Ecological Processes & Resilience SCIENCE AREA SUMMARY Environmental Informatics Monitoring & Observation Systems Natural Capital NaturalHazards Pollution & Environmental Risk Soil Sustainable Land Management
CEH SCIENCE AREAS Water Resources BIOSPHERE-ATMOSPHERE INTERACTIONS
Understanding and quantifying the We quantify fluxes and transport of matter interactions between the biosphere and energy, pollutant impacts on the above- and the atmosphere based on and below-ground biota, and how changes in measurements, experiments, and ecological communities feed back on atmospheric modelling of greenhouse gases, reactive composition. We study a wide range of habitats air pollutants, water, and energy. such as forest, grassland, wetlands, urban areas, and cropland, including bioenergy crops. Context Our vision is to integrate long-term monitoring, The exchange of gases and aerosols between field manipulations, gradient studies, laboratory the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere plays experiments and Earth observation data to a fundamental role in determining air quality, understand the underlying physical, chemical and and is an important driver of climate at both biological controls on GHGs and other atmospheric regional and global scales. In turn, biological pollutants. Quantifying these processes is essential communities and the physical environment for a wide range of environmental models change in response to changes in climate and including those concerning climate change, atmospheric pollution. The biosphere and pollution impacts and land-surface interactions. atmosphere are dynamic, constantly reflecting Over the next five years we will: these interactions and feedbacks. use state-of-the-art measurement and Unique data holdings, long-term monitoring modelling techniques to quantify biosphere- networks, experimental facilities, and models atmosphere exchanges in major biomes, underpin CEH’s international leadership in including tropical, polar, agricultural, forest, biosphere-atmosphere interactions. Our work moorland, and urban ecosystems. centres on quantifying surface-atmosphere exchanges to further our understanding of improve process-based understanding of the responses of ecosystems to atmospheric biosphere-atmosphere exchange by linking drivers, and the feedbacks that govern ecological dynamics with biogeochemical these processes. This research supports UK, cycling and GHG emissions. European, and global policies to mitigate develop and integrate long-term the environmental and health impacts of measurements and networks across the UK pollution, land use, and climate change. and internationally, and incorporate our understanding into next-generation models. Our Research provide guidance to stakeholders of the Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions focuses on the benefits of different management strategies sources and sinks of greenhouse gases (GHGs), air for reducing atmospheric pollutants and pollutants, particulate matter, water, and energy GHGs, and mitigating their effects. between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. Front cover photo - CEH Front Science Excellence to Impact
1969: Pioneered micrometeorological measurements 2000s: Led JULES model development and 2010: Founded the International Nitrogen Initiative. of water, energy, and heat fluxes (Thetford evaluation; took leading role in European risk 2011: Quantified black carbon and ozone Forest Micrometeorological Experiment). assessment modelling for ozone fluxes. effects on climate change; published 1980s: Took leading role in European network 2002: Pioneered the measurement of urban pollutant The European Nitrogen Assessment. of reactive gas measurements (BIATEX). fluxes with micrometeorological techniques. 2012: Quantified feedbacks between climate warming and CO accumulation. Established world’s first real-time ammonia 2 emission field experiment (Whim bog). 2013: Published Our Nutrient World: a global assessment of nutrient excess and deficiency.
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1982: Demonstrated impact of acid 1990s: Led most detailed study to date of 2004: Launch of online UK Air Pollution Information deposition in the water and carbon exchange from System (APIS). UK. habitats in the Amazon (ABRACOS). 2008: Led Bioenergy-GHG Crop Network; developed 1989: Developed 1996: Established first UK Biosphere-Atmosphere eddy-covariance methodology for aerosol integrative Interactions measurement site (Auchencorth chemical components. land-surface Moss), and the UK Ammonia Network. model MOSES. 1997: First verification of UK GHG budget by aircraft measurements. Photos: L to R: CEH; Mike Billett, University of Stirling; H Lowther, CEH. Photos: L to R: CEH; Mike Billett, University of Stirling; H Lowther,
Future Research Objectives Quantify biosphere atmosphere- Improve process-based Integrate measurements and Support policies to reduce exchange in major biomes across understanding of biosphere- networks; incorporate new atmospheric pollutants and GHGs regional and global scales. atmosphere exchange. understanding into models. and mitigate their impacts.
By 2019, we will: By 2019, we will: By 2019, we will: By 2019, we will: implement improved UK agricultural use precision-controlled exposure enable the UK GHG network to operate publish an analysis of societal benefits
N2O emission factors, based on facilities to understand the modifying under harmonised procedures covering of improved nitrogen use efficiency and soil moisture and crop type. effects of climate drivers on air pollution both natural and managed landscapes. reduced reactive nitrogen emissions. exchange and impacts on biota. quantify the seasonality in volatile incorporate the nitrogen cycle and nitrogen- develop mitigation options to reduce organic carbon emissions and aerosol quantify feedbacks between nitrogen ozone interactions in Earth system models. the overall impact of multiple interacting deposition above Amazonian rainforest. deposition, elevated ozone, and the above- pollutants. and below-ground ecological community. integrate high-quality measurements across global biomes into the next generation of identify critical feedbacks between climate and pollution models. ecological and hydrological processes and GHGs/air pollutants across a range of sensitive ecosystems.
CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY [email protected] l www.ceh.ac.uk CEH Energy Technologies Institute Energy Technologies Photo: Cloud Nine
Partnerships Since the 1970s we have led or co-led the We collaborate with UK and international development of measurements, instruments, partners at universities, scientific institutions, exposure facilities, models, and risk assessments and industries. Our scientific findings, long-term aimed at understanding the production, fate, data, and expertise support regulatory bodies and impact of GHGs and air pollutants. To and advisory committees such as Defra, the deliver our research we have established long- Met Office, UN conventions on air pollution term field experiments, exposure facilities, and and climate change, the EU, and industries monitoring sites in the UK, and conducted at scales from the local to the global. field campaigns across both UK and global biomes. We have applied our knowledge to developing a comprehensive suite of process and transport models such as the land- surface exchange model JULES. Our unique strength lies in connecting our measurements, experiments, monitoring networks, and models to both increase scientific understanding and deliver practical recommendations to managers and policy-makers.
Contact Science Area Lead Business Development Manager Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions Colin Mackechnie. [email protected] Nancy Dise. [email protected] Science Coordinator Anita Jobson. [email protected] Front cover photo - CEH Front