Soil & Food Security

Soil & Food Security theme looks in detail at soil processes within the root zone supporting food and fibre provision. We examine wider benefits/dis-benefits of intensive agriculture, agri-environment schemes and agro-forestry on climate regulation, water quality, pollination and biodiversity.

ACADEMIC STAFF

RESEARCH STAFF

RESEARCH STUDENTS

Ali Sabeeh Abdulameer
Maria Ashby
Naser Almarri
Jake Bishop
Dimitrios Bormpoudakis
Frances Cheesman
Charalambos (Pambos) Christodoulou
Christina Clarke
James Cotterill
Oliver Crowley
Grace Davies
Erika Degani
Sarah Duddigan
Richard Gantlett
Chloe Hardman
Sam Leigh
Stephen Lowe
Rachel MacDonald
Megan McKerchar
Amudat Olatunde
Jessica Princivalle
Nasren Rekany
Harriet Robson
Leanne Roche
Louise Sutherland
Koki Takaki
Paul Tyson
Alexa Varah
Sean Webber
Jennifer Wickens
Victoria Wickens
Yoshie Yageta
Mark Zhang

Current PhD Projects

The impact and attenuation of flavonoids in the rhizosphere (Ali Sabeeh Abdulameer)
Enhancing the benefits to biodiversity and ecosystem service delivery from uncropped areas in farms (Maria Ashby)
Seed physiology of rangeland species and implications for genetic resources conservation (Naser Almarri)
Yield stability and climate change: the role of pollinators (Jake Bishop)
The coherence and ecological sufficiency of European protected area networks (joint with University of Kent) (Dimitrios Bormpoudakis)
The microbiology of lean and obese soil (Frances Cheesman)
Adequacy and effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network in Cyprus (Charalambos (Pambos) Christodoulou)
Deep rooting in a doubled haploid wheat population with introgression from wild emmer (Christina Clarke)
The efficacy of using bio-chars as additives in the composting process (James Cotterill)
Responding to environmental change: soil system resilience (Oliver Crowley)
Matrix permeability; the key to effective habitat restoration in lowland agricultural landscapes (Grace Davies)
Novel crop rotations to enhance multiple ecosystem services underpinning production of winter wheat and oilseed rape (Erika Degani)
The fate of carbon from soil amendments in horticultural systems (Sarah Duddigan)
High biomass rotation: Evaluating it's impact on soil health, weed burden and crop quality Richard Gantlett
The effectiveness of agri-environmental management for biodiversity and ecosystem services in the wider countryside (Chloe Hardman)
Harnessing multiple benefits from novel crop rotations: increased yield, pest regulation, soil fertility and environmental quality (Sam Leigh)
Developing a sustainable method for the determination of bioaccessibility of organic contaminants from polluted sites (Stephen Lowe)
Enhancement of natural pest control in orchards (Rachel MacDonald)
Enhancing pollination and pest regulation services by supplementing floral resources (joint with University of Worcester) (Megan McKerchar)
Soil Characterization using Visible Near Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (VNIR DRS) (Amudat Olatunde)
How important is soil microbial diversity for pesticide biodegradation function and robust biodegradation kinetics? (Jessica Princivalle)
Do competitive plant x plant interactions impact rhizosphere microbial community structure and function? (Harriet Robson)
Spatial Distribution and Function of Soil Fauna in Organic Agroforestry (Nasren Rekany)
Fate and transport of fertiliser nitrogen under spring barley cultivation on contrasting soils (Leanne Roche)
Developing novel Systematic Conservation Planning tools (joint with Open University of Cyprus) (Louise Sutherland)
Assessment of human exposure to a range of pollutants through computer modelling (Koki Takaki)
Ecosystem services in sustainable agriculture: maximising productivity and environmental benefits (Paul Tyson)
Can agroforestry reconcile conflicting demands for productivity, biodiversity conservation and delivery of ecosystem services? (Alexa Varah)
Managing Ecosystem Services to Promote Economic Benefits and Food Security (Sean Webber)
Understanding and managing the flow of pollination services between protected areas and agroecosystems (Jennifer Wickens)
Understanding and managing the flow of pest regulation services between protected areas and agroecosystems (Victoria Wickens)
Difference in soil knowledge among farmers and effects on soil management, case study in Kitui, Kenya (Yoshie Yageta)
Valuing biological pest control services (Mark Zhang)

Current Research Projects

Urban agri-food business incubator network (Dr Alison Bailey)
FARMCAT: Improving the success of agri-environment initiatives: the role of farmer learning and landscape context (Dr Simon Mortimer)
SOILSERVICE: Conflicting demands of land use, soil biodiversity and the sustainable delivery of ecosystem goods and services in Europe (Dr Simon Mortimer)
Western Balkans Rural Extension Network through Curriculum Reform. TEMPUS project (Dr Simon Mortimer)
STEP: Status and Trends of European Pollinators (EU Framework 7) (Professor Simon Potts)
SCALES: Securing the Conservation of biodiversity across Administrative Levels and spatial, temporal, and Ecological Scales (EU Framework 7) (Professor Simon Potts)
LIBERATION: Linking Farmland Biodiversity to Ecosystem Services for Effective Ecological Intensification (EU Framework 7) (Professor Simon Potts)
Crops: Sustainable pollination services for UK crops (LWEC Insect Pollinator Initiative) (Professor Simon Potts)
AgriLand: Linking agriculture and land use change to pollinator populations (LWEC Insect Pollinator Initiative) (Professor Simon Potts)
National Pollinator and Pollination Monitoring Scheme (Defra) (Professor Simon Potts)
Assessing and mitigating pollination deficit risk in supermarket supply chains (BBSRC Sparking Impact) (Professor Simon Potts)
Impact Accelerator KE Fellow (NERC, Deepa Senapathi) (Professor Simon Potts)
Pollinator Conservation Delivery Group (NERC, Knowledge Exchange Programme project) (Professor Simon Potts)
Sustainable Agriculture Task Force (NERC, Knowledge Exchange Programme project) (Professor Simon Potts)
Urban Pollinators: their ecology and conservation (LWEC Insect Pollinator Initiative) (Professor Simon Potts)
Understanding the economic costs and benefits of beekeeping and pollination service delivery (C.B. Dennis Trust) (Professor Simon Potts)
Landscape food webs: structure and function (NERC) (Professor Simon Potts)