I am a Soil scientist interested on developing sustainable and climate resilient agroecosystems. My PhD research focused on understanding plant and soil interactions in relation with soil organic carbon storage, water, and nutrient cycling in grassland systems in New Zealand. I worked as a Research Associate at Lancaster University on the Restoring Degraded African Landscapes (ReDEAL) project, focusing especially on restoring soil organic carbon content of degraded grasslands in Kenya. My current research at the University of Stirling is focused on assessing the role of biotic drivers on the formation and stabilisation of pyrogenic carbon under tropical grasslands (SPECTRAL), project funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.
I have an especial interest on assessing the potential of more biodiverse agricultural systems to increase plant productivity while maintaining or enhancing soil functionality and health. I am also interested on using stable isotope approaches and soil spectroscopy.
Editorial
Optimising management practices to secure grassland agroecosystems' sustainability
Li Z, Li Y, Yao B & Medina-Carmona CR (2024) Optimising management practices to secure grassland agroecosystems' sustainability. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1507692
Article
Li Y, Li Y, Zhang Q, Xu G, Liang G, Kim D, Carmona CR, Yang M, Xue J, Xiang Y, Yao B & Shen Y (2024) Enhancing soil carbon and nitrogen through grassland conversion from degraded croplands in China: Assessing magnitudes and identifying key drivers of phosphorus reduction. Soil and Tillage Research, 236, Art. No.: 105943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2023.105943
Article
Seasonal irrigation affects the partitioning of new photosynthate carbon in soil
Carmona CR, Clough TJ, McNally SR, Beare MH, Tregurtha CS & Hunt JE (2020) Seasonal irrigation affects the partitioning of new photosynthate carbon in soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 143, Art. No.: 107751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107751
