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Project properties |
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| Title | Can earthworms increase carbon sequestration through silicate weathering? |
| Group | Soil Biology |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 24-39 |
| Supervisor(s) | Alix Vidal, Jan Willem van Groenigen, Tullia Calogiuri |
| Examiner(s) | prof.dr. Rachel Creamer |
| Contact info | alix.vidal@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2023/09/01 |
| End date | |
| Description | Enhanced Silicate Weathering (ESW) has emerged as a Negative Emission Technology (NET) due to its vast potential to increase long-term carbon sequestration. The weathering of silicates allows to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it in the form of carbonates. Different factors are known to influence this process, such as CO2 concentrations, acidity, temperature and water flow. Yet, the role that soil biota, and specifically earthworms, can have on silicate weathering is still poorly understood. Studies have shown that earthworms can enhance weathering, but to which extent carbon sequestration is increased and which exact mechanisms are involved need further investigation.
In this thesis project, you will investigate how combinations of earthworm species and minerals can influence silicate weathering, and therefore carbon sequestration, under different temperatures and water flow rates. You will collect your samples from a unique experimental set-up consisting of columns filled with the main ingredients that form soils: a mixture of minerals and organic material. You will investigate if and how earthworms enhance carbon sequestration through silicate weathering. Further, you will research how far is this effect triggered by and connected to the role of earthworms on soil structure formation and soil fertility change. |
| Used skills | Literature review, writing proposal and thesis, experimental design, laboratory work, data analysis. |
| Requirements | Required courses for MSc thesis Soil Biology. |