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Soils Community of Research

Join the research community

This community of research was established following the Soils Knowledge Exchange event on 1st December 2025. The group preference is to meet twice a year, online and in-person.

This group draws together experts in:

  • Soil Science, Ecology & Biology
  • Agriculture, Land Management & Regenerative Practices
  • Climate, Carbon & Environmental Change
  • Forestry, Agroforestry & Tree–Soil Interactions
  • Pollution, Waste & Soil Health Impacts
  • Policy, Evidence & National Programmes
  • Education, Outreach & Knowledge Exchange

Activities:

DateName/OrganisationPresentation Topic
04/02/2026Laura Hughes-DowdleRestoring Wales’s Bogs: Hydro-physical signs of recovery

Soil Knowledge Exchange Workshop (online) | 01/12/25 13:00 – 17:00 – epwales.org.uk

NameOrganisationPresentation Topic
Maud van SoestUKCEHSimulation of climate and land use change on soil densification and hydraulic function mediated by soil organic matter.
Bridget EmmettUKCEHSoil Health in Wales: National Trends and the Impact of Glastir
Karina MarsdenBangor UniversityUtilising a 15N2O isotope pool dilution approach to quantify gross production and consumption of N2O in UK saltmarsh sediments
Duncan PirrieUSWConflict Soils
Christina MarleyAberystwyth UniversitySoils in Grassland Agriculture
Martin BallardWates/ SocEnvSoils and Stones Project
Jinhua YinBangor UniversityLegacy effects of extreme heat reduces soil microbial carbon use efficiency

Areas of Interest

1. Knowledge Sharing & Best Practice

  • Sharing knowledge, advice, and best practice — especially around soils and climate change.
  • Exchanging expertise across disciplines and institutions.
  • Interest in language translation for better communication and understanding.

2. Collaboration & Community Building

  • Building collaborations between institutions and research groups.
  • Creating connections across the soil, ecology, climate, and land-use sectors.
  • Opportunities for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) to present work in a supportive, small-group setting.

3. Research Updates & Horizon Scanning

  • Keeping up with others’ research and sharing personal research updates.
  • Staying informed about current outputs, ongoing studies, and emerging findings.
  • Learning about events, activities, and opportunities to join wider initiatives.
  • Horizon scanning and identifying future research directions or shared questions.

4. Soil Conservation & Environmental Context

  • Understanding the role of soil conservation in nature recovery and climate mitigation.
  • Interest in soils’ contributions to biodiversity, flooding mitigation, and carbon capture.
  • Bringing in perspectives from monitoring networks (e.g., COSMOS-UK) and widening awareness of soil-focused work.

5. Other / Practical Interests

  • Landscape conservation, farmer clusters, and targeted soil conservation areas.
  • Access to sites, typology of field sites, and practical knowledge relevant to soil research.

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