A5041246656- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Polar Research and Ecology
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Climate change and permafrost
- Plant and animal studies
- Plant Ecology and Soil Science
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Plant responses to elevated CO2
- Pasture and Agricultural Systems
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Lichen and fungal ecology
Lancaster University
2016-2025
South China Agricultural University
2022
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
2009-2021
John Wiley & Sons (United States)
2018
Ecological Society of America
2018
IFC Research (United Kingdom)
2018
AgroParisTech
2008
Bangor University
1995-2004
Sands
2002-2004
University of York
2003
Abstract Soil microbial communities play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning, but it is unknown how co-occurrence networks within these respond to disturbances such as climate extremes. This represents an important knowledge gap because changes could have implications for their functioning and vulnerability future disturbances. Here, we show grassland mesocosms that drought promotes destabilising properties soil bacterial, not fungal, networks, bacterial link more strongly during...
Abstract Soil microorganisms act as gatekeepers for soil–atmosphere carbon exchange by balancing the accumulation and release of soil organic matter. However, poor understanding mechanisms responsible hinders development effective land management strategies to enhance storage. Here we empirically test link between microbial ecophysiological traits topsoil content across geographically distributed soils use contrasts. We discovered distinct pH controls on accumulation. Land intensification in...
Processes in the soil remain among least well-characterized components of carbon cycle. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are ubiquitous root symbionts many terrestrial ecosystems and account for a large fraction photosynthate wide range ecosystems; they therefore play key role A part fungal mycelium is outside (the extraradical mycelium, ERM) and, because dispersed growth pattern small diameter hyphae (<5 micrometers), exceptionally difficult to study quantitatively. Critically,...
Summary 1. Plant–soil interactions play a central role in the biogeochemical carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and hydrological cycles. In context of global environmental change, they are important both modulating impact climate change regulating feedback greenhouse gas emissions (CO 2 , CH 4 N O) to system. 2. Dynamic vegetation models (DGVMs) represent most advanced tools available predict impacts on terrestrial ecosystem functions examine their feedbacks change. The accurate representation...
Abstract Dissolved organic carbon ( DOC ) concentrations in surface waters have increased across much of E urope and N orth A merica, with implications for the terrestrial balance, aquatic ecosystem functioning, water treatment costs human health. Over past decade, many hypotheses been put forward to explain this phenomenon, from changing climate land management eutrophication acid deposition. Resolution debate has hindered by a reliance on correlative analyses time series data, lack robust...
Abstract More than 200 years ago, Alexander von Humboldt reported that tropical plant species richness decreased with increasing elevation and decreasing temperature. Surprisingly, coordinated patterns in plant, bacterial, fungal diversity on mountains have not yet been observed, despite the central role of soil microorganisms terrestrial biogeochemistry ecology. We studied an Andean transect traversing 3.5 km to test whether composition forest plants, bacteria, fungi follow similar...
Plant growth dynamics are shaped by the diversity of associating pathogenic, saprotrophic, and mutualistic soil fungi.
1. The Andes are predicted to warm by 3-5 °C this century with the potential alter processes regulating carbon (C) cycling in these tropical forest soils. This rapid warming is expected stimulate soil microbial respiration and change plant species distributions, thereby affecting quantity quality of C inputs influencing soil-derived CO2 released atmosphere. 2. We studied lowland, premontane montane soils taken from along a 3200-m elevation gradient located south-east Andean Peru. determined...
Increasing energy demands and the drive towards low carbon (C) sources has prompted a rapid increase in ground-mounted solar parks across world. This represents significant global land use change with implications for hosting ecosystems that are poorly understood. In order to investigate effects of typical park on microclimate ecosystem processes, we measured soil air microclimate, vegetation greenhouse gas emissions twelve months under photovoltaic (PV) arrays, gaps between PV arrays...
Abstract There is an emerging consensus that microbial necromass carbon the primary constituent of stable soil carbon, yet controls on stabilization process are unknown. Prior to stabilization, may be recycled by community. We propose efficiency this recycling a critical determinant rates. Here we explore in 27 UK grassland soils using isotope tracing and indicator species analysis. found was unaffected land management. Instead, increased with growth rate necromass, highest low historical...
Soil microorganisms are major regulators of ecosystem functioning and under threat from human-induced disturbances. Among these threats is grassland degradation, which estimated to affect 49% the area worldwide, threatening biodiversity functioning. Yet, we currently lack an understanding how degradation influences belowground microbial communities, their stability, functioning, effective restoration efforts for recovery important properties. Here, assessed soil fungal network complexity a...
Summary The flux of pulse‐derived 13 C from upland pasture plants to the external mycelium their arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbionts was traced and quantified over a 7‐d post‐labelling period. Mesh cores, which allowed in‐growth native AM but were impenetrable roots, inserted into unlimed limed plots surrounding vegetation exposed CO 2 at ambient concentrations. Release cores colonized by peaked 9–14 h after labelling declined within 24 severance mycelial connections roots. Between 5 8%...
Plant roots harbor a large diversity of microorganisms that have an essential role in ecosystem functioning. To better understand the level intimacy root-inhabiting microbes such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria, we provided (13)CO(2) to plants at atmospheric concentration during 5-h pulse. We expected dependent on carbon flux from their host plant become rapidly labeled. showed wide variety occurred roots, mostly previously unknown. Strikingly, greatest part this unsuspected...
1. In Europe, grassland agriculture is one of the dominant land uses. A major aim European agri-environment policy management for botanical diversity conservation and restoration, together with delivery ecosystem services including soil carbon (C) sequestration. 2. To test whether biodiversity restoration has additional benefits C sequestration, we investigated nitrogen (N) accumulation rates in N pools vegetation a long-term field experiment (16 years) which fertilizer application plant...