Dr Mark Richards

Biography

• Scientific Programmer, Environmental Modelling Group, University of Aberdeen, 2017 - present
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Environmental Modelling Group, University of Aberdeen, 2008 - 2017
• Biology Tutor, Nov 2006, - Nov 2008
• PhD in Plant Science, University of Aberdeen,  2003 - 2007
• BSc (Hons.) Plant Science, University of Aberdeen, 1999 - 2003
• Software Developer, 1995 - 1999
• HND Computer Studies, University of Plymouth, 1993-1995

Research Overview

I have a broad interest in environmental and ecological modelling with a particular focus on:

• soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics
• effects of landuse change and climate change on soil greenhouse gas fluxes
• application of machine learning techniques to environmental and ecological modelling
• forest dynamics
• plant competition

Current Research

My current research activities are:

• Creating neural-network emulators of soil models to estimate soil methane and nitrous oxide emissions in the UK. This work contributes to the GREENHOUSE component of the UK Greenhouse Gas Programme.
• Modelling the effects of land use change to bioenergy crops on greenhouse gas emissions from soil in the UK. This study is part of the Ecosystem Land Use Modelling (ELUM) project.
• Modelling soil methane and nitrous oxide emissions in the tropical Andes as part of the Andes Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Group (ABERG).
• Modelling greenhouse gas emissions from soils under different land uses, climate scenarios and management in Wales as part of the Glastir Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (GMEP).
• Development of a snow submodel for inclusion within the ECOSSE soil dynamics model.