Sustainable soils

This team carries out research into processes in the 'critical zone', which we rely upon to grow food, maintain ecosystems, filter water and store carbon in the biosphere. We examine and monitor soils at microscopic, catchment and national scales to better understand these properties and processes that are important to the natural environment and to society.


Our current research

Parent material model Soil parent material model

To provide a high-resolution map of soil parent materials for the UK and associated property data for understanding soil functions.


Talla digital terrain model Evolution of upland landscapes — Talla Earth observatory

Our aim in this project is to understand processes of environmental change in an upland soil-geoscape developed on resistant metasedimentary rocks.


Field in Shelford SENSOR NET: a network of semi-wireless sensors for studying soil moisture

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of scale on soil moisture.


Carbon and peat dynamics Carbon

Accurately assessing stocks of carbon in the soil is important because in many areas the soil is expected to emit carbon into the atmosphere as temperatures rise and microbial activity increases.


Soil aggregate stability Soil aggregate stability

A novel test for measuring soil aggregate stability.


Contact Dr Barry Rawlins for more information.