Ecology Global Change lab home page

Plant ecology, climate change, pollution, Arctic ecosystems, carbon and nutrient cycling, climate feedbacks, biodiversity

Plants Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, U.K.

Here in the Phoenix lab we study the interactions between plants and the environment, particularly in Arctic, northern boreal and upland (mainly grassland) ecosystems.

Our research includes the impacts of climate change (warming, extreme events, snow regime change, precipitation), UV-B radiation and pollution on ecosystem structure and function.  We study the impacts on biodiversity, on cycling of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, and the consequences for feedback to climate (ecosystem carbon balance). We also aim to understand how responses observed at the vegetation/ecosystem level are driven by individual plant, root and leaf responses.

Other interests include using our approaches in more applied fields such as improving plant-soil systems in green roofs, and understanding nutrient acquisition for sustainable agriculture.