Project properties
Title Exploring how soil-forming factors influence microbial warming responses in New Zealand
Group Soil Biology
Project type thesis
Credits 24-39
Supervisor(s) Gabriel Moinet (SBL), Charlotte Alster (Lincoln University)
Examiner(s) prof.dr. Rachel Creamer
Contact info gabriel.moinet@wur.nl
Begin date 2023/04/01
End date
Description New Zealand is a model system to study how microbial activities and other biogeochemical processes will respond climate change due to its diverse soils and climates over a short geographic distance. In this project, we will explore how different soil-forming factors influence microbial temperature responses, and other sorts of microbial activities, along the Banks Peninsula. The Banks Peninsula is an ideal location to conduct this work as we find vastly different soil types and climates existing within the same region, allowing us to eliminate confounding variables in a field setting.
Students should expect to learn how to conduct soil extracellular enzyme assays and/or greenhouse gas measurements to quantify soil temperature responses. This project is mostly lab-based, but will require some time in the field to gather samples. Knowledge of data processing and analysis is preferred.
Lincoln University located near the city of Christchurch on the South Island of Aotearoa/New Zealand will be the host institute for interested WUR students to consider undertaking their Thesis or Internship. Lincoln University (LU) is modelled on WUR in that it is a specialist land-based university.
Used skills Basic laboratory skills (e.g., pipetting, making reagents), comfortable hiking to conduct field work, familiarity with R
Requirements Required courses for MSc thesis in Soil Biology OR Soil Chemistry and Chemical Soil Quality;