Research overview
I currently oversee the research activities of 22 staff and students, including 3 postdoctoral researchers, 6 PhD students, and 4 MSc students, and have received over £700,000 in research funding. My research focusses on sustainable agriculture (e.g. soil ecology, crop health and nutrition and land management), environmental pollution and remediation (e.g. quantifying pollution from warfare or heavy industry, and developing remediation techniques), environmental conservation and management (e.g. understanding the benefits of green spaces, and how to manage these sustainably) and soil forensics (e.g. effects of environmental/soil conditions on cadaver decomposition, and limitations of post-mortem interval research to support forensic investigations). I am actively looking for PhD and MSc students to join my group to further research in these areas.
Current research
Some of my ongoing research projects are summarised below:
The environmental legacy of war
Although pollution from anthropogenic sources such as heavy industry is well documented, pollution due to warfare is an under-researched topic. Military activity can result in soil pollution to the local environment via the addition of pollutants from ammunition, munitions, explosives, vehicle parts, building military infrastructure, etc. Working alongside colleagues at Princeton University and the National Academy of the Sciences of Ukraine, I am assessing environmental pollution from warfare in past conflicts (e.g. WWI) up to active conflict (e.g. Ukraine). I am particularly interested in the damage to soil quality (e.g. organic matter, nutrients and microorganisms) and to crop yield, health and nutritional quality, and whether concentrations of pollutants are above safe levels for the local ecology and/or human health. I am also developing sustainable and cost-effective remediation solutions to render previously polluted sites as safe.
Urban green spaces as health, wellbeing and biodiversity resources
Urban green spaces are becomingly an increasingly crucial resource as double the number of people are expected to inhabit the world’s towns and cities compared by 2050 compared to 2010. In England, already 80% of the population live in urban areas. I am mapping urban green spaces in cities across the UK to understand proportion of green space, habitat connectivity or fragmentation. I am recording the (often very diverse) ecology of green spaces, from microorganisms to mammals. Finally, I am examining the ability of these habitats to offer pollution-control opportunities, improved physical health (e.g. reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, improved pregnancy outcomes and reduced obesity and diabetes), mitigation of extreme events (e.g. flooding and heat waves) and improved mental wellbeing (e.g. cognitive functioning, reduced mental fatigue, increased social interactions and reduced stress).
Ecosystem services of road verges
There are approximately 250,000 miles of roads in the UK, mostly bordered with road verges. In fact, the total area of road verges in the UK is roughly the size of Dorset. However, these habitats are under-appreciated. This project was funded via the European Union in collaboration with 13 partners across the EU to examine road verges in the UK, Belgium, Netherlands and France. I am examining the potential for roadside vegetation to be used as a renewable, biologically-derived material. The project is investigating the potential for roadside vegetation to produce a bioenergy source, create building materials and 3D printed products, manufacture a biofertilizer or bioherbicide, or be used as an industrial-scale insect feed. As part of this project, I am investigating the potential heavy metal and microplastic contamination of road verge vegetation that might limit the use of this material. I am also examining the ecosystem services that road verges provide, including providing aesthetic value, a habitat for wildlife and climate regulation.
