Soil Quality
The research is structured into four interlinked areas, which are interdisciplinary and involve social scientists, economists, soil scientists, microbiologists, molecular biologists, plant ecophysiologists and modellers.
Programme of work
Societal value of soils develops and applies methodologies for assessing the economic, environmental, social, conservation and natural heritage value of soils to society.
Structure and function of soil ecosystems is exploring the function and role of soil biodiversity in nutrient cycling in arable and grassland systems and in tree establishment in regenerating Scots pine woodland.
Carbon dynamics and soil ecosystems studies the dynamics of carbon in soil by quantifying transfers of carbon from vegetation to soil and the consequences for the processes of solid organic matter turnover and carbon sequestration, driven by the soil microbial community. This work is initially studying a regenerating Scots pine woodland system, with the possibility of considering an arable system subsequently.
Land-use change to enhance soil functioning builds upon the previous areas, to study changes in land-use or management for restoring or enhancing the functioning of a range of Scottish soils. These include the restoration of peatlands to enhance their carbon sequestration potential, organic amendments to arable soils and management of arable and grassland soils to reduce green house gas emissions.
Related Research Areas
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Updated: 10 Jan 2012, Content by: MC
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