Professional summary

Simon obtained a degree in Marine Biology and Oceanography, before continuing on to do a MSc in Enivironmental Chemistry, both at Bangor University. He has worked for UKCEH for nearly 20 years, having vast experience of all things greenhouse gas emission related. He is insterested in understanding the impacts of land-use and climate change on GHG emissions, and learning how different ecosystems respond to these changes.Simon has worked on a range of systems, from peatlands and boreal forests, to Mediteranean maquis and UK arable and grasslands. He manages several eddy covariance flux towers and works with the UKCEH Flux Team to bring this data together to help inform policy. 

Current projects involve invertigating the land use change from arable/grassland to bioenergy biomass crops (Miscanthus and Willow), and crop management practices with regards to fertiliser to help achieve NetZero.

Selected publications

Kattge Jens et al. , (2020), TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access. Global Change Biology, 26, 119-188, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14904

Orwin, Kate H. et al. , (2010), Linkages of plant traits to soil properties and the functioning of temperate grassland. Journal of Ecology, 98, 1074-1083, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2010.01679.x/abstract

Leff Jonathan W. et al. , (2018), Predicting the structure of soil communities from plant community taxonomy, phylogeny, and traits. ISME Journal, 12, 1794-1805, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41396-018-0089-x

Ward, Susan et al. , (2013), Warming effects on greenhouse gas fluxes in peatlands are modulated by vegetation composition. Ecology Letters, 16, 1285-1293, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ele.12167/abstract

De Deyn, Gerlinde B. et al. , (2011), Additional carbon sequestration benefits of grassland diversity restoration. Journal of Applied Ecology, 48, 600-608, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01925.x/abstract

Evans C.D. et al. , (2021), Overriding water table control on managed peatland greenhouse gas emissions. Nature, 593, 548-552, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03523-1

De Deyn, Gerlinde B. et al. , (2009), Vegetation composition promotes carbon and nitrogen storage in model grassland communities of contrasting soil fertility . Journal of Ecology, 97, 864-875, http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122543443/abstract

Semchenko Marina et al. , (2018), Fungal diversity regulates plant-soil feedbacks in temperate grassland. Science Advances, 4, http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau4578

Fornara, D.A et al. , (2011), Increases in soil organic carbon sequestration can reduce the global warming potential of long-term liming to permanent grassla. Global Change Biology, 17, 1925-1934, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02328.x/abstract

Burns R. et al. , (2018), Direct isotopic evidence of biogenic methane production and efflux from beneath a temperate glacier. Scientific Reports, 8, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35253-2