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Dr A Midwood, Prof D Robinson
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Supervised by Dr Andy Midwood (JHI), Prof Robin Pakeman (JHI) and Prof David Robinson (University of Aberdeen)
In managed grasslands, changes in animal stocking levels, fertilizer inputs and timings, can change long-term carbon (C) storage in vegetation and soil. Immediate impacts on vegetation can be assessed relatively easily, but the longer term changes to soil organic matter are more difficult to establish with existing techniques. Small changes to large soil C stocks can be significant in terms of the overall C inventory of the system. Changes in soil C can be estimated by measuring the soil-surface CO2 flux derived from organic matter (as opposed to that derived from plant respiration). This project will aim to estimate such changes under different grazing regimes. It will use state-of-the-art stable isotope (13C) techniques to partition soil-surface CO2 fluxes into heterotrophic and autotrophic components. It will use a long-established, large-scale sheep grazing experiment at Glen Finglas (near Stirling), allowing the effects of grazing management can be tested directly.
Objectives
1. Partition soil-surface CO2 to quantify rates of heterotrophic respiration
2. Characterize the impact of different grazing management strategies on heterotrophic respiration
3. Estimate annual C inventories for the sites selected
4. Use the data to develop recommendations for the use of upland grasslands areas which will facilitate C sequestration
In managed grasslands, changes in animal stocking levels, fertilizer inputs and timings, can change long-term carbon (C) storage in vegetation and soil. Immediate impacts on vegetation can be assessed relatively easily, but the longer term changes to soil organic matter are more difficult to establish with existing techniques. Small changes to large soil C stocks can be significant in terms of the overall C inventory of the system. Changes in soil C can be estimated by measuring the soil-surface CO2 flux derived from organic matter (as opposed to that derived from plant respiration). This project will aim to estimate such changes under different grazing regimes. It will use state-of-the-art stable isotope (13C) techniques to partition soil-surface CO2 fluxes into heterotrophic and autotrophic components. It will use a long-established, large-scale sheep grazing experiment at Glen Finglas (near Stirling), allowing the effects of grazing management can be tested directly.
Objectives
1. Partition soil-surface CO2 to quantify rates of heterotrophic respiration
2. Characterize the impact of different grazing management strategies on heterotrophic respiration
3. Estimate annual C inventories for the sites selected
4. Use the data to develop recommendations for the use of upland grasslands areas which will facilitate C sequestration
References
1. Midwood AJ, Millard P 2011 Challenges in measuring the δ13C of the soil surface CO2 efflux. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 25, 232-242
2. Millard P, Midwood AJ, Hunt JE, Barbour MM, Whitehead D 2010 Quantifying the contribution of soil organic matter turnover to forest soil respiration using natural abundance δ13C. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 42, 935-943.
3. Paterson E, Midwood AJ and Millard P 2009 Through the eye of the needle: a review of isotope approaches to quantify microbial processes mediating soil carbon balance. New Phytologist, 184(1) 19-33
4. Millard P, Midwood AJ, Hunt JE, Whitehead D and Boutton TW 2008 Partitioning soil surface CO2 efflux into autotrophic and heterotrophic components, using natural gradients in soil δ13C in an undisturbed savanna soil Soil Biology and Biochemistry 40, 1575-1582
5. Midwood AJ, Thornton B and Millard P 2008 Measuring the 13C content of soil-respired CO2 using a novel open chamber system. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 22, 2073-2081
2. Millard P, Midwood AJ, Hunt JE, Barbour MM, Whitehead D 2010 Quantifying the contribution of soil organic matter turnover to forest soil respiration using natural abundance δ13C. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 42, 935-943.
3. Paterson E, Midwood AJ and Millard P 2009 Through the eye of the needle: a review of isotope approaches to quantify microbial processes mediating soil carbon balance. New Phytologist, 184(1) 19-33
4. Millard P, Midwood AJ, Hunt JE, Whitehead D and Boutton TW 2008 Partitioning soil surface CO2 efflux into autotrophic and heterotrophic components, using natural gradients in soil δ13C in an undisturbed savanna soil Soil Biology and Biochemistry 40, 1575-1582
5. Midwood AJ, Thornton B and Millard P 2008 Measuring the 13C content of soil-respired CO2 using a novel open chamber system. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 22, 2073-2081
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