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Professor Donald Davidson FRSEProfessor of Soil SciencePhD - Sheffield
Room 4B186 - Cottrell Building Biological & Environmental Sciences
tel: +44 1786 467844 |
Research Interests
Applied soil science, including:
- land evaluation techniques
- computer mapping of soil properties
- micromorphology
- soil analysis for archaeology
Broad Subject Area of Current Research
Soil micromorphology with special reference to effects of past cultivation practices; legacy of contamination from manuring in the past ; soils and archaeology
Some Current Activities:
Appointed by the Scottish Government to Chair the Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Editor-in-Chief Soil Use and Management(Wileys-Blackwells on behalf of the British Society of Soil Science)
Recent Research Projects
NERC. £173,000. (1999-2002) (with I Grieve et al). Interactions of soil biodiversity, micromorphology, structure and organic matter
NERC. £95,000 (1999-2002). In addition, 3 research studentships. (with I Grieve, D Hopkins et al). Earthworm diversity and the integration of physical, biochemical and microbiological functions.
NERC (£36,000) (2002) Flow paths and rates of labelled carbon transfer within the spatial organisation of an upland grassland soil. (with I C Grieve)
Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (2002-4) (for Dr G Dercon) (c. £67,000). This is linked to the AHRB grant to the Centre for Environmental History; support for a 1 year RA to investigate historical sources on old manuring practices
Leverhulme Grant (2002-2004) ‘Did the disposal of seabird waste seriously pollute cultivated soils in remote islands of Scotland.’ In collaboration with staff from Aberdeen, Stirling share c. £27,000.
NERC Grant (2002-5). An evaluation of multi-element analysis to aid archaeological interpretation. (c. £188,000).
Historic Scotland (2005-6). Testing the potential of discriminant models of soil chemistry as a means of identifying former function on historic settlement sites. (£11,500).
NERC Grant (2005-7). Development of a soil analysis support system for archaeologists (SASSA). (£204,000) http://www.sassa.org.uk/
Publications since 2000
Andronikov, S., Davidson, D.A. and Speirs, R.B. (2000) Variability in contamination by heavy metals: sampling implications. Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 120, 29-45.
Simpson, I.A. and Davidson. D.A. (2000). Palaeosols of the Clava Cairns. In The Good Stones: a New Investigation of the Clava Cairns, R. Bradley (ed), Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Monograph Series No 17, 89-96.
Davidson, D.A. (2000). Soil quality assessment: recent advances and current controversies. Progress in Environmental Science 2, 342-350.
Long, D.J., Tipping, R., Carter, S., Boag, B. and Tyler, A.. (2000). The replication of pollen stratigraphies in soil pollen profiles: a test. In: M M Harley, C.M. Morton and S. Blackmore (eds). Pollen and spores: morphology and biology. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, pp. 481-497.
Davidson, D.A., Grieve, I.C. and Tyler, A.N. (2001). An assessment of soil erosion in Scotland. In (ed. A J. Connacher) Land Degradation, Kluwer, 93-108.
Davidson, D A. (2001). Soils as cultural resources. In (G Fellows-Jensen, ed) Denmark and Scotland: the environmental and cultural resources of small nations. Royal Danish Academy of Science and Letters, Historisk-filofiske Meddelelser 82, 171-180.
Davidson, D. A. and Simpson, I.A. (2001). Soil micromorphology and archaeology. In (D. Brothwell and M. Pollard eds), Handbook of Archaeological Sciences Wileys, 167-177.
Tyler, A.N., Davidson, D.A. and Grieve, I.C. 2001. In situ radiometric mapping of soil erosion and field-moist bulk density on cultivated fields. Soil Use and Management 17, 88-96.
Tyler, A.N., Carter, S., Davidson, D. A., Long, D. J., Tipping, R. (2001) The extent and significance of bioturbation on 137Cs distributions in upland soils. Catena 43, 81-99.
Adderley, W. P., Simpson, I.A and Davidson, D.A. 2002. Colour description and quantification in mosaic images of soil thin sections. Geoderma 108, 181-195.
Davidson, D.A., Bruneau, P.M.C. and Grieve, I.C. 2002. Impacts of fauna on an upland grassland soil as determined by quantitative micromorphological analysis. Applied Soil Biology 20, 133-143.
Bruneau, P.M.C. Ostle , N., Davidson, D.A., Grieve, I.C. and Fallick A. 2002. Determination of rhizosphere 13C pulse signals in soil thin sections by Laser Ablation Isotope Ratio Mass Spectromery (LA-IRMS). Rapid Communication in Mass Spectrometry, 16, 2190-2194.
Davidson, D.A. (2002). Bioturbation in old arable soils: quantitative evidence from soil micromorphology. Journal of Archaeological Science, 29, 1247-1253.
Davidson, D.A. (2002). The assessment of land resources: achievements and new challenges. Australian Geographical Studies 40, 109-128.
Davidson, D A and Carter, S P. (2003) Soils and their evolution. In Scotland after the Ice Age. (Kevin J Edwards and Ian B Ralston editors), Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, pp. 45-62.
Fu, B.J., Meng, Q.H., Quiu, Y., Zhao, W.W., Zhang, Q.J. & Davidson, D.A. 2004. Effects of land use on soil erosion and nitrogen loss in the hilly area of the loess plateau, China. Land Degradation and Development 15, 87-96.
Bruneau, P. M.C., Davidson, D. A. and Grieve, I. C. (2004) An evaluation of image analysis for measuring changes in void space and excremental features on soil thin sections in an upland grassland soil. Geoderma 120, 165-175
Davidson, D.A., Bruneau, P.M.C., Grieve, I.C. and Wilson, C.A. (2004) Micromorphological assessment of the effect of liming on faunal excrement in an upland grassland soil. Applied Soil Ecology 26, 169 – 177.
Adderley, W.P., Davidson, D.A., Salt, C.A., Grieve, I.C. and Hopkins, D.W. (2004) Priorities towards national-level soil protection: a survey of soil stake-holders in Scotland. Soil Use and Management 20, 190 – 194.
Grieve, I.C., Davidson, D.A. and Bruneau, P.M.C. (2005) Effects of soil fauna on void space and aggregation in an upland soil. Geoderma, 125, 39 – 48.
Dercon, G., Davidson, D.A., Dalsgaard, K., Simpson, I.A., Spek, T. and Thomas, J. (2005) Formation of sandy anthropogenic soils in NW Europe: identification of inputs based on particle size distribution. Catena, 59, 341 – 356.
Grieve, I.C., Davidson, D.A. and Bruneau, P.M.C. 2005. Effects of liming on void space and aggregation in an upland grassland soil. Geoderma 125, 39 – 48.
Bruneau, P.M.C., Davidson, D.A., Grieve, I.C. Young, I.M. and Naoise, N. (2005) The effects of horizons and excrement on bacterial distribution in an upland grassland soil. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 52, 139 – 144.
Lancaster, S., Davidson, D.A. and Simpson, I.A. (2005) Soil micromorphology. In R. Bradley (ed) The Moon and the Bonfire: an investigation of three stone circles in north-east Scotland, Society of Antiquaries for Scotland, pp. 42 – 46 and 68 – 72.
Adesodun, J.K., Davidson, D.A. and Hopkins, D.W. (2005) Micromorphological evidence for changes in soil faunal activity following application of sewage sludge and biocide. Applied Soil Ecology, 29, 39 – 45.
Davidson, D.A. and Simpson, I.A. (2005). The time dimension in landscape ecology: cultural soils and spatial pattern in early landscapes. In Issues and perspectives in landscape ecology, (J Wiens and M Moss, editors), Cambridge UP, pp. 152 – 158.
Guttmann, E.B., Simpson, I.A. and Davidson, D.A. (2005). Manuring practices in antiquity: a review of the evidence. In Fertile Ground: papers in honour of Susan Limbrey. Symposia of the Association of Environmental Archaeology No.22, Oxbow Books, 68 – 76.
Wilson, C, Davidson, D.A. and Cresser, M. (2005). An evaluation of multi-element analysis of contaminated soils to differentiate space use and former function in and around abandoned farms. The Holocene 15, 1094-1099.
Golding, K.A. and Davidson, D.A. (2005). The effect of past waste disposal on soils near to Scottish Burghs. SEESOIL 16, 28 – 36.
Grieve, I.C., Davidson, D.A., Ostle, N.J., Bruneau, P.M.C. and Fallick, A.E. (2006). Spatial heterogeneity in the relocation of added 13C within the structure of an upland grassland soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38, 229-234.
Adderley, W.P., Simpson, I.A. and Davidson, D.A. (2006). Historic landscape management: a validation of quantitative soil thin section analyses. Journal of Archaeological Science 33, 320-334.
Guttmann, E.B., Simpson, I.A., Davidson, D.A. and Dockrill, S.J. (2006). The management of arable land from prehistory to the present: case studies from the Northern Isles of Scotland. Geoarchaeology 21, 61 – 92.
Davidson, D.A, Dercon,G.,Stewart, M.and Watson, F. (2006). The legacy of past urban waste disposal on local soils, Journal of Archaeological Science 33, 778-783.
Wilson, C.A., Cresser, M.S. and Davidson, D.A. (2006). Sequential extraction of soils from abandoned farms: an investigation of the partitioning of anthropogenic element inputs from historic land use. Journal of Environmental Monitoring 8, 419 – 424.
Wilkinson, K., Tyler, A., Davidson, D., Grieve, I. (2006) Quantifying the threat to archaeological sites from the erosion of cultivated soil. Antiquity 80, 658-670.
Co-editor of special issue of Applied Soil Ecology (Vol 33, no 2, 2006) on Soil Biodiversity in an Upland Grassland.
Davidson, D.A. and Grieve, I.C. (2006) Relationships between biodiversity and soil structure and function: evidence from laboratory and field experiments. Applied Soil Ecology 33, 176 – 185.
Davidson, D.A. and Grieve, I.C. (2006) The influence of soil fauna on soil structural attributes under a limed treated upland grassland. Land Degradation and Development 17, 393 – 400.
Meharg, A, Deacon, C, Edwards, K.J., Donaldson, M., Davidson, D.A., Spring, C., Scrimgeour, C.M., Feldman, N, J. & Rabb A. (2006) Ancient manuring practices pollute arable land. Chemosphere 64, 1818-1828.
Davidson, D.A., Wilson, C.A., Meharg, A.A., Deacon, C. and Edwards, K.J. (2007) The legacy of past manuring practices on soil contamination in remote rural areas. Environment International 33, 78-83.
Adesodun, J.K., Davidson, D.A. and Mbagwu, J.S.C. In press. Soil faunal activity of an oil-polluted tropical alfisol amended with organic wastes as determined by micromorphological observations. Applied Soil Ecology. Doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2007.11.006
Wilson, C.A., Davidson, D.A. and Cresser, M.S. In press. Multi-element soil analysis: an assessment of its potential as an aid to archaeological interpretation. Journal of Archaeological Science. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2007.04.006
Papers in Press
Co-editor of special issue of Applied Soil Ecology on Soil Biodiversity in an Upland Grassland.
Davidson, D.A. and Grieve, I.C. (in press) The influence of soil fauna on soil structural attributes under a limed treated upland grassland. Land Degradation and Development.
Davidson, D.A. and Grieve, I.C. (in press) Relationships between biodiversity and soil structure and function: evidence from laboratory and field experiments. Applied Soil Ecology.
Meharg, A, Deacon, C, Edwards, K.J., Donaldson, M., Davidson, D.A., Spring, C., Scrimgeour, C.M., FeldmanN, J. & Rabb A. (in press) Ancient manuring practices pollute arable land. Chemosphere.
Links
Member of the Research Network
in Europe for the Evalution & Conservation
of Land Resources
