Award details

Biological and chemical processes in a structured soil environment

Reference	BBS/E/C/00004691
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Andrew Whitmore
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr Chris Watts
Institution	Rothamsted Research
Department	Rothamsted Research Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	552,833
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/2005
End date	31/03/2008
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Agriculture and environmental concerns are becoming more and more closely linked. On a large scale this means addressing public concerns and adhering to environmental norms. On a small scale it means integrating the complex mix of chemistry, physics and biology that make up the local conditions in which a plant grows. The key to meeting the problems found at the larger scale is addressing the issues raised at the smaller scale and in particular unravelling the complex relationships on which these issues rest. This project will test and quantify the hypothesis that biological processes in soil such as mineralization of nitrogen and sequestration of carbon depend on the physical structure of the soil and the physico-chemical interactions between particles in addition to the activity of micro-organisms. It will draw upon much of the existing work at Rothamsted and IGER with a view to improving current computer simulation models but it will also feed information back to provide a better understanding how biological processes modify the physical structure of soils. One aspect of current climate change is sea level rise. We will monitor changes in soil strength and stability of a managed realignment site following inundation by the sea following the changes from arable agriculture to saltmarsh.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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