User:David Robinson (Soil Scientist)

David A. Robinson is a soil scientist working at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Bangor, N. Wales. He gained a BSc in Soils and the Environment at Reading University and then conducted research at the Institute of Hydrology for a PhD degree at the University of Ulster in Coleraine, N. Ireland. The research focused on the development of sensor technology to measure soil moisture including time domain reflectometry and capacitance probes. Much of his career has focused on improving technologies for measuring soil moisture and understanding soil moisture dynamics in field soils.

David A. Robinson Center for Ecology and Hydrology ECW, Bangor, N. Wales

Webpage: https://sites.google.com/site/davidrobinsonsoils/

Soils are a complex material and are a vital natural resource forming the interface at the earths surface that is crucial to regulating the functioning of the earth system. Soils contribute to important ecosystem services ranging from flood and drought regulation to waste recycling. Recent research has focused on bridging soil science concepts and frameworks with the ecosystems approach which has been widely adopted by policy making organizations. Much of the research stresses the importance of considering soil natural capital as well as ecosystem services as a way of identifying important soil properties that contribute to soil function. An important contribution is a typology for soil natural capital based on mass, energy and organization.