Award details

Long-term measurement of biological populations & chemical & biological processes in the water, soil, vegetation & atmosphere

Reference	BBS/E/C/00031474
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Keith Goulding
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Rothamsted Research
Department	Rothamsted Research Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	255,256
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/1999
Duration	24 months

Abstract

The Environmental Change Network was established in 1992. Coordinated by the NERC at the ITE's Merlewood Research Station, it brings together a number of organizations and their experimental sites to measure the weather and many aspects of soil chemisrty, biology and the local flora and fauna to well defined protocols. The aim is to relate these measurements to global change and so to understand the processes that drive change. To date (1998) 11 terrestrial and 42 freshwater sites have been established throughout the UK. The ECN produces an annual Data Digest (report). At Rothamsted the project is divided into two parts: measurement of air, soil and water chemistry is the responsibility of the Soil Science Department (03) and biological monitoring is carried out by the Entomology & Nematology Department (04). Research is focused on the Classical Experiments, especially Park Grass where a new plot (21) has been established and suction cups inserted to measure soil solution, and on the River Ver which flows through the farm. Paul Hargreaves, the ECN Site Manager for air, soil and water chemistry, has been developing protocols for the Network for air chemistry and soil microbial biomass measurements. All biological studies are carried out by John Bater, and currently consist of 12 protocols monitoring invertebrate and vertebrate populations as well as a complete vegetation survey. Biological surveys take place on other areas of the Rothamsted estate in addition to the target sampling site (TSS) Park Grass. All Lepidoptera identification and some carabid beetle identification for other ECN sites is carried out at Rothamsted.

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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