Professional summary
Dr D Elias is a soil biogeochemist in the Plant-Soil Interactions group at UKCEH Lancaster whose current research assesses fundamental and applied questions of how land-use change and land management influence plant-soil interactions, biosphere-atmosphere GHG exchange and soil carbon persistence. His fundamental research addresses how micro-scale processes in soils control soil carbon persistence and applied research explores novel agronomic management practices that balance agronomic production with environmental outcomes (GHG reduction and removal, nutrient leaching, soil health).
He currently holds industry funding and works across wider UKRI funded research that covers numerous promising agricultural practices including biochar, enhanced rock weathering and low emission fertilizers. He has substantial expertise in the design and delivery of complex laboratory experiments using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope tracers and field trials to test both the performance of agronomic management interventions, in terms of crop productivity, GHG emissions and nutrient leaching, and improve fundamental understanding of soil biogeochemical processes.