2026 Les G. Firbank: Plant Science and Agronomy Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Plant Science and Agronomy	58	1341	1229	113	97	220	12405
Ecology and Evolution	60	2296	2201	272	261	208	13451

Overview

Les G. Firbank is affiliated with the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Their research primarily spans the fields of Agricultural and Biological Sciences as well as Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, with particular focus on Soil Science, Molecular Biology, and various branches of Ecology and Insect Science.

The main topics addressed in their body of work include:

Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
Soil erosion and sediment transport
Climate change impacts on agriculture
CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
Insect Resistance and Genetics
Insect behavior and control techniques
Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact

Firbank has contributed to several research publications, with recent papers including:

Expansion of Agriculture in Northern Cold-Climate Regions: A Cross-Sectoral Perspective on Opportunities and Challenges, 2021, published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Soil quality regeneration by grass-clover leys in arable rotations compared to permanent grassland: Effects on wheat yield and resilience to drought and flooding, 2021, published in Soil and Tillage Research
Soil macroaggregation drives sequestration of organic carbon and nitrogen with three-year grass-clover leys in arable rotations, 2022, published in The Science of The Total Environment
Potential use of gene drive modified insects against disease vectors, agricultural pests and invasive species poses new challenges for risk assessment, 2021, published in Critical Reviews in Biotechnology
Arable fields as potential reservoirs of biodiversity: Earthworm populations increase in new leys, 2021, published in The Science of The Total Environment

Frequent co-authors in Firbank's work include:

Martin Lappage
Thorunn Helgason
Jonathan R. Leake
Joseph Holden
Pippa J. Chapman

The predominant venues for Firbank's publications are:

The Science of The Total Environment
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Soil and Tillage Research
Critical Reviews in Biotechnology
Trends in Biotechnology

Best Publications

An ecological comparison between ancient and other forest plant species of Europe, and the implications for forest conservation

Martin Hermy;Olivier Honnay;Les Firbank;Carla Grashof-Bokdam

895
Citations
Identifying and managing the conflicts between agriculture and biodiversity conservation in Europe - a review

Klaus Henle;Didier Alard;Jeremy Clitherow;Paul Cobb

851
Citations
Benefits of organic farming to biodiversity vary among taxa.

R.J Fuller;L.R Norton;R.E Feber;P.J Johnson

499
Citations
Biotic homogenization and changes in species diversity across human-modified ecosystems.

Simon M Smart;Ken Thompson;Robert H Marrs;Mike G Le Duc

409
Citations
Assessing the impacts of agricultural intensification on biodiversity: a British perspective

Les G Firbank;Sandrine Petit;Simon Smart;Alasdair Blain

402
Citations
Accounting for nature: assessing habitats in the UK countryside.

R. H. Haines-Young;C. J. Barr;H. I. J. Black;D. J. Briggs

389
Citations
UK National Ecosystem Assessment:understanding nature's value to society. Synthesis of key findings

R. Watson;S. Albon;R. Aspinall;M. Austen

368
Citations
Responses of plants and invertebrate trophic groups to contrasting herbicide regimes in the Farm Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide–tolerant crops

C. Hawes;A. J. Haughton;J. L. Osborne;D. B. Roy

323
Citations
UK National Ecosystem Assessment:Technical report

R Watson;S Albon;R Aspinall;M Austen

295
Citations
An introduction to the Farm-Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops

L. G. Firbank;M. S. Heard;I. P. Woiwod;C. Hawes

280
Citations
Weeds in fields with contrasting conventional and genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops. I. Effects on abundance and diversity.

M. S. Heard;C. Hawes;G. T. Champion;S. J. Clark

249
Citations
Consequences of organic and non-organic farming practices for field, farm and landscape complexity

Lisa Norton;Paul Johnson;Andrew Joys;Rick Stuart

231
Citations
Invertebrate responses to the management of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant and conventional spring crops. II. Within-field epigeal and aerial arthropods.

A. J. Haughton;G. T. Champion;C. Hawes;M. S. Heard

227
Citations
Striking a new balance between agricultural production and biodiversity

L G Firbank

202
Citations
Invertebrate responses to the management of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant and conventional spring crops. I. Soil-surface-active invertebrates

D. R. Brooks;D. A. Bohan;G. T. Champion;A. J. Haughton

199
Citations
On the analysis of competition within two-species mixtures of plants

Unknown

191
Citations
Effects on weed and invertebrate abundance and diversity of herbicide management in genetically modified herbicide-tolerant winter-sown oilseed rape.

David A Bohan;Caroline W.H Boffey;David R Brooks;Suzanne J Clark

187
Citations
The effects of organic farming on pest and non-pest butterfly abundance.

R.E. Feber;L.G. Firbank;P.J. Johnson;D.W. Macdonald

184
Citations
Assessing habitat quality for butterflies on intensively managed arable farmland

R.F Pywell;E.A Warman;T.H Sparks;J.N Greatorex-Davies

180
Citations
Crop management and agronomic context of the Farm Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops

G. T. Champion;M. J. May;S. Bennett;D. R. Brooks

180
Citations
On the rationale and interpretation of the Farm Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops

G. R. Squire;D. R. Brooks;D. A. Bohan;G. T. Champion

179
Citations
Invertebrates and vegetation of field margins adjacent to crops subject to contrasting herbicide regimes in the Farm Scale Evaluations of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops.

D. B. Roy;D. A. Bohan;A. J. Haughton;M. O. Hill

177
Citations
Weeds in fields with contrasting conventional and genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops. II. Effects on individual species.

M. S. Heard;C. Hawes;G. T. Champion;S. J. Clark

142
Citations