Root effects on soil organic matter: a double-edged sword. This project aims to understand how plant roots build and destroy soil organic matter in grasslands and what the impacts are of drought. Soil organic matter is the largest terrestrial reservoir of nutrients for plant growth, but paradoxically, formation of new soil organic matter by plant roots also requires external nutrients. This project will address this apparent paradox by using a new root-centric framework and stable isotope techni ....Root effects on soil organic matter: a double-edged sword. This project aims to understand how plant roots build and destroy soil organic matter in grasslands and what the impacts are of drought. Soil organic matter is the largest terrestrial reservoir of nutrients for plant growth, but paradoxically, formation of new soil organic matter by plant roots also requires external nutrients. This project will address this apparent paradox by using a new root-centric framework and stable isotope techniques. The project will use state-of-the art computer models that incorporate the latest frameworks on soil organic matter interacting with plant roots. Benefits include an improved capacity to manage and predict grassland productivity and soil organic matter dynamics with greater resolution and accuracy.Read moreRead less
Role of nitrogen-rich compounds for increasing carbon sequestration in soil. This project aims to unravel how increasing concentrations of nitrogen-rich compounds in soils can potentially increase our ability to sequester soil organic carbon. This is significant because long-term agricultural production greatly reduces soil organic carbon stocks and releases carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Expected outcomes of this project include providing information that is urgently needed to develop pred ....Role of nitrogen-rich compounds for increasing carbon sequestration in soil. This project aims to unravel how increasing concentrations of nitrogen-rich compounds in soils can potentially increase our ability to sequester soil organic carbon. This is significant because long-term agricultural production greatly reduces soil organic carbon stocks and releases carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. Expected outcomes of this project include providing information that is urgently needed to develop predictive carbon models for effective policy-making and improved management. This project should provide substantial benefits, including fulfilling the carbon sequestration potential of Australia’s soils, thereby delivering positive economic outcomes through increased farm-gate output and mitigation of climate change.Read moreRead less
Unlocking the anchors of soil organic carbon to manage climate change. Soil is the largest reservoir of terrestrial organic carbon. Most of the organic carbon in soils is preserved by association with minerals, however, the composition and stability of mineral-associated organic carbon remain poorly understood. The project will use novel and emerging techniques to discover the composition of organic carbon and stability of organic carbon present in mineral-organic associations in representative ....Unlocking the anchors of soil organic carbon to manage climate change. Soil is the largest reservoir of terrestrial organic carbon. Most of the organic carbon in soils is preserved by association with minerals, however, the composition and stability of mineral-associated organic carbon remain poorly understood. The project will use novel and emerging techniques to discover the composition of organic carbon and stability of organic carbon present in mineral-organic associations in representative Australian soils. Expected outcomes include new knowledge necessary for emerging global carbon cycling models and improve future climate projections. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100756
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$398,945.00
Summary
Closing the data gap: Systematic monitoring of PFAS remediation in soil. Extensive past use of perfluorinated chemicals (PFASs) has resulted in soil and waterway contamination, damaging human and environmental health. The best option for treatment is often soil remediation with sorbents to immobilise PFASs, but the long-term fate of PFASs in treated soil is poorly understood. This project aims to generate new insights into PFASs and sorbent behaviour in soils over time, and re-design analytical ....Closing the data gap: Systematic monitoring of PFAS remediation in soil. Extensive past use of perfluorinated chemicals (PFASs) has resulted in soil and waterway contamination, damaging human and environmental health. The best option for treatment is often soil remediation with sorbents to immobilise PFASs, but the long-term fate of PFASs in treated soil is poorly understood. This project aims to generate new insights into PFASs and sorbent behaviour in soils over time, and re-design analytical methods to better mimic field conditions. Expected outcomes include strategies and methods to allow industry and government agencies to tailor remediation strategies to each site’s environmental and chemical profile, and effectively monitor progress to create longer lasting benefits to human health and the environment. Read moreRead less
Developing a novel carbon negative fertiliser . Food security is vital to support our growing population. However, our increasing reliance on intensive farming systems necessitates increased fertiliser use, leading to increased water pollution and soil degradation - threatening both the Australian environment and food security. Increasing carbon storage capacity by soil and decreasing fertiliser use are two of the primary pathways for restoring the bio-support capacity of soils and reducing farm ....Developing a novel carbon negative fertiliser . Food security is vital to support our growing population. However, our increasing reliance on intensive farming systems necessitates increased fertiliser use, leading to increased water pollution and soil degradation - threatening both the Australian environment and food security. Increasing carbon storage capacity by soil and decreasing fertiliser use are two of the primary pathways for restoring the bio-support capacity of soils and reducing farming footprints. This innovative and first-of-its-kind project aims to develop a cost-effective, carbon negative fertiliser that reduces fertiliser inputs and increases soil carbon storageRead moreRead less
Plant-mediated arsenic-iron mineral transformations. The project goals are to advance our understanding of molecular-level iron-arsenic transformations induced at plant-mineral-atmosphere interfaces as influenced by remediation actions and future environmental change. The project aims for this to be achieved through an innovative experimental infrastructure combined with isotopic, spectroscopic and advanced synchrotron-based tools. Intended outcomes and benefits are the generation of new knowled ....Plant-mediated arsenic-iron mineral transformations. The project goals are to advance our understanding of molecular-level iron-arsenic transformations induced at plant-mineral-atmosphere interfaces as influenced by remediation actions and future environmental change. The project aims for this to be achieved through an innovative experimental infrastructure combined with isotopic, spectroscopic and advanced synchrotron-based tools. Intended outcomes and benefits are the generation of new knowledge, which will improve current understanding of arsenic and iron fate impacted by remediation actions, plant growth and planetary changes induced via the atmosphere-plant-soil interface.Read moreRead less
Mineral Biosequestration of Organic Carbon in Early Pedogenesis of Tailings. Upcycling tailings into soil (technosols developed from technogenic parent materials) offers a sustainable approach to overcome severe topsoil shortage that limits the progress of ecological rehabilitation of tailings across mine sites. This project aims to establish new knowledge on mineral bioweathering, organic carbon (OC) sequestration in rapidly formed mineral phases, and OC turnover driven by colonising microbes a ....Mineral Biosequestration of Organic Carbon in Early Pedogenesis of Tailings. Upcycling tailings into soil (technosols developed from technogenic parent materials) offers a sustainable approach to overcome severe topsoil shortage that limits the progress of ecological rehabilitation of tailings across mine sites. This project aims to establish new knowledge on mineral bioweathering, organic carbon (OC) sequestration in rapidly formed mineral phases, and OC turnover driven by colonising microbes and plant roots, in the early pedogenesis of tailings initiated by inputs of organic and inorganic materials. This new knowledge is required for developing eco-engineering technology adaptable to a wide range of tailings of diverse mineralogy, to achieve sustainable tailings rehabilitation and organic carbon sequestration.Read moreRead less
ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation. ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation. This Centre aims to develop carbon-based catalysts for clean energy, CO2 capture, and green chemistry to reduce emissions. The Centre expects to use pioneering data-guided atomic-precision synthesis and multiscale analysis to transform fundamental science of carbon materials. Expected outcomes of this Centre will benefit new technologies for energy, environmental, and green che ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation. ARC Centre of Excellence for Carbon Science and Innovation. This Centre aims to develop carbon-based catalysts for clean energy, CO2 capture, and green chemistry to reduce emissions. The Centre expects to use pioneering data-guided atomic-precision synthesis and multiscale analysis to transform fundamental science of carbon materials. Expected outcomes of this Centre will benefit new technologies for energy, environmental, and green chemical industries by utilising abundant sunlight, seawater, and waste feedstocks. This should provide significant benefits, through industry collaborations, our new world-leading capacity will train a next generation of game changers to empower emerging carbon industries to solve grand socio-economic challenges, ultimately meeting zero-carbon emissions targets.Read moreRead less
Design of Nanoporous BCN with Tunable Pores for CO2 Capture and Conversion. This project aims to design and develop advanced boron carbon nitride-based materials with high specific surface areas, tunable pores and functional groups, guided by theoretical calculations for the capture of CO2 at ambient conditions. By introducing single metal atoms in the above nanostructures, we also aim to design a novel catalytic system for the effective conversion of CO2 into fine chemicals. This project will o ....Design of Nanoporous BCN with Tunable Pores for CO2 Capture and Conversion. This project aims to design and develop advanced boron carbon nitride-based materials with high specific surface areas, tunable pores and functional groups, guided by theoretical calculations for the capture of CO2 at ambient conditions. By introducing single metal atoms in the above nanostructures, we also aim to design a novel catalytic system for the effective conversion of CO2 into fine chemicals. This project will offer new knowledge on the design of low-cost advanced materials with specific functionalities for the simultaneous capture and conversion of CO2. This project will make a significant impact on Australian industries and further offer job opportunities and economic benefits by offering new technologies for a clean environment.Read moreRead less
Rhizosphere priming regulates soil carbon cycle under high carbon dioxide. Australian farmers will be producing crops under elevated CO2 in the future. However, it is unknown how the increased CO2 level will affect agricultural production and soil health. This project aims to understand the effect of high atmospheric CO2 on carbon and nitrogen cycles in major cropping soils. It will examine how combinations of crop and soil types lead to differences in loss of soil organic carbon. Soil microorga ....Rhizosphere priming regulates soil carbon cycle under high carbon dioxide. Australian farmers will be producing crops under elevated CO2 in the future. However, it is unknown how the increased CO2 level will affect agricultural production and soil health. This project aims to understand the effect of high atmospheric CO2 on carbon and nitrogen cycles in major cropping soils. It will examine how combinations of crop and soil types lead to differences in loss of soil organic carbon. Soil microorganisms that link to carbon and nitrogen cycling in soils will be examined in the long-term field trials. The project intends to provide fundamental information that is essential to evaluate the future impact of climate change on the fertility and productivity of our poor, already infertile soils in semi-arid regions.Read moreRead less