In Geographical Sciences, many staff and research groups conduct biogeochemistry research in a range of different environments.  We explore key questions such as: how do we manage the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles under environmental and social change, how can we mitigate human impacts on water quality for people and for ecosystems, what are the emerging risks for food and water quality in the face of population and demographic change, how can we predict risk and mitigate climate change impacts in the oceans and at the poles, how are the biogeochemical cycles of the oceans, ice, freshwaters and land connected, how do the biota respond to and influence environmental change from the gene to the landscape scale and how might this alter in response to future perturbations, what is the likely impact of fertilisation of the oceans on the global nutrient cycles?, and 'How do land use and climate change affect biogeochemical cycling in natural and managed terrestrial ecosystems and how can we mitigate terrestrial greenhouse gas emissions?

We currently collaborate on large scale, cutting edge, consortium-based research proposals to tackle the challenges posed by anthropogenic disruption of the global biogeochemical cycles, and generate new understanding of the rates, nature and timing of environmental systems to anthropogenic forcing. As part of this research them, we also address fundamental questions about the evolution of the Earth’s biogeochemical carbon and nitrogen cycles by combining experimental and modelling approaches.

Specifically, this theme aims to:

1. To create within the School a regular forum to share research (and research ideas) that may be of mutual interest;
2. To encourage multidisciplinary research and collaborations;
3. To create a School-level structure for engaging with URIs and other groups across the University that share overlapping interests;
4. To better communicate externally the research we already do in this area;
5. To coordinate studentships and funding bids;
6. To enhance collaborations between field, laboratory and modelling disciplines. 

Theme leader:Patricia Sanchez-Baracaldo

Staff in alphabetical order: Oliver Andrews, Ros DeAth, Anita Ganesan, Jo House, Penny Johnes, Dan Lunt, Katerina Michaelides, Dann Mitchell, Fanny Monteiro,  Rachel Flecker, David Richards, Fotis Sgouridis, Paul Valdes, Jemma Wadham and Chris Williamson.

Activities

As part of the research themes, we run research seminars (e.g. Bristol Geobiology seminar series)