Eric Paterson

Ecological Sciences

eric.paterson@hutton.ac.uk

+44 (0)844 928 5428 (*)

The James Hutton Institute
Craigiebuckler
Aberdeen AB15 8QH
Scotland UK

Eric is a soil microbiologist/ plant physiologist who has researched plant-soil interactions for more than 15 years. A theme of this research has been the impact of rhizodeposition (release of organic compounds from plant roots) on soil microbial communities and processes. This research has been applied across a range of land uses from agriculture to unmanaged systems. His research has been supported by Scottish Government, BBSRC, NERC, TEAGASC, British Council, INRA, Catalan Government and industrial partners. He has served as a Research Unit assessor for DFG (Germany) and as a PhD/MSc examiner in the UK, France and Denmark. He is a member of the British Society of Soil Science and is a Subject Editor for both Soil Biology & Biochemistry and Plant & Soil.

Current research interests

The research group has recently developed novel methodologies for continuous, steady-state ¹³CO₂-labelling of plants that enable quantification of plant-derived C-fluxes to soil and to the various components of the soil biota (e.g. via compound-specific ¹³C-analysis of PLFA biomarkers). A key advantage of the continuous labelling approach is that isotopic mass balance can be applied to quantify turnover of soil organic matter in intact systems (i.e. including plants), such that the biological controls of soil organic matter mineralisation can be studied. A current research priority of the group is to investigate the interactions between plant-derived C-fluxes to soil and microbially mediated turnover of native soil organic matter. These interactions are being studied in the contexts of:

the responses of soils to land use and environmental change (e.g. potential feedbacks to GHG-mediated climate forcing), and
the sustainable productivity of agricultural systems (e.g. understanding the controls of productivity in low-input systems and optimising the use of organic amendments as fertiliser replacements).

Bibliography

Eric's highlighted publications

Microbial community abundance and structure are determinants of soil organic matter mineralisation in the presence of labile carbon., Garcia-Pausas, J.; Paterson, E., (2011) Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 43, 1705-1715.

Altered food web structure and C-flux pathways associated with mineralisation of organic amendments to agricultural soil., Paterson, E.; Neilson, R.; Midwood, A.J.; Osborne, S.M.; Sim, A.; Thornton, B.; Millard, P., (2011) Applied Soil Ecology, 48, 107-116.

Long-term exclusion of plant-inputs to soil reduces the functional capacity of microbial communities to mineralise recalcitrant plant-derived carbon sources., Paterson, E.; Sim, A.; Osborne, S.M.; Murray, P.J., (2011) Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 43, 1873-1880.

Eric's most recent publications

The use of stable isotope labelling and compound-specific analysis of microbial phospholipid fatty acids to quantify the influences of rhizodeposition on microbial community structure and function., Paterson, E., (In press) In: Molecular Ecology of the Rhizosphere (ed. FJ de Bruijn). Wiley-Blackwell.

Chemical speciation studies on DU contaminated soils using flow field flow fractionation linked to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (FIFFF-ICP-MS)., Brittain, S.R.; Cox, A.G.; Tomos, A.D.; Paterson, E.; Siripinyanond, A.; McLeod, C.W., (2012) Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 14, 782-790.

Incorporation of 13C-labelled rice rhizodeposition carbon into soil microbial communities under different water status., Huai-ying, Y.; Thornton, B.; Paterson, E., (2012) Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 53, 72-77.

Preliminary report on the suitability of `Struvite? as a soil conditioner/fertiliser to sustain the growth of barley and ryegrass., Owen, J.; Paterson, E., (2012) Report for William Grant & Sons Distillers Ltd.

Report on chemical analysis and seed germination trials on soil samples from prospective football pitch., Patersaon, E.; Owen, J., (2012) Report for Raeburn Drilling

Transcriptional response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to a phosphate-deficient Lolium perenne rhizosphere., Zysko, A.; Sanguin, H.; Hayes, A.; Wardleworth, L.; Zeef, L.; Sim, A.; Paterson, E.; Singh, B.K.; Kertesz, M.A., (2012) Plant and Soil. Published online.

Browsing affects intra-ring carbon allocation in species with contrasting wood anatomy., Palacio, S.; Paterson, E.; Sim, A.; Hester, A.J.; Millard, P., (2011) Tree Physiology, 31, 150-159.

Report on the analysis of crushed granite sample for elemental concentration, aqueous extractable elements, and C and N, Total C and N, extractable nitrate, loss on ignition, particle size distribution and ecotoxicity., Paterson, E.; Owen, J., (2011) Report for Cloburn Quarry Company Ltd.

Report on drill cuttings for leachable and total elemental composition, particle size distribution and initial biological testing., Owen, J.; Paterson, E., (2010) Report for Chevron Energy Technology Company.