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I joined the department in 2018 for my undergraduate degree and finished my MEnvSci in Environmental Science in 2023. I rejoined the department the same year to start my PhD. I have a wide range of interests in environmental science and ecology, including soil science and ecotoxicology, ecosystem and community ecology, and biogeography.

Quantifying bioturbation rates of different earthworm functional groups using novel methods

Earthworms are important soil engineers that provide a multitude of ecosystem services. With the push towards more sustainable agricultural practices, farmers need to be informed on the extent of how much they can rely on the services provided by earthworms. The majority of these ecosystem services are dependent on the burrowing behaviour of earthworms, aka bioturbation.

It is important to quantify the bioturbation rates of different earthworm functional groups over long periods of time, both in laboratory and field environments, to form a complete picture of earthworm behaviour and estimate the effect earthworms have on terrestrial systems. With my research, I aim to quantify the bioturbation rates of different earthworm functional groups over long periods of time using novel methods in terrestrial bioturbation research, both in the laboratory and in the field. I am observing single-species and mixed-species communities in both mesocosms in the laboratory (2D and 3D) and in the field, and will be using fluorescent tracer particles and luminescence dating to quantify bioturbation rates over time. In addition, I plan on looking at earthworm digestion and gut biology, and how it effects bioturbation rates and methods of quantifying bioturbation.

Supervisors: Prof Edward Rhodes, Prof Mark Hodson, Dr Manoj Menon