A5055690864- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
- Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Agricultural Innovations and Practices
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
- Crop Yield and Soil Fertility
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Study of Mite Species
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Collembola Taxonomy and Ecology Studies
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Agriculture and Biological Studies
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Pasture and Agricultural Systems
Aberystwyth University
2013-2024
Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences
2013-2024
Royal Agricultural University
2019-2024
Ricardo (United Kingdom)
2024
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
2018-2019
University of Saskatchewan
2012-2019
University of Plymouth
2009-2013
Rothamsted Research
2011-2013
Dalhousie University
2011-2012
Soil organisms, including earthworms, are a key component of terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about their diversity, distribution, and the threats affecting them. We compiled global dataset sampled earthworm communities from 6928 sites in 57 countries as basis for predicting patterns abundance, biomass. found that local species richness abundance typically peaked at higher latitudes, displaying opposite to those observed aboveground organisms. high dissimilarity across...
Abstract International initiatives are emphasizing the capture of atmospheric CO 2 in soil organic C (SOC) to reduce climatic footprint from agroecosystems. One approach quantify contribution management practices towards that goal is through analysis long-term experiments (LTEs). Our objectives were analyze knowledge gained literature reviews on SOC changes LTEs, evaluate results regarding interactions with pedo-climatological factors, and discuss disparities among data selection criteria....
The use of rotations and minimum tillage in agriculture can permit more sustainable production through increasing soil organic matter nutrients, breaking pathogen lifecycles. Soil fungal populations make an important physical chemical contribution to soil. For example, mycorrhizal species are plant nutrition but often overlooked when considering management practices for efficient function. We undertook DNA metabarcoding (Ion Torrent) using novel PCR primers high-throughput sequencing the D1...
Maintaining soil biodiversity and function is key to maintaining health, nutrient cycling decomposition. Different forage species have variable concentrations of essential nutrients rooting patterns, potentially affecting biology soil–plant–animal interactions. Our study compared the effect growing different crops on faunal diversity abundance. Plots chicory (Cichorium intybus), red clover (Trifolium pratense), white repens) or perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) were established in 2009...
The soil ecosystem provides a habitat for numerous and diverse fauna which hold pivotal role driving decomposition nutrient cycling. However, changing land use or management can alter population dynamics, biology within the system. implementation of different field improve fertility, whilst natural variations in plant species growth root system may create changes to structure properties. All legacy effect some extent; environment either physically through remaining residues. An experiment...
Abstract Earthworms are an important soil taxon as ecosystem engineers, providing a variety of crucial functions and services. Little is known about their diversity distribution at large spatial scales, despite the availability considerable amounts local-scale data. Earthworm data, obtained from primary literature or provided directly by authors, were collated with information on site locations, including coordinates, habitat cover, properties. Datasets required, minimum, to include...
The soil food web has been referred to as a ‘black box’, ‘poor man's tropical rainforest’ and an ‘enigma’, due its opacity, diversity the limited insight into feeding specificity. Here we investigate flow of C N through way gain understanding interactions occurring. A bacterium, Pseudomonas lurida , was introduced cores from two different habitats, grassland woodland with same type, enriched 99 atom% in 13 15 N, trace bacterial web. Throughout experiment remained N. Almost all invertebrates...
Abstract Understanding trophic linkages within the soil food web ( SFW ) is hampered by its opacity, diversity, and limited niche adaptation. We need to expand our insight between feeding guilds of fauna not just count biodiversity. The drive nutrient cycling play a pivotal, but little understood role both carbon (C) nitrogen (N) cycles that may be ecosystem dependent. Here, we define structure in two habitats (grassland woodland) on same type test hypothesis land management would alter...
Abstract Cropping practices have a great potential to improve soil quality through changes in biota. Yet the effects of these soil‐improving cropping systems on fungal communities are not well known. Here, we analysed using standardized measurements 12 long‐term experiments and 20 agricultural treatments across Europe. We were interested whether same (i.e., tillage, fertilization, organic amendments cover crops) applied different sites predictable repeatable guilds. The very variable located...
Rapid urbanization brings about drastic changes in land use and soil quality. Glomalin-related protein (GRSP), a sensitive indicator of quality, is possibly secreted by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Besides, microorganisms enzymatic activities play an irreplaceable role improving quality regulating nutrient circulation. However, little data are available on the interactions between GRSP, microorganisms, during urbanization. Here, we selected built-up area (505 km2) Nanchang, China,...
Soil compaction (SC) is a major threat for agriculture in Europe that affects many ecosystem functions, such as water and air circulation soils, root growth, crop production. Our objective was to present the results from five short-term (<5 years) case studies located along north–south east–west gradients conducted within SoilCare project using soil-improving cropping systems (SICSs) mitigating topsoil subsoil SC. Two study sites (SSs) focused on natural (˃25 cm) subsoiling tillage...
Abstract Cover crops are grown as potential ways to improve soil fertility, structure, and biodiversity, while reducing weed/pest burdens. Yet, increased costs (in both time fuel), farmer knowledge requirements, yield uncertainty (green bridge effect variable crop establishment) have led hesitation among farmers. This study was conducted at the field scale (covering an area of nearly 20 hectares) determine whether different cover mixtures affected properties ecosystem services on a heavy...
Grasslands globally deliver many ecosystem services, including water management to alleviate flood risk reduction. Two replicated field experiments were conducted study how agricultural forage species with diverse rooting systems, sown as single species, affected rooting, soil structure and earthworm populations, consequently infiltration understand they each might influence from grasslands. Experiment One showed soils under red clover (Trifolium pratense), white repens) chicory (Cichorium...
Abstract Soil management influences food production, economic performance of farm businesses, and a range public benefits such as water quality, flood control aquatic terrestrial biodiversity. The aim this paper is to explore the role participatory research in combining scientific farmer knowledge soils meet these multiple objectives. We use five separate studies involving communication, consultation co‐production, carried out English East Midlands between 2014 2018. compare processes for...
Abstract The need for sustainable intensification of agricultural production has ushered in a growing awareness soil health and requirement to identify with some certainty how changes land management will affect soil. From an perspective, the active needs balance healthy profitable crop environmental protection improvement. However, extreme spatial temporal heterogeneity soils, complexity biological, physical chemical interactions therein, makes predicting effects on challenging. Although...
The soil food web is often described as having three main energy channels: root, bacterial and fungal. Here we provide quantitative data using a sensitive stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry procedure with microcosms on species interactions in the fungal pathway. We measured 15N 13C enrichment microarthropods through grazing rare enriched mycelia. Experimental treatments were various combinations of 1, 2, 3, 4 species. used fungivores (the collembolan Lepidocyrtus curvicollis, Astigmata...
Alternative forages can be used to provide valuable home-grown feed for ruminant livestock. Utilising these different could affect the manure value and implications of incorporating into farming systems, needs better understood. An experiment tested hypothesis that applying slurries from ruminants, fed ensiled red clover (Trifolium pratense), lucerne (Medicago sativa) or kale (Brassica oleracea) would improve yield hybrid ryegrass (Lolium hybridicum), compared with ruminants ryegrass,...
Abstract Many studies utilise enrichment of stable isotopes as tracers to follow the interactions occurring within soil food webs and methods have been developed enrich bacteria, fauna plant litter, Here for first time we attempt a fungus 99 atom% with 13 C 15 N isotopes. In this study our objectives were (a) assess whether saprotrophic zygomycete Absidia cylindrospora could grow on medium enriched C‐glucose N‐ammonium chloride, (b) determine level obtained, (c) examine change in growth rate...