Training Air Traffic Controllers’ with a specialisation from the Hellenic Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller. In 2012 he gained a BSc from the Faculty of the Department of Physics at the University of Ioannina. His MBA degree is in Human Resource Management and Leadership from Cardiff Metropolitan University. Furthermore, his MBA dissertation was entitled: 'The role of Human Resource Management in preventing occupational stress in Air Traffic Controllers in the European Union (Period 2010-2014)'. He obtained a MSc degree in Atmospheric Sciences and the Environment, and his dissertation was entitled 'Biometeorology of Airports', measuring pressure, wind velocity, temperature and humidity, outgoing long wavelength radiation, absorbed by atmosphere (Earth's Radiation Budget), fluid mechanics, and Climate Change-Impacts and Mitigation. His (F119-MAT) Postgraduate Research (PhD) at Heriot-Watt University, Department of Maths, concerned developing techniques of data assimilation in numerical weather prediction and climate change modelling, basic regression analysis, variational approaches, Kalman filtering, Bayesian inference approach, formulating and implementing the Optimal Interpolation, 3-DVAR, and 4-DVAR approaches, and Lorentz. Nikolaos' dissertation was about 'Data assimilation implementation on Quasigeostrophic fluid model', using Matlab for research problems, selection, and interpretation of the prior and posterior distributions.

His main areas of expertise include landscape ecology, woodland ecology, restoration ecology, and spatial ecology, investigating the consequences of anthropogenic disturbances and the effectiveness of conservation actions with a focus on finding effective ways to restore biodiversity, ensuring UK woodlands and grasslands are protected and resilient to future environmental changes. Benefiting from the broad nature of ecology and working as a meteorologist-climatologist at the Laboratory of Meteorology (University of Ioannina), he has been exposed to an extensive range of subjects, from climate change to new technologies of remote sensing. Having studied the specialised courses, Bioclimatology, Meteorology, and Geophysics for Environmental Scientists GGE NERC Geophysics course at Keele University, he has gained essential knowledge in Environmental Sciences, and he has acquired the essential skills of systematic research, analytical thinking, and restoration ecology evaluation. He is a graduate member of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Institute of Environmental Engineers, Royal Society of Edinburgh, British Ecological Society, BSSS, IAGRE, European Geosciences Union, and The Douglas Bomford Trust.

Current activities

Dr Nikolaos is actively engaged in both Task 4.4 and Task 6.3 of the SOILL StepUp project, contributing to two complementary pillars of the Mission Soil Support Structure. In Task 4.4, Best Practices & Solutions, he helps curate, structure, and validate the knowledge emerging from Living Labs and Lighthouses, ensuring that innovative practices are captured through harmonised templates. His work supports the transformation of raw LL outputs into high‑quality, comparable, and policy‑relevant solution profiles. In Task 6.3, Generative AI, Nikolaos contributes to exploring and shaping how AI‑driven tools can enhance knowledge extraction, semantic tagging, multilingual support, and synthesis across the Mission Soil ecosystem. Through this dual involvement, he plays a bridging role between content development and digital innovation, helping ensure that Europe’s soil health solutions are both scientifically robust and technologically future‑ready.

-SOILL support structure: Contributed to the StartUp of the SOILL support structure for Soil Living Labs within the EU HORIZON SOILL‑Startup project.

Research outputs: Delivered research outputs that supported the project’s objectives and the wider Mission Soil programme.

Research planning: Developed and implemented a research plan as part of a broader environmental research programme.

Methodological design: Planned and carried out a work programme using methodologies and techniques appropriate to transdisciplinary soil‑related research.

Knowledge discovery: Conducted investigations that led to the discovery of new knowledge and conceptual insights.

Data analysis: Analysed, interpreted, and integrated data to generate new understanding and illuminate emerging patterns.

Stakeholder engagement: Applied stakeholder‑engagement methods to support co‑creation processes within Living Lab contexts.

Applied knowledge: Translated research findings into practical applications that generated new intellectual understanding.

Independent research: Planned and produced independent, original research; tested and refined methodological approaches.

Resource management: Took responsibility for organising resources and supporting effective decision‑making in research and teaching.

Collegial support: Supported colleagues in research activities, student supervision, teaching, and the preparation of grant proposals.

Centre contribution: Contributed to the effective operation and development of the research theme and centre.

-''Securing Lawtonian Landscape Resilience'' (PhD_Funded under CENTA)

Lawton (2010) reviewed England's biodiversity and ecological networks and concluded that biodiversity sites did not comprise a coherent and resilient ecological network, in the face of a changing climate and threats to biodiversity. We need to make our network of sites bigger, better and more joined up and plan effectively to avoid further degradation. The Governments 25 year environment plan sets goals for improving the environment, aiming to achieve a growing and resilient network richer in biodiversity. This project answers the question, how do deliver these goals by means of green infrastructure investments informed by robust science.

-The RestREco study sites helped put his work into context, and engaging with the project's stakeholders and partners to evaluate the practical application of his PhD research in supporting evidence-based decision-making.

-As part of the coastal research team at Natural England (NPIF23-5), he had lots of practical fieldwork experience in Gibraltar Point NNR, RSPB Freiston Shores, and RSPB Frampton marshes and spent time discussing the Wash, why it is important, the 'Freitopia scheme-new saline lagoon and freshwater reservoir', the landscape recovery project, saltmarsh management, the NSIP Boston Alternative Energy by managing recreational pressures, and climate change adaptation. He was involved in major casework projects in the Lincolnshire coastal and marine protected sites, the challenges of coastal erosion, as well as the regulatory process. The Natural England project was focused on building the evidence base around maritime cliff and slope habitat, which has been rather neglected in the recent past. He investigated and modelled maritime influence (e.g., salt spray, maritime weather) around the English coast, specifically with regards to cliff habitat, and considered how this influences vegetation development in order to help improve understanding of habitat creation potential and in truly identifying the Maritime Cliff and Slope resource in England.

-The opportunity to attend the CENTA Speed PhD 2024 as a group mentor helped him enhance his research duties to assist his team with fieldwork and data collection working on the project: ‘The revitalisation of hedgerows as a method of flood risk prevention in England’, in soil morphology along a Cotswold catena, examining relationships between landscape topography and soil taxonomy.

-Dr Nikolaos is also an active member of the Soil Erosion Working Group, Soil Mentor, and serves as a SOILL StepUP Evaluator of Living Labs (LLs) and Lighthouses (LHs), contributing to the assessment, validation, and strengthening of innovative soil‑health initiatives across Europe.

Clients

• Natural Environment Research Council
• Environment Agency
• Natural England

Publications

• Articles in journals
• Books