Environmental Biogeochemistry Research Group

The group is global in geographical scope and academic reach, and conducts research in terrestrial, freshwater and marine realms, often linking these explicitly.

Cycling of key materials and elements

The Environmental Biogeochemistry Research Group (EBRG) at Stirling produces world-leading and internationally excellent research focused on the biological, chemical and physical processes controlling the cycling of key materials and elements (such as carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus and iron) in the Earth system.

Energy flow through the biosphere and Earth System

The interactions between energy flows and material cycling in the Earth System drive planetary life support systems such as biological productivity and the carbon and water cycles. The radiant energy budget of Planet Earth determines surface and near-surface thermal regimes, with cascading implications for atmosphere, weather and climate, ocean circulation, biological processes and material cycling. Our group is studying the responses of biogeochemical and physical processes to thermal and radiant energy regimes, which underpins cutting-edge research on environmental change impacts on, for example, carbon cycling.

Environmental change

We study how biogeochemical processes and phenomena, as well as physical processes, both respond to, and interact with, human drivers of environmental change at a range of scales in space and time.

Astrobiology and planetary sciences

Our research now extends well beyond the confines of Planet Earth. Investigating element cycling and energy flow leads to cross-fertilisation between environmental science and planetary exploration.