How did the evolution of plants, microbial symbionts and terrestrial nutrient cycles change Earth's long-term climate?
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: School of Earth and Environment
Abstract
The Phanerozoic Eon (the last 540 million years) encompasses the evolutionary history of land plants from the initial colonization of the land through to forests and flowering plants. Earth's climate has undergone major changes over this timeframe, but it remains uncertain whether these changes were primarily driven by revolutions in the terrestrial biosphere, or by tectonic factors such as volcanic degassing of CO2. Resolution of this question lies at the heart of our understanding of how our planet operates, but the ability to answer it has been hampered by a lack of representation of the terrestrial biosphere in our biogeochemical computer models. These 'deep-time' models need to be simple in order to compute very long timescales, and this limits the ability to include spatial features such as locations of rainfall, which are vital to terrestrial modelling. A perhaps more fundamental problem is the lack of understanding of the way that plant evolution has altered global chemical cycling through changes to carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus ratios in tissue, and what the contribution of fungal and microbial symbionts were to supplying key limiting nutrients.
This project brings together expertise in computer science, geochemistry, ecology and plant-symbiont physiology to build a new deep-time spatial Earth system model, informed by a targeted suite of plant growth experiments and a robust literature review.
Firstly, we will run laboratory experiments with early diverging plants and symbiotic nitrogen-fixing trees, with and without partnership with fungal and/or nitrogen-fixing symbionts in microcosms with controlled atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Introduction of isotopically-labeled carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus will allow us to capture the carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus stoichiometric ratios and nutrient acquisition pathways for diverse plant-symbiont partnerships across the plant phylogeny, filling significant gaps in current knowledge of these processes. These experiments will allow us to understand:
a. Plant-symbiont carbon-nutrient "costs" and "benefits" in terms of plant-fixed carbon and symbiont-acquired nutrient gains
b. How ecological stoichiometry and nutrient acquisition pathways vary across the land plant phylogeny
c. Relationships between species, symbiont and mineral weathering rates
Second, we will develop our new Earth system model. Here we will build on the framework of the 'COPSE' model (Carbon Oxygen Phosphorus Sulphur Evolution), which is arguably the most complete predictive 'deep time' box model in the literature, and which PI Mills has had a key role in developing over the last decade. A prototype fast spatial land surface module has been developed utilizing matrices in MATLAB and in this project we will couple the spatial land surface module to COPSE. This will allow us to build a dynamical representation of the evolving terrestrial biosphere, based both on our laboratory experiments and on literature vegetation models. This model will map the flows of phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon through the terrestrial system over geological timescales. Comparison of model outputs with multiple independent geochemical proxies will allow us to explore (1) how plant evolution and the development of symbiotic partnerships feeds back on Earth's climate; (2) the key evolutionary events that occurred through time and whether they can explain prominent CO2 drawdown events, such as during the Ordovician and Cenozoic; and, (3) the relative roles of the terrestrial biosphere vs. tectonics in controlling Earth's climatic history.
Beyond the immediate results, the hybrid model we create will bridge the gap between box modelling of global geochemistry and true paleoclimate general circulation modelling, providing a useful tool for the community to further extend and employ.
This project brings together expertise in computer science, geochemistry, ecology and plant-symbiont physiology to build a new deep-time spatial Earth system model, informed by a targeted suite of plant growth experiments and a robust literature review.
Firstly, we will run laboratory experiments with early diverging plants and symbiotic nitrogen-fixing trees, with and without partnership with fungal and/or nitrogen-fixing symbionts in microcosms with controlled atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Introduction of isotopically-labeled carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus will allow us to capture the carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus stoichiometric ratios and nutrient acquisition pathways for diverse plant-symbiont partnerships across the plant phylogeny, filling significant gaps in current knowledge of these processes. These experiments will allow us to understand:
a. Plant-symbiont carbon-nutrient "costs" and "benefits" in terms of plant-fixed carbon and symbiont-acquired nutrient gains
b. How ecological stoichiometry and nutrient acquisition pathways vary across the land plant phylogeny
c. Relationships between species, symbiont and mineral weathering rates
Second, we will develop our new Earth system model. Here we will build on the framework of the 'COPSE' model (Carbon Oxygen Phosphorus Sulphur Evolution), which is arguably the most complete predictive 'deep time' box model in the literature, and which PI Mills has had a key role in developing over the last decade. A prototype fast spatial land surface module has been developed utilizing matrices in MATLAB and in this project we will couple the spatial land surface module to COPSE. This will allow us to build a dynamical representation of the evolving terrestrial biosphere, based both on our laboratory experiments and on literature vegetation models. This model will map the flows of phosphorus, nitrogen and carbon through the terrestrial system over geological timescales. Comparison of model outputs with multiple independent geochemical proxies will allow us to explore (1) how plant evolution and the development of symbiotic partnerships feeds back on Earth's climate; (2) the key evolutionary events that occurred through time and whether they can explain prominent CO2 drawdown events, such as during the Ordovician and Cenozoic; and, (3) the relative roles of the terrestrial biosphere vs. tectonics in controlling Earth's climatic history.
Beyond the immediate results, the hybrid model we create will bridge the gap between box modelling of global geochemistry and true paleoclimate general circulation modelling, providing a useful tool for the community to further extend and employ.
Planned Impact
Our research proposal addresses fundamental knowledge gaps regarding the influence of the evolution of the terrestrial biosphere on Earth's global climate. Using a combination of field work, laboratory experiments and a new type of computer model, our project will test the hypothesis that the evolving terrestrial biosphere and, specifically, its effects on phosphorus and nitrogen cycling was a major contributor to climate change over the Phanerozoic.
Our adventurous research aims align directly with NERC's strategic goals in advancing knowledge and predictive capabilities of how our planet works, appealing to and benefitting not only researchers and the wider scientific community, but also policy makers, lobby groups and the wider public. We will engage with these broad audiences to maximize the impact of our research through the following activities:
Climate policy workshop
We will deliver the first spatially-resolved long-term geochemical model, informed by key plant, symbiont and soil processes that regulate Earth's global climate with important potential impacts in developing effective climate policies at local and national governmental scales. Earth's response to future CO2-driven warming can be assessed by partnership between researchers in future climate change and those in paleoclimate modelling, and in turn, paleoclimate models can be validated by predicting changes in global geochemistry. We will hold a workshop in the final year of the project to facilitate such interactions and to foster new ones with key climate change and Earth system/geochemistry research groups (e.g. UK National Centre for Atmospheric Science, USA Princeton/NOAA-GFDL modelling community) and key stakeholders in climate change-related policy (e.g. the All-Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group, The Climate Coalition and Committee on Climate Change). We will provide critical information to these groups and define/facilitate the assimilation of our research outputs into local and national level public policy.
Eden Project engagement workshops
Building on our existing links with the Eden Project's science team, we we will develop a series of talks, demonstrations and interactive activities to communicate our research to the public each year of the project. These will involve a combination of real-time interactive experiments examining the symbiotic microbes and fungi at Eden, public talks, demonstrations showing how mycorrhizas and N-fixers work and guided walks around the Rock Garden ("the biology of geology") to discuss the role of "invisible" communities in the 'greening of the Earth'. This will be augmented by our project website, including visually-stimulating 'Evolving Earths'- moving maps form our computer model showing plant and climate evolution over time. Our target audience are members of the general public of all ages who are minded to visit the global gardens of the Eden Project who are likely to have an appreciation of the wider environment: we would seek to enhance this through our event.
Dedicated project website
Our fundamental science results and visually-arresting Evolving Earth reconstructions generated from them will foster educational engagement in Earth system science, evolution, plant-symbiont relationships and biosphere-climate interactions. Our project website will allow users to understand the complex interplays between plants, symbionts and global climate and will form an excellent tool to illustrate the importance of our research to broad audiences. It will also provide educational resources to teachers and school-age students in natural sciences. We will ensure curriculum-relevant content is signposted and highlighted to A-level/GCSE teachers and undergraduate lecturers by working with the Faculty of Biological Sciences and Faculty of Environment outreach teams who already engage with local schools/colleges, in addition to highlighting it through outreach events described above.
Our adventurous research aims align directly with NERC's strategic goals in advancing knowledge and predictive capabilities of how our planet works, appealing to and benefitting not only researchers and the wider scientific community, but also policy makers, lobby groups and the wider public. We will engage with these broad audiences to maximize the impact of our research through the following activities:
Climate policy workshop
We will deliver the first spatially-resolved long-term geochemical model, informed by key plant, symbiont and soil processes that regulate Earth's global climate with important potential impacts in developing effective climate policies at local and national governmental scales. Earth's response to future CO2-driven warming can be assessed by partnership between researchers in future climate change and those in paleoclimate modelling, and in turn, paleoclimate models can be validated by predicting changes in global geochemistry. We will hold a workshop in the final year of the project to facilitate such interactions and to foster new ones with key climate change and Earth system/geochemistry research groups (e.g. UK National Centre for Atmospheric Science, USA Princeton/NOAA-GFDL modelling community) and key stakeholders in climate change-related policy (e.g. the All-Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group, The Climate Coalition and Committee on Climate Change). We will provide critical information to these groups and define/facilitate the assimilation of our research outputs into local and national level public policy.
Eden Project engagement workshops
Building on our existing links with the Eden Project's science team, we we will develop a series of talks, demonstrations and interactive activities to communicate our research to the public each year of the project. These will involve a combination of real-time interactive experiments examining the symbiotic microbes and fungi at Eden, public talks, demonstrations showing how mycorrhizas and N-fixers work and guided walks around the Rock Garden ("the biology of geology") to discuss the role of "invisible" communities in the 'greening of the Earth'. This will be augmented by our project website, including visually-stimulating 'Evolving Earths'- moving maps form our computer model showing plant and climate evolution over time. Our target audience are members of the general public of all ages who are minded to visit the global gardens of the Eden Project who are likely to have an appreciation of the wider environment: we would seek to enhance this through our event.
Dedicated project website
Our fundamental science results and visually-arresting Evolving Earth reconstructions generated from them will foster educational engagement in Earth system science, evolution, plant-symbiont relationships and biosphere-climate interactions. Our project website will allow users to understand the complex interplays between plants, symbionts and global climate and will form an excellent tool to illustrate the importance of our research to broad audiences. It will also provide educational resources to teachers and school-age students in natural sciences. We will ensure curriculum-relevant content is signposted and highlighted to A-level/GCSE teachers and undergraduate lecturers by working with the Faculty of Biological Sciences and Faculty of Environment outreach teams who already engage with local schools/colleges, in addition to highlighting it through outreach events described above.
Publications
Alcott LJ
(2019)
Stepwise Earth oxygenation is an inherent property of global biogeochemical cycling.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Barker W
(2022)
Widespread herbivory cost in tropical nitrogen-fixing tree species.
in Nature
Belcher CM
(2021)
The rise of angiosperms strengthened fire feedbacks and improved the regulation of atmospheric oxygen.
in Nature communications
Biro A
(2024)
Nitrogen and phosphorus availability alters tree-grass competition intensity in savannas
in Journal of Ecology
Capriolo M
(2022)
Anthropogenic-scale CO2 degassing from the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province as a driver of the end-Triassic mass extinction
in Global and Planetary Change
Chen B
(2021)
Devonian paleoclimate and its drivers: A reassessment based on a new conodont d18O record from South China
in Earth-Science Reviews
Chen B
(2022)
A short-lived oxidation event during the early Ediacaran and delayed oxygenation of the Proterozoic ocean
in Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Cleveland C
(2022)
Exploring the Role of Cryptic Nitrogen Fixers in Terrestrial Ecosystems: A Frontier in Nitrogen Cycling Research
in Ecosystems
Cusack D
(2021)
Tradeoffs and Synergies in Tropical Forest Root Traits and Dynamics for Nutrient and Water Acquisition: Field and Modeling Advances
in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Dal Corso J
(2020)
Permo-Triassic boundary carbon and mercury cycling linked to terrestrial ecosystem collapse.
in Nature communications
Description | 2019: Although this award is focused on the terrestrail cycling of key limiting nutrients, it has necesserily involved building a new model of the marine nutrient cycles, which has revealed that these cycles are prone to instability and state-shifts which may explain the 'stepwise' nature of Earth's rise in oxygen levels. 2020: Through trials of the 2D land surface scheme we have learned that the uplift of mountain belts has a much more complex relaitonship with climate than previously thought, which could solve some issues with interpreting the geological record. 2021: Working on this project has led to an improved understanding of Earth's surface temperature changes over the last 540 million years. A new long term temprature record has been constructed which is the most detailed yet, and puts current human-induced warming in context. The 2D land surface climate model has been completed and published. The model predictions for how Earth's CO2 and O2 levels have changed over geological time are the closest yet to the geological data. From thsi we can interrogate the causes of warming and cooling episodes, which appear to be related to both mountain building and the volcanic degassing of CO2. 2022: We have now begun building and testing the deep-time vegetation model that is the main focus of this grant (Delayed due to covid). Preliminary results show that some temperature changes in Earth's history can be explained by vegetaiton dynamics. For example, when the continents wer eomcbined as Pangea, plant growth was restricted as there was greater aridity, so less global prodyctivity meant higher CO2 and a warmer planet. The climate-chemical model we have built has also been used to address other important questions, such as the drivers of climate change over the last 15 Myrs. |
Exploitation Route | Application to planetary sciences and the search for habitable exoplanets - e.g. how does a planet become oxygen rich and do you need a complex terrestrial biosphere to do this? What are the controls on a planets surface temperature? Application to mineral-weathering-related carbon removal techniques for the next century, confirmation that silicate weathering has a close relaitonship with climate in the geological record. Application to undertanding mass extinction and warming events in Earth's past |
Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Education Energy Environment Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
URL | https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=RvdZowkAAAAJ |
Description | We have published a number of press releases on work from this grant, which have featured in UK national newspapers and popular science publicaitons like New Scientist. The greatest impact was the publication of media articles based on our work (Alcott et al., 2019; Science) on nutrient cycling and oxygenation of the Earth. This has captured the imagination of the public as we find that the oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere may actually have been relatively easy, and might therefore be possible elsewhere in the galaxy. As a result of work carried out on this grant, the investigators have provided advisory work, including on screen appearence to documentary series from the BBC, LoudMinds and Silverback Films. |
Sector | Education,Environment |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
Description | (NEOEARTH) - Whole Earth Systems During Neoproterozoic Animal Evolution |
Amount | € 224,934 (EUR) |
Funding ID | 893615 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start | 03/2021 |
End | 03/2023 |
Description | Consolidator Grant. "MYCOREV - A Mycorrhizal Revolution: the role of diverse symbiotic fungi in modern terrestrial ecosystems" |
Amount | € 2,059,000 (EUR) |
Funding ID | 865225 |
Organisation | European Research Council (ERC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 05/2020 |
End | 06/2025 |
Description | ERC Consolidator Grant: SIM-EARTH |
Amount | € 1,996,714 (EUR) |
Organisation | European Commission |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start | 12/2023 |
End | 11/2028 |
Description | Grant to Arielle Biro from Millbrook Garden Club |
Amount | $5,000 (USD) |
Organisation | Millbrook Garden Club |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | Canada |
Start | 11/2020 |
Title | Fungal symbiont diversity drives growth of Holcus lanatus depending on soil nutrient availability |
Description | Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi frequently colonise plant roots and can affect plant morphology and physiology through their contribution to plant nutrition. However, the functional role of AM fungi in the presence of other microbial symbionts, including widespread Mucoromycotina 'fine root endophytes' (MFRE) fungi, remains largely unknown. While both AM fungi and MFRE transfer nutrients, including nitrogen, from inorganic and organic sources to host plants, their combined effects on co-colonised plants have only been investigated in liverworts. Here, we compare the morphology and physiology of the grass Holcus lanatus grown with an AM fungal community versus a more diverse symbiotic fungal community containing both AM fungi and MFRE. Holcus lanatus plants were grown in the presence of either a diverse MFRE+AM fungi soil inoculum or a multi-species AM fungal inoculum. Plant traits associated with growth were quantified, along with fungal transfer of 15N tracer to plants from a variety of sources (ammonium chloride, alanine, glycine, algal necromass). Holcus lanatus grown with the AM fungal community had greater root and shoot growth during early development and prior to the addition of 15N-labelled sources, compared to plants grown with the more diverse symbiotic fungal community. When nitrogen sources were made available to the fungal symbionts in the pot microcosms, plants growing with the MFRE+AM fungi soil inoculum had a faster growth rate than plants growing with the AM fungal community. At harvest, H. lanatus grown with the AM fungal community had a larger biomass and there were no differences in 15N tracer assimilation in plants across the two fungal community treatments. Our results demonstrate that the diversity of fungal inocula in conjunction with soil nutrient availability determines the benefits derived by plants from diverse fungal symbionts. Our research contributes to understanding host plant outcomes in diverse multi-symbiont scenarios. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2024 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.pc866t1ww |
Title | Herbivory rates, species traits and leaf traits across symbiotic nitrogen-fixing and non-fixing species from a Panamanian tropical forest, 2007-2019 |
Description | This dataset contains measurements of herbivory and the potential controls on herbivory for nitrogen-fixing and non-fixing trees in a mature tropical forest of Panama. Data include herbivory measures on 1,626 leaves from 350 seedlings belonging to 43 species, 23 nitrogen-fixing species, 20 non-fixing species. Herbivory metrics are presented at the leaf and seedling level. The data also includes leaf chemical and physical traits hypothesized to influence herbivory at the species level, and seedling-level traits such as stem length and growth rate. Data were collected in 2017 by measuring leaf area missing on seedlings in the BCI 50 ha plot seedling census in order to determine whether fixers have higher rates of herbivory than non-fixers, and what traits govern herbivory. Data were collected by W. Barker, S.J. Wright, L. Comita, B. Sedio and colleagues. Funders of research generating the data include the Natural Environment Research Council, U.S. National Science Foundation, Leverhulme Trust, British Council, Society of Experimental Biology Company of Biologists, University of Leeds Priestly International Centre for Climate and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | BA |
URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/67c95112-edee-435f-9355-9d8bab3a5634 |
Title | Multi-box marine nutrient model phase 1 |
Description | An improved version of models from the literature which includes the complete first deep-time representaiton of oxygen and phosphorus dynamics in the ocean. Published in Science as Alcott et al. 2019 |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Requests form coleagues for code to expand their own research. |
URL | https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6471/1333.abstract |
Title | Organic Acid Exudation Rates. from N2-fixing tropical legume evolution: a contributor to enhanced weathering through the Cenozoic? |
Description | Fossil and phylogenetic evidence indicates legume-rich modern tropical forests replaced Late Cretaceous palm-dominated tropical forests across four continents during the Early Cenozoic (58-42 Ma). Tropical legume trees can transform ecosystems via their ability to fix atmospheric N2 and higher leaf N compared with non-legumes (35-65%) but it is unclear how their evolutionary rise contributed to silicate weathering, the long-term sink for atmospheric CO2. Here we hypothesize that the increasing abundance of N2-fixing legumes in tropical forests amplified silicate weathering rates by increased input of fixed N to terrestrial ecosystems via interrelated mechanisms including increasing microbial respiration and soil acidification, and stimulating forest net primary productivity. We suggest the high CO2 Early Cenozoic atmosphere further amplified legume weathering. Evolution of legumes with high weathering rates was likely driven by their high demand for phosphorus and micronutrients required for N2-fixation and nodule formation. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | NA |
URL | https://rs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Organic_Acid_Exudation_Rates_from_N_sub_2_sub_... |
Title | Organic Acid Exudation Rates. from N2-fixing tropical legume evolution: a contributor to enhanced weathering through the Cenozoic? |
Description | Fossil and phylogenetic evidence indicates legume-rich modern tropical forests replaced Late Cretaceous palm-dominated tropical forests across four continents during the Early Cenozoic (58-42 Ma). Tropical legume trees can transform ecosystems via their ability to fix atmospheric N2 and higher leaf N compared with non-legumes (35-65%) but it is unclear how their evolutionary rise contributed to silicate weathering, the long-term sink for atmospheric CO2. Here we hypothesize that the increasing abundance of N2-fixing legumes in tropical forests amplified silicate weathering rates by increased input of fixed N to terrestrial ecosystems via interrelated mechanisms including increasing microbial respiration and soil acidification, and stimulating forest net primary productivity. We suggest the high CO2 Early Cenozoic atmosphere further amplified legume weathering. Evolution of legumes with high weathering rates was likely driven by their high demand for phosphorus and micronutrients required for N2-fixation and nodule formation. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | NA |
URL | https://rs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Organic_Acid_Exudation_Rates_from_N_sub_2_sub_... |
Title | Spatial Continuous Integration (SCION) climate-chemical model |
Description | A dynamical systems model of the Earth's major chemical cycles over the last 540 million years. Featuring an interactive 2D climate component. The first model capible of combining climate and geochemistry over geological timeframes. |
Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | A new tool for the community to understand how climate and global biogeochemistry are linked. |
URL | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1342937X21000721 |
Title | Supplementary Figures 1 and 2 from N2-fixing tropical legume evolution: a contributor to enhanced weathering through the Cenozoic? |
Description | Weathering processes and the Legume Fossil Record |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | NA |
URL | https://rs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Supplementary_Figures_1_and_2_from_N_sub_2_sub... |
Title | Supplementary Figures 1 and 2 from N2-fixing tropical legume evolution: a contributor to enhanced weathering through the Cenozoic? |
Description | Weathering processes and the Legume Fossil Record |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | NA |
URL | https://rs.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Supplementary_Figures_1_and_2_from_N_sub_2_sub... |
Title | Supplementary Table 1 from N2-fixing tropical legume evolution: a contributor to enhanced weathering through the Cenozoic? |
Description | Foliar data |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | NA |
URL | https://rs.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplementary_Table_1_from_N_sub_2_sub_-fixing_tropical_leg... |
Title | Supplementary Table 1 from N2-fixing tropical legume evolution: a contributor to enhanced weathering through the Cenozoic? |
Description | Foliar data |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | NA |
URL | https://rs.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplementary_Table_1_from_N_sub_2_sub_-fixing_tropical_leg... |
Title | Supplementary material from "N2-fixing tropical legume evolution: a contributor to enhanced weathering through the Cenozoic?" |
Description | Fossil and phylogenetic evidence indicates legume-rich modern tropical forests replaced Late Cretaceous palm-dominated tropical forests across four continents during the Early Cenozoic (58-42 Ma). Tropical legume trees can transform ecosystems via their ability to fix atmospheric N2 and higher leaf N compared with non-legumes (35-65%) but it is unclear how their evolutionary rise contributed to silicate weathering, the long-term sink for atmospheric CO2. Here we hypothesize that the increasing abundance of N2-fixing legumes in tropical forests amplified silicate weathering rates by increased input of fixed N to terrestrial ecosystems via interrelated mechanisms including increasing microbial respiration and soil acidification, and stimulating forest net primary productivity. We suggest the high CO2 Early Cenozoic atmosphere further amplified legume weathering. Evolution of legumes with high weathering rates was likely driven by their high demand for phosphorus and micronutrients required for N2-fixation and nodule formation. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | NA |
URL | https://figshare.com/collections/Supplementary_material_from_N_sub_2_sub_-fixing_tropical_legume_evo... |
Title | Supplementary material from "N2-fixing tropical legume evolution: a contributor to enhanced weathering through the Cenozoic?" |
Description | Fossil and phylogenetic evidence indicates legume-rich modern tropical forests replaced Late Cretaceous palm-dominated tropical forests across four continents during the Early Cenozoic (58-42 Ma). Tropical legume trees can transform ecosystems via their ability to fix atmospheric N2 and higher leaf N compared with non-legumes (35-65%) but it is unclear how their evolutionary rise contributed to silicate weathering, the long-term sink for atmospheric CO2. Here we hypothesize that the increasing abundance of N2-fixing legumes in tropical forests amplified silicate weathering rates by increased input of fixed N to terrestrial ecosystems via interrelated mechanisms including increasing microbial respiration and soil acidification, and stimulating forest net primary productivity. We suggest the high CO2 Early Cenozoic atmosphere further amplified legume weathering. Evolution of legumes with high weathering rates was likely driven by their high demand for phosphorus and micronutrients required for N2-fixation and nodule formation. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | NA |
URL | https://figshare.com/collections/Supplementary_material_from_N_sub_2_sub_-fixing_tropical_legume_evo... |
Description | Collaboration with Arielle Biro |
Organisation | Yale University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Expertise, intellectual leadership, laboratory assistance, equipment and space, and ethics training |
Collaborator Contribution | Field data collection, leading an experiment, intellectual contribution, data analysis, writing |
Impact | It has led to submission of grant proposal |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Collaboration with Nina Wurzburger |
Organisation | University of Georgia |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Expertise, intellectual input, data |
Collaborator Contribution | Expertise, intellectual input, data, computing power, training of staff |
Impact | Facilitated research following training of postdoctoral researcher and PhD student; led to submission of grant proposal |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Collaboration with Yong Zhou |
Organisation | Yale University |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Intellectual leadership, training, laboratory equipment |
Collaborator Contribution | Intellectual leadership, writing |
Impact | Led to submission of grant proposal |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | BBC World Service - Science in Action, |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | 22nd November 2019, Discussed findings and significance of Thirkell et al., 2019. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3csym2q |
Description | Great Yorkshire Show 9-11th July 2019 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Co-designed and ran an activity as part of the Generation Z section of the GYS's Discovery Zone for young adults looking at relationships between plants, soil and fungi. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | ITV News Calendar interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | 9th July 2019, discussed my research looking at how we can help crops get more nutrients out of the soil, without the need to add great quantities of fertilisers. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Making the invisible, visible: Fantastic fungi, public engagement workshop, Eden Project, Cornwall. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Part of impact activities for NE/S009663/1, we devised and ran a hands-on workshop to help people visualise and explore "invisible" fungal helpers living within plant roots. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Observations on Being - scientific consultant for immersive, multisensory installation at Charterhouse Heritage Park, Coventry (June-August 2021) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | "Mapping the journey of breath from different scientific and cultural perspectives, this multisensory narrative of epic proportions uncovers the living worlds both beyond and within us, to reveal the deep and beautiful truths that lie just outside the limits of our perception. Inviting audiences to cross the threshold and follow an expansive journey through the invisible natural world, Observations on Being brings together a series of thought-provoking and immersive audiovisual art installations and soundscapes, which challenge our ideas of life and death and examine our symbiotic relationship with nature. The ambitious works will be located across the beautiful, tree-filled spaces and buildings of Charterhouse Heritage Park - Joseph Paxton's Grade I listed cemetery and its arboretum." https://yorkmediale.com/events/observations-on-being/ |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://yorkmediale.com/events/observations-on-being/ |
Description | Participation in INCyTe -- a working group that is linking field researchers with modellers to improve predictions of the terrestrial carbon sink |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | 100 postgraduates, postdoctoral researchers and academics learned about and discussed better ways to link field based research with global dynamic vegetation models |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Participation in TropiRoot |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | 50 people discussed root traits and their effect on terrestrial productivity and plants |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Participation in podcast |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | invited to participate in "Life in the Soil" podcast (https://rilliglab.org/podcast/). Life in the Soil is a collaboration between the Rillig Lab, at the Freie Universität Berlin - Institut für Biologie, and podcaster Anja Krieger. The podcast is funded through the BiodivERsA projekt Digging Deeper. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
URL | https://rilliglab.org/podcast/ |
Description | Popular science article in 'The Conversation' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Article in popular science magazine 'The Conversation' |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | http://theconversation.com/breathable-atmospheres-may-be-more-common-in-the-universe-than-we-first-t... |
Description | Press conference at AGU Fall meeting USA |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Press conference at AGU Fall meeting with PI Mills and invited scientists from Yale, University of California and NASA, to discuss control of atmospheric oxygen over Earth history and possibility of other high-O2 worlds existing. Linked to publicaiton of Alcott, Mills and poulton in Science. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Press release for Alcott et al. 2019 in Science - breathing life into the rise of oxygen debate |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Press release managed by Leeds press office. Altmetric reach of ~1300 engagements at launch. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Sheffield DocFest Exchange: Beyond our own eyes |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Wellcome Trust-funded commission to collaborate with Gregory Herbert, an artist working with film, sculpture and installation (https://gregoryherbert.co.uk), to produce a film inspired by my research into plant-fungal interactions, premiered at COP26 at Glasgow CCA, November 2021 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://sheffdocfest.com/news/announcing-docfest-exchange-beyond-our-own-eyes-film-commissions |