Carbon sequestration by fungal and root necromass in grassland soils

This project concerns understanding how grassland management affects carbon storage and cycling in soils, with particular emphasis on the role played by soil microorganisms. The project will provide fundamental understanding of plant-microbial interactions and will contribute to development of sustainable food systems that can mitigate the effects of climate change. This project fits extremely well with the BBSRC Focus Area "Sustainable Agricultural Systems". This includes fitting extremely well with "Delivering improved agricultural performance and sustainability through enhancement of the soil microbiome. Agricultural soils are an important research target, given their broad potential to enhance performance. Understanding the role of the microbiome in the soil ecosystem and crop production is key, with a particular emphasis on understanding soil-crop-microbe interactions, soil management techniques and restoring the nutrient balance of soil for optimal food production."