Professor Jens-Arne Subke

Professor

Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Professor Jens-Arne Subke

Contact details

About me

Associate Professor in Terrestrial Ecosystems and Environmental Change

PhD - University of Bayreuth, Germany (2002) BSc Hons - University of St. Andrews, UK (1997)

Orcid ID: 0000-0001-9244-639XResearcher ID: M-3049-2013 

Current Projects: Stabilisation of pyrogenic carbon in tropical grasslands (NERC; 2020-2023)

Mycorrhizal drivers of formation and decomposition of soil organic matter (NERC-NSF; 2017-2020)

PRIMETIME – Will more productive Arctic ecosystems sequester less soil carbon? (NERC; 2017-2021)

Blanket bog restoration in the Flowcountry

  External Activities

Associate Editor for Biogeosciences Consulting Editor for Plant and Soil

Previous positions

Research Associate, Stockholm Environment Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, UK (2004-2010). Marie Curie Research Fellow, Department of Environmental Sciences, Second University of Naples, Caserta, Italy (2002-2004).

Response of biogeochemical cycles in forests to changes in environmental conditions, including:

  • Climatic Change
  • Human land use
  • Perturbations from pollution

Environmental controls on biotic CO2 flux dynamics

Plant-soil interactions at the boreal treeline

Plant-soil interactions in the decomposition of soil carbon in the rhizosphere

Pyrogenic carbon in soils

Use of stable isotopes in ecology

Biotic and abiotic drivers of methane (CH4) fluxes in peatlands

Award

Geographical Association Highly Commended Publishers Award
https://geography.org.uk/…/ga-awards-2024/

Event / Presentation

Biological environment and litter quality drive rapid decomposition in sub-arctic birch forests
The British Ecological Society
Invited presentation at British Ecological Society Annual Meeting

Carbon cycle research in Europe’s largest blanket bog
Invited seminar, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg.

Monitoring C dynamics of the Flowcountry forest-to-bog transition
Invited presentation at Special IUCN conference "Creating a Legacy for Peatlands"

Soil CO2 efflux
University of Potsdam
Keynote lecture, Potdam Greenhouse Gas Workshop: From Natural to Urban Systems. Potsdam, October 2015.

Where has all the Carbon gone?
University of Stirling
Public presentation (Pint of Science), Bridge of Allan

Other Academic Activities

BBC Scotland News interview
British Broadcasting Corporation
Live TV interview on BBC Scotland News (The Seven) on climate change impacts on species distribution in Scotland.

Other Project

Peatland restoration monitoring in Loch Katrine
Scottish Water

The project provides comprehensive understanding and robust quantification of the multiple benefits arising from peatland restoration implemented by Scottish Water across their land holdings within the Loch Katrine catchment, and the timescales towards benefit realisation. Main objectives are: 1) To understand the key environmental data required to manage and secure peatland status to inform project monitoring needs; 2) To establish a monitoring programme to assess impacts of planned and ongoing peatland restoration activities focussing on the Loch Katrine priority catchment for Scottish Water; 3) To align monitoring with ongoing initiatives, including MERLIN and Forth-ERA to provide a coordinated approach to measure multiple benefits including carbon sequestration, biodiversity, water quality and water quantity across the wider Firth of Forth region; 4) To derive data from peatland restoration sites at different times since intervention in contrast to a control site to yield insights into the likely timescales to realise benefits; 5) To establish typical benefit ranges from peatlands in different conditions and time since restoration. Total value of funding: £196,400

Professional membership

British Ecological Society
The British Ecological Society

Subject Editor Biogeosciences

Consulting Editor, Plant and Soil

IUCN Peatlands Biodiversity Advisory Group
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Member of advisory group for IUCN Peatlands biodiversity credits

Section Editor Plant and Soil

University Contribution

SIEC Management Group
Membership of the Scottish International Environment Centre Management Group as the academic lead for carbon

Research projects (7)

Synergistic global change impacts on belowground biodiversity and carbon stocks in mountain ecosystems.
PI: Dr Arthur Broadbent
Funded by: Natural Environment Research Council
–

Land-Sea interface: Let’s observe together!
PI: Professor Evangelos Spyrakos
Funded by: Innovate UK
–

Stabilisation of pyrogenic carbon in tropical grasslands (SPECTRAL)
PI: Professor Jens-Arne Subke
Funded by: Natural Environment Research Council
–

Will more productive Arctic ecosystems sequester less soil carbon? A key role for priming in the rhizosphere ("PRIME-TIME")
PI: Professor Philip Wookey
Funded by: Natural Environment Research Council
–

NSFDEB-NERC:Mycorrhizal drivers of SOM formation and decomposition
PI: Professor Jens-Arne Subke
Funded by: Natural Environment Research Council
–

Synthesizing evidence of forest-to-bog restoration impacts on carbon emissions
PI: Professor Jens-Arne Subke
Funded by: Scottish Government
–

Permafrost catchments in transition: hydrological controls on carbon cycling and greenhouse gas budgets
PI: Professor Jens-Arne Subke
Funded by: Natural Environment Research Council
–

Outputs (66)

Video

Do wildfires play a role in the long-term carbon cycle?

Subke J, Parker R, Bilby E, Carron J & Parker T (2025) Do wildfires play a role in the long-term carbon cycle?. [Video] 08.09.2025. https://timeforgeography.co.uk/videos-container/do-wildfires-play-a-role-in-the-long-term-carbon-cycle/

Article

An incubation study of GHG flux responses to a changing water table linked to biochemical parameters across a peatland restoration chronosequence

Hermans R, Zahn N, Andersen R, Teh YA, Cowie N & Subke J (2019) An incubation study of GHG flux responses to a changing water table linked to biochemical parameters across a peatland restoration chronosequence. Mires and Peat, 23 (2018/19), Art. No.: 08. http://mires-and-peat.net/pages/volumes/map23/map2308.php; https://doi.org/10.19189/MaP.2018.DW.354

Article

Abundant pre-industrial carbon detected in Canadian Arctic headwaters – implications for the permafrost carbon feedback

Dean J, van der Velde Y, Garnett MH, Dinsmore KJ, Baxter R, Lessels JS, Smith P, Street LE, Subke J, Tetzlaff D, Washbourne I, Wookey P & Billett M (2018) Abundant pre-industrial carbon detected in Canadian Arctic headwaters – implications for the permafrost carbon feedback. Environmental Research Letters, 13 (3), Art. No.: 034024. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aaa1fe

Article

Redox dynamics in the active layer of an Arctic headwater catchment; examining the potential for transfer of dissolved methane from soils to stream water

Street LE, Dean J, Billett M, Baxter R, Dinsmore KJ, Lessels JS, Subke J, Tetzlaff D & Wookey P (2016) Redox dynamics in the active layer of an Arctic headwater catchment; examining the potential for transfer of dissolved methane from soils to stream water. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 121 (11), pp. 2776-2792. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JG003387

Book Review

Soil Carbon Science, Management and Policy for Multiple Benefits

Subke J (2015) Soil Carbon Science, Management and Policy for Multiple Benefits. Review of: Soil Carbon; Science, Management and Policy for Multiple Benefits. Banwart SA, Noellemeyer E, Milne E (Eds.); SCOPE Series Volume 71. CABI, Wallingford, UK, 2015, xix+391pp. ISBN 978 1 78064 532 2.. European Journal of Soil Science, 66 (4), p. 835. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12258

Conference Paper (published)

Microbial adaptation to temperature increases the vulnerability of carbon stocks in Arctic and Boreal soils to climate change

Karhu K, Auffret M, Dungait J, Fraser F, Hopkins D, Prosser J, Singh B, Subke J, Wookey P, Agren G & Hartley I (2013) Microbial adaptation to temperature increases the vulnerability of carbon stocks in Arctic and Boreal soils to climate change. In: EGU General Assembly 2013. Geophysical Research Abstracts, 15. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2013, Vienna, Austria, 07.04.2013-12.04.2013. Munich, Germany: European Geosciences Union, pp. EGU2013-2624. http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2013/EGU2013-2624.pdf

Article

The moisture response of soil heterotrophic respiration: Interaction with soil properties

Moyano FE, Vasilyeva NA, Bouckaert L, Cook F, Craine JM, Don A, Epron D, Formanek P, Franzluebbers A, Ilstedt U, Katterer T, Orchard V, Reichstein M, Rey A, Ruamps LS, Subke J, Thomsen IK & Chenu C (2012) The moisture response of soil heterotrophic respiration: Interaction with soil properties. Biogeosciences, 9 (3), pp. 1173-1182. http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=yv4JPVwI&eid=2-s2.0-84859149160&md5=d1216de75079b0ca1ebc6bb11c75dbb3; https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-1173-2012

Article

Does the temperature sensitivity of decomposition of soil organic matter depend upon water content, soil horizon, or incubation time?

Reichstein M, Subke J, Angeli AC & Tenhunen JD (2005) Does the temperature sensitivity of decomposition of soil organic matter depend upon water content, soil horizon, or incubation time?. Global Change Biology, 11 (10), pp. 1754-1767. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.001010.x/abstract; https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.001010.x

Article

Comparison of different chamber techniques for measuring soil CO2 efflux

Pumpanen J, Kolari P, Ilvesniemi H, Minkkinen K, Vesala T, Niinistö S, Lohila A, Larmola T, Morero M, Pihlatie M, Janssens I, Yuste JC, Grunzweig JM, Reth S, Subke J, Savage K, Kutsch W, Ostreng G, Ziegler W, Anthoni P, Lindroth A & Hari P (2004) Comparison of different chamber techniques for measuring soil CO2 efflux. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 123 (3-4), pp. 159-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2003.12.001

Research programmes

Research centres/groups