Professional summary

Dr Nicholas Cowan is senior researcher with 10 years of post-doctorate research experience, having completed a PhD with the University of Edinburgh and UKCEH Edinburgh (2014) followed by a three year skills development program provided through the UKCEH Research Associates Programme (2014 – 2017). Dr Cowan has a strong track record in the field of greenhouse (GHG) measurements and agricultural pollution, with particular distinction in the field of gas flux measurement methodology, including the application of the eddy covariance method and the advancement of environmental data analysis. Dr Cowan’s main focus of research is studying GHGs, and nitrogen pollution released from agricultural systems as a consequence of management practices. This research has concentrated on measurements of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) as well as emissions of ammonia (NH3) and the leaching of nitrates (NO3) into ground waters. His work aims to identify and quantify potential sources of pollution from agricultural practices with an eventual objective of developing feasible mitigation strategies to reduce nitrogen pollution at a regional scale.

Dr Cowan has extensive expertise in field measurements and data analysis. He is an expert in the use of infra-red spectroscopy instrumentation, micrometeorology, gas chromatography, GHG emissions, nitrogen pollution, heavy metal analysis and the chemical analysis of nutrients in soils and water samples. Current research includes working on nutrient efficient agriculture, GHG accounting, plastic degradation, heat recovery experimentation from compost, the development of efficient controlled-environment agriculture and the study of potential efficiency saving interactions between industrial scale food production systems.

Selected publications

Cowan Nicholas et al. , (2022), Review of methods for assessing deposition of reactive nitrogen pollutants across complex terrain with focus on the UK. Environmental Science: Atmospheres, 2, 829-851, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2EA00012A

Cowan Nicholas et al. , (2022), CEA systems: the means to achieve future food security and environmental sustainability?. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.891256

Cowan Nicholas et al. , (2021), Experimental comparison of continuous and intermittent flooding of rice in relation to methane, nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions and the implications for nitrogen use efficiency and yield. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 319, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107571

Cowan Nicholas et al. , (2020), Agricultural soils: a sink or source of methane across the British Isles?. European Journal of Soil Science, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ejss.13075

Cowan Nicholas et al. , (2020), Nitrous oxide emission factors of mineral fertilisers in the UK and Ireland: a Bayesian analysis of 20 years of experimental data. Environment International, 135, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.105366

Cowan N. et al. , (2019), Application of Bayesian statistics to estimate nitrous oxide emission factors of three nitrogen fertilisers on UK grasslands. Environment International, 128, 362-370, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2019.04.054

Cowan Nicholas et al. , (2019), Nitrogen use efficiency and N2O and NH3 losses attributed to three fertiliser types applied to an intensively managed silage crop. Biogeosciences, 16, 4731-4745, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4731-2019

Cowan N.J. et al. , (2015), Spatial variability and hotspots of soil N2O fluxes from intensively grazed grassland. 12, 1585-1596, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1585-2015

Cowan N.J. et al. , (2014), Investigating uptake of N2O in agricultural soils using a high-precision dynamic chamber method. 7, 4455-4462, http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-4455-2014

Cowan N .J . et al. , (2014), An improved method for measuring soil N2O fluxes using a quantum cascade laser with a dynamic chamber. 65, 643-652, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ejss.12168/abstract