Tom Parker
NERC quota PhD Research Student
Plant-soil interactions in a greening arctic
Supervisors: Professor Phil Wookey (University of Sheffield), Dr Jens-Arne Subke (University of Stirling)
Start date: 1 October 2011
MRes Ecology and Environmental Management, University of York (2011)
BSc (Hons) Biology, University of Sheffield (2010)
I am interested in the rapidly changing face of the arctic and subarctic. As northern biomes warm, trees and shrubs are expanding up mountains and northwards. I am investigating what this means for the large stocks of carbon in northern tundra heaths and to what extent they will release carbon as a result of vegetation change.
My project focuses on the ecological mechanisms by which the expansion shrubs and trees at forest- heath ecotone results in net loss of carbon from the ecosystem and into the atmosphere. I work in Swedish Lapland at Abisko Scientific Research Station where the sharp transitions between forest and heath represent a perfect study system to compare different plant-soil interactions. Using experimental manipulation and space for time methods along vegetation transitions, I am testing three broad key hypotheses:
- Ectomycorrhizal association in forests enhances decomposition and ‘burns’ old soil organic matter
- Snow accumulation in forests insulates soil microbes from air temperatures which increases winter respiration of soil carbon
- Birch litter decomposes quickly and stimulates the decomposition of other litter types.
Email: TCParker1@sheffield.ac.uk