A5015109819- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Soil Geostatistics and Mapping
- Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Soil and Unsaturated Flow
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Plant Ecology and Soil Science
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact
- Soil and Land Suitability Analysis
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Soil Management and Crop Yield
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Heavy metals in environment
- Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping
- Soil Moisture and Remote Sensing
- Forest ecology and management
Wageningen University & Research
2016-2025
Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority
2012-2024
Cranfield University
2007-2015
University College Dublin
2015
Food Safety Authority of Ireland
2012-2014
Agriculture and Food
2014
Newcastle University
2007
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
2003
Abstract Background Soil organic matter (SOM) supports multiple soil ecosystem functions, underpinned by processes such as C sequestration, N mineralization, aggregation, promotion of plant health and compound retention. We know little about the relationship between these functions SOM quality. Scope aimed to develop “eco-functionality” a framework address questions on relation properties functions. Conclusions Paradigm shifts in research have not led metrics for eco-functionality beyond...
Sustainable food production has re-emerged at the top of global policy agenda, driven by two challenges: (1) challenge to produce enough feed a growing world population and (2) make more efficient prudent use world's natural resources. These challenges have led societal expectation that agricultural sector increase productivity, same time provide environmental ‘ecosystem services’ such as provision clean water, air, habitats for biodiversity, recycling nutrients mitigation against climate...
Capturing the complexity of soil life for quality assessments is one most challenging paradoxes contemporary science. Soil biota perform a plethora processes that are fundamental to quality. As concept developed, so have attempts integrate biological measurements into monitoring schemes from field regional scale. To date, however, science has not yet succeeded provide flexible objective indicator methods assess multifunctionality, customised user's context. We present an integrative...
The challenges of achieving both food security and environmental sustainability have resulted in a confluence demands on land within the European Union (EU): we expect our to provide food, fibre fuel, purify water, sequester carbon, home biodiversity as well external nutrients form waste from humans intensive livestock enterprises. All soils can perform all these five functions, but some are better at supplying selective functions. Functional Land Management is framework for policy-making...
Agricultural soils offer multiple soil functions, which contribute to a range of ecosystem services, and the demand for primary production function is expected increase with growing world population. Other key functions on agricultural land have been identified as water purification, carbon sequestration, habitat biodiversity nutrient cycling, all need be considered sustainable intensification. All perform simultaneously, but variation in capacity supply these reviewed terms defined use...
Identifying critical source areas (CSAs) of diffuse pollution in agricultural catchments requires the accurate identification hydrologically sensitive (HSAs) at highest propensity for generating surface runoff and transporting pollutants. A new GIS-based HSA Index is presented that improves HSAs sub-field scale by accounting microtopographic controls. The based on high resolution LiDAR data a soil topographic index (STI) also considers hydrological disconnection overland flow via impediment...
Abstract To better understand the relationship between soil bacterial communities, physicochemical properties, land use and geographical distance, we considered for first time ever a European transect running from Sweden down to Portugal France Slovenia. We investigated 71 sites based on their range of variation in properties (pH, texture organic matter), climatic conditions (Atlantic, alpine, boreal, continental, Mediterranean) uses (arable, forest grassland). 16S rRNA gene amplicon...
Abstract As the most abundant animals on earth, nematodes are a dominant component of soil community. They play critical roles in regulating biogeochemical cycles and vegetation dynamics within across landscapes an indicator biological activity. Here, we present comprehensive global dataset nematode abundance functional group composition. This includes 6,825 georeferenced samples from all continents biomes. For geospatial mapping purposes these aggregated into 1,933 unique 1-km pixels, each...
Abstract Soil plays a key role in the global carbon (C) cycle. Most current assessments of SOC stocks and guidelines given by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) focus top 30 cm soil. Our research shows that, when considering only total quantities, most are found this layer. However, not all forms equally valuable as long-term stable stores carbon: majority is available for mineralisation can potentially be re-emitted to atmosphere. associated with micro-aggregates silt plus...
Soil is the most important natural resource for life on Earth after water. Given its fundamental role in sustaining human population, both availability and quality of soil must be managed sustainably protected. To ensure sustainable management we need to understand intrinsic functional capacity different soils across Europe how it changes over time. monitoring needed support evidence-based policies incentivise management. this aim, assessed which attributes can used as potential indicators...