- A419, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 584643
- R.Parkinson@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr Rob Parkinson
Role
Academic responsibilities: BSc Biosciences Programme leader, Bicton College and Duchy College Academic Liaison tutor, Undergraduate Projects tutor, MSc Sustainable Horticulture and Food Production link tutor (with Schumacher College). Teaching and research responsibilities include environment and habitat management, soil sustainable use of nutrients, water and bioresources in land use systems.
Qualifications
PhD Soil water dynamics, University of London
MSc (Dist.) Pedology and Soil Survey, University of Reading
BSc (Hons) Geography and Geology, University of Leeds
Professional membership
Chartered Scientist (CSci)
Member, Institute of Soil Scientists (MI Soil Sci)
Fellow, Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
.
Roles on external bodies
South West England Soils Group Honorary Secretary and Treasurer
Teaching interests
Teaching interests include a range of modules covering environment, sustainability, land use and habitat management topics at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Recent research and consultancy includes projects investigating aspects of nutrient management and environmental quality within land use systems, sponsored by organisations such as DEFRA, the Environment Agency, as well as postgraduate students on doctoral programmes.
Staff serving as external examiners
MSc external examiner, University of Cork, 2012-
MSc external examiner, Managing the Environment. Aberystwyth University 2006-2010
BSc external examiner, Environmental Management. University of Hertfordshire 2009-2012
Higher degree (Ph.D) examiner for Universities of London, Hertfordshire, Exeter, Reading, Coventry, Hull, Aberystwyth, Galway
Research interests
My research focuses on environmental aspects of agricultural land use and sustainability of food production systems, in particular the exploitation of soil, water and plant resources. I am interested in nutrient dynamics in sustainable agricultural systems and the environmental impacts of farm and human waste recycling, including composting and anaerobic digestion. I also work on edaphic and landscape controls on habitat restoration strategies.
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
Velasco-Velasco 2009; Misselbrook 2006; Challinor 2006
Grants & contracts
Defra (2010) Design and implementation of technical management systems for anaerobic digestion. Defra KTP programme. £121,000.
Seale-Hayne Educational Trust (2007) Land use change, energy crops and nutrient losses (£1,200)
Environment Agency (2007-08) Road-testing Soil Quality Indicators (£8,300)
Seale-Hayne Educational Trust (2006) Floristic diversity and grazing regimes on Dartmoor (£6,700)
Wyvern Waste Services (2005) Characterisation and analysis of input organic waste materials for processing in composting treatment systems. £24,900
Carymoor Environmental Trust (2005) Organic Waste Treatment Using Novel Technologies. £30,000
English Nature (2005) Application of GIS to Culm Grassland habitat restoration. £10,000
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
2011
'Ammonia emissions during vermicomposting of sheep manure'
Bioresource Technology
102,
10959-10964
Publisher Site
, DOI
2011
'Hot water extractable soil carbohydrate - a sensitive measurement for determining the impact of long-term tillage and residue management'
Journal of the Indian Society of Soil Science
2010
'Nutrient pollution from horticultural production systems - tools for policy advice from field to catchment scales'
Acta Horticulturae
852,
27-38
2009
'A predictive framework for nitrogen flow in integrated agricultural systems in Central Mexico'
Aspects of Applied Biology
93,
205-211
2009
'Effect of tillage system and straw management on organic matter dynamics'
Agronomy for Sustainable Development
29,
525-533
2007
'Evaluating the Implementation of the Nitrates Directive in Denmark and England using an Actor-Oriented Approach Environmental Science & Policy'
European Environment
17 (2),
124-144
, DOI
2007
'Productivity and soil fertility relationships in rice production systems, Bangladesh'
Agricultural Systems
92 (1-3),
318-333
, DOI
2007
'Soil fertility and productivity relationships in rice production system, Bangladesh'
Agricultural Systems
92(1-3),
318-333
, DOI
PEARL
2005
'Using time domain reflectometry to characterize cattle and pig slurry infiltration into soil'
Soil Use and Management
21,
(2)
167-172
2004
'Effect of turning regime and seasonal weather conditions on nitrogen and phosphorus losses during aerobic composting of cattle manure'
Bioresource Technology
91,
(2)
171-178
2003
'Cut your losses – reduce nutrient loss while using farmyard manure'
Organic Farming
79,
26-27
2001
'Methodology development for wetland restoration planning based on topography and soil hydrology'
International Association of Hydrological Sciences Publication
268,
271-278
2000
'Combining field incubation with nitrogen-15 labelling to examine nitrogen transformations in low to high intensity grassland management systems'
Biology and Fertility of Soils
30,
(5-6)
492-499
, DOI
2000
'Transport of nitrogen in soil water following the application of animal manures to sloping grassland'
HYDROLOGICAL SCIENCES JOURNAL-JOURNAL DES SCIENCES HYDROLOGIQUES
45,
(1)
61-73
, DOI
1999
'An evaluation of greenwaste compost for the production of forage maize (Zea mays L)'
COMPOST SCIENCE & UTILIZATION
7,
(1)
72-80
1998
'Concurrent measurements of net mineralization, nitrification, denitrification and leaching from field incubated soil cores'
BIOLOGY AND FERTILITY OF SOILS
26,
(4)
323-330
, DOI
1998
'Nitrogen and phosphorus in runoff from grassland with buffer strips following application of fertilizers and manures'
SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT
14,
(3)
142-148
1998
'Soil phosphorus extractability and uptake in a Cirsio-Molinietum fen-meadow and an adjacent Holcus lanatus pasture on the culm measures, north Devon, UK'
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
70,
(2-3)
169-179
, DOI
1994
'TEMPORAL CHANGES IN SOIL PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AFTER DEEP LOOSENING OF A SILTY CLAY LOAM IN SW ENGLAND'
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
31,
(1)
37-47
, DOI
1990
'Soil loosening and drainage of structurally unstable silty soils'
Journal of Hydrology
121,
(1-4)
63-83
, DOI
1988
'Field drainage and land management, a comparison of four long terms field trials'
Agricultural Water Management
14,
(1-4)
113-124
, DOI
1988
'The hydrological response of a silty clay loam following drainage treatment'
Agricultural Water Management
14,
(1-4)
125-136
, DOI
1987
'A physical model for shallow groundwater studies and the simulation of land drain performance'
Journal of Geography in Higher Education
11,
(2)
125-132
, DOI
1987
'Field drainage, soil water management and flood hazard'
Soil Use and Management
3,
(4)
133-138
, DOI
1986
'Effect of local ground slope on the performance of tile drains in a clay soil'
Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research
34,
(2)
123-132
, DOI
1984
'The nature of the tile-drain outfall hydrograph in heavy clay soils'
Journal of Hydrology
72,
(3-4)
289-305
, DOI
1984
'The wetting and drying of a grazed and ungrazed clay soil'
Journal of Soil Science
35,
(4)
607-614
, DOI
Books
2002
Agricultural Pollution - Environmental Problems and Practical Solutions.
Spon's Environmental Science and Engineering Series
Chapters
2005
'Modelling emmonia and nitrous oxide emissions from slurry-amended soils - Development of an infiltration sub-model'
Sustainable Organic Waste Management for Environmental Protection and Food Safety
RAMIRAN
277-280
2003
'Soil Management and Crop Nutrition'
in Soffe RJ
The Agricultural Notebook 20th Edition
Blackwell Scientific Press
3-62
2002
'Environmental impacts of cattle manure composting'
in Insam H; Riddech N; Klammer S
Microbiology of Composting
Berlin
Springer Verlag
445-456
Conference Papers
2010
'Nitrogen use efficiency in smallholder production systems: a case study from central Mexico'
14th Ramiran Conference
Lisbon
13/09/2010
15/09/2010
2008
'Nitrogen transfers and losses in integrated agricultural systems in central Mexico'
13th RAMIRAN Conference
Albena, Bulgaria
01/06/2008
03/06/2008
230-235
2006
'In-vessel composting of food wastes in the UK: feedstock and output characteristics'
Proceedings of 12th RAMIRAN conference, Aarhuus, Denmark
131-134
2002
'Leachate losses from cattle manure and greenwaste during composting'
Proceedings of 10th RAMIRAN Conference, Strbske Pleso, Slovakia
435-438
2001
'Evaluation of the UK-ADMS buildings effects module using data on the near-field dispersion of ammonia at an intensive dairy farm'
Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on harmonisation within atmospheric deposition modelling for regulatory pusposes, Belgirate, Italy
239-243
1999
'Evaluating strategies to reduce nitrate and phosphate loss to surface water from agricultural land on Jersey'
221-228
Other Publications
2011
Ammonia emissions during vermicomposting of sheep manure.
Robert�Parkinson; Victor�Kuri
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10959-10964