I completed my PhD at the Department of Physical Geography, Macquarie University, Australia, in 2005. My research combines elements of geomorphology, pedology, biogeography and ecology, which is probably best described as biogeomorphology. My field sites include the passive continental margins of southeastern Australia and the eastern USA.

Earth’s largest mineral resource is soil. Humans use half of Earth’s land surface for agriculture, which is obviously rooted in soil. Such land-use soil has tended to be unsustainable. Therefore, a fundamental question is: does anthropologically-induced erosion threaten soil productivity? How long will it take to regenerate eroded topsoil? How can we maximise carbon storage in soil to replace eroded carbon?

To answer these we need to understand and quantify the main soil formation processes. These are soil production (the liberation of soil particles from bedrock) and pedogenesis/horizonisation.

I am also interested in:

• the role of soil biota (e.g. worms, ants) in soil carbon turnover
• long-term landscape denudation and how it compares to modern processes

See my biography for more details.