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New Study Addresses Nitrogen Accumulation in Soils for Better Environmental Management

 

A TU-Durham University collaboration has yielded a detailed nitrogen budget to assess how nitrogen moves across different land uses in a large, mixed land-use UK catchment. This newly published work highlights the importance of accurately measuring nitrogen (N) accumulation to mitigate its harmful impacts on climate and ecosystems.

The Trent catchment, known for its extensive water quality monitoring, provided a unique opportunity to map nitrogen flows and pinpoint where accumulation occurs. One key finding was the higher nitrogen build-up in grassland subsoils compared to arable land, revealing the complex interactions between land use, nitrogen, and soil health.

Excess nitrogen in soil can lead to water pollution, loss of biodiversity, and increased greenhouse gas emissions, making proper nutrient management essential. This study advances our understanding of nitrogen dynamics, providing valuable information toward sustainable environmental management. Continue reading “New Study Addresses Nitrogen Accumulation in Soils for Better Environmental Management”

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Teesside Researchers Head Underground in Central Africa to Study Past Climate

Why would anyone venture into caves to study the climate? The answer lies in palaeoclimatology—the science of past climates. At Teesside University, our Environmental Science team studies climate patterns to help communities prepare for future changes.

Dr. Lisa Baldini and Dr. Jens Holvoeth focus on reconstructing past climates – Lisa examines stalagmites, while Jens studies sediment cores. These ‘archives of past climate’ offer vital insights into climate trends before the Industrial Era began, giving us a baseline to understand today’s changes.

Dr. Mehnaz Rashid specialises in climate modeling and GIS, focusing on the tropics, where unpredictable rainfall can devastate subsistence farming. Meanwhile, Dr. Adrian Dye, our glaciologist, studies glacier response to rising temperatures, especially around sea ice, to predict future ice sheet collapse. We also have resident experts in soils, peatlands, agriculture, greenhouse gases, and microbiology—all of these are critical components of the Earth’s climate system.

This summer Dr. Baldini headed underground in tropical Central Africa with her PhD student (a Teesside Environmental Management MSc graduate) and local researchers. Here, in Dengui Cave (Gabon) she explains how stalagmites preserve a record of past climate in their chemistry, helping us understand how rainfall and temperature patterns have shifted over centuries.

At Teesside, we’re committed to tackling climate change—past, present, and future. Come join our Environmental Science BSc or Environmental Management MSc course so you can help make a difference too.