Applications are open for the 2015 NERC SCENARIO Doctoral Training Programme PhD studentships, led by University of Reading.

Projects available on soil and soil-related research are:

• Impact of climate change on soil respiration and resilience. Lead supervisor: Tom Sizmur. Co-supervisors: Joanna Clark, Anne Verhoef, Liz Shaw.
• Combining remote sensing, novel in-situ temperature sensing techniques and ecosystem models for improved environmental risk assessment related to shallow groundwater.Lead supervisor: Anne Verhoef. Co-supervisor: Kevin White, John Bloomfield (British Geological Survey), David Macdonald (British Geological Survey). CASE sponsorship by the British Geological Survey.
• Measuring peatland carbon sequestration and emissions by remote sensing. Lead supervisor: Joanna Clark. Co-supervisor: Tristan Quaife,  Rebekka Artz (James Hutton Institute), Matt Saunders (James Hutton Institute).
  Co-Sponsorship by the James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen.
• Optimising future observing networks for the evolving urban landscape. Lead supervisor: Sue Grimmond. Co-supervisor: Humphrey Lean (Met Office), Cristina Charlton-Perez (Met Office), Sue Ballard (Met Office).
• Evaluating the impact of emergent disease on microbial and insect populations in the tree ecosystem. Lead supervisor: Robert Jackson. Co-supervisor: Karsten Schonrogge (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology), Melanie Gibbs (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology), Richard Harrison (East Malling Research).
• Atmosphere – land surface interactions: the role of mesoscale soil moisture patterns. Lead supervisor: Pier Luigi Vidale. Co-supervisor: Christopher M. Taylor (Centre for Ecology and Hydrology), Marie-Estelle Demory.

Applications close 2nd February 2015.  For more information on projects and how to apply, please contact the lead supervisor of the project you are interested in.

The first annual meeting of the COST Action FP1305 Biolink will take place from 4^th until 7^th November 2014 at the University of Reading, organised by Dr Martin Lukac.  Final programme available here.

One of the aims of the Action is to establish a vibrant community of scientists interested in relating the many forms of belowground biodiversity found in European forests and tree plantations to the function of the whole ecosystem. The Action is organised around the following working Groups:

WG 1 Linking belowground biodiversity to ecosystem function.

WG 2 Microbial and faunal functional biodiversity in belowground food-webs.

WG 3 Belowground biodiversity in plantations and tree crops.

WG 4 Functional diversity in forest models.

The aim of the meeting is to set the Action in motion: to establish a partnerships and collaborations, to identify new avenues of research, to help starting researchers find contacts, identify and target suitable research funding streams and, most of all, discuss an interesting topic with a group of friends! To help us achieve all these goals, we have put together a two-day programme which includes exciting speakers, a brainstorming session, poster session where starting researchers will present their work.

Likely outputs (of the Action):

• A summary of current knowledge of belowground biodiversity in forest ecosystems across a management intensity gradient. The Action will assess the role of soil biodiversity as a determinant of ecosystem stability and publish in scientific publications.
• Integration of new theoretical and technological advances in biodiversity research in the forestecosystem research community. Emerging analytical and modelling approaches will be showcased by inviting leading speakers
• Provision of a focal point for the dissemination of information about forest biodiversity and ecosystem function.
• Collation and exchange of recent findings from experimental and observational studies of belowground biodiversity in perennial tree crops and simplified ecosystems. These will be contrasted to those from forest ecosystems.
• Comparison of experimental and model results from natural forests and tree crops concerning effects on soil biodiversity. Further inclusion of know-how from related modelling research (aquatic food-web modelling, agricultural soil modelling) will boost the development of new forest ecosystem modelling concepts to include soil functional diversity in a more mechanistic way.
• Identification of new cross-disciplinary research areas in a series of review and opinion publications in peer-reviewed journals.

A new paper published in Water Research links the response of peat and plant litter to climate change and the effect this will have on drinking water treatment. The paper highlights the sensitivity of upland peat catchments’ carbon balance both to changes in dominant vegetation and temperature and rainfall patterns. As many upland catchments are used for drinking water provision this has implications for the ability of treatment works to meet drinking water standards.

The research was led by Jonny Ritson (Imperial) as part of a collaboration between the Soil Research Centre (Mike Bell, Dr Joanna Clark, Prof Anne Verhoef) and the Grantham Institute at Imperial College as well as industrial partners South West Water and Welsh Water.

Dr John Hammond’s team will use a variety of approaches to better understand the role plants and microbes living in the rhizosphere play in making phosphorus available for plant growth, and how these roles change during plant development under field and laboratory conditions.  This research is funded under the BBSRC-NERC GFS-SARISA programme.

The microbes in the rhizosphere rely on carbon from the plant for growth. Under laboratory conditions the team will study plants that release different amounts of carbon into the rhizosphere and investigate the effects on the rhizosphere microbial community and the amount of phosphorus available for plant growth.

New opportunities for breeding crops that are more efficient at acquiring phosphorus may be possible, together with potential biotechnological applications for microbes and enzymes.

A Post-Doctoral Research Assistant post associated with this project is available, closing date 7th November 2014.

Martin Lukac will lead a new EU COST Action on “Linking below-ground biodiversity and ecosystem function in European forests (BioLink)”.  

The first meeting will be in Reading from 4th-7th November 21014, and aims to establish a vibrant community of scientists interested in the role of soil biodiversity in ecosystem service provision, particularly in tree dominated systems. PhD students and early stage researchers who wish to establish contacts with experts throughout Europe are welcome to submit a poster abstract. Funding is available to support students.

Please get in touch with Martin if you are interested in attending (m.lukac@reading.ac.uk).

Winner of the BSc Disseration Competition

The winner of the Best BSc Dissertation in Soil Science was Ruth Harris.

Ruth was presented with the award on the 5th of July (Summer Graduation 2013) by Dr Steve Robinson, Head of the Department of Geography and Environmental Science.

The award recognises the exceptional dedication and commitment Ruth has put into her dissertation, entitled: ‘What are the effects of soil stripping with respect to heathland regeneration and what implication does this have for habitat management?’ Ruth has been an outstanding student who has just graduated from Reading with a First Class Degree in Environmental Science.

Congratulations to Ruth Harris and thanks to everyone who participated!

Winner of the MSC Dissertation Competition

The winner of this award will be announced in December.

Sponsored by the British Society of Soil Science

http://www.soils.org.uk/pages/home