Lancaster University

C4 photosynthesis is an ultra-efficient mode plant physiology that is used by our most productive food and bioenergy crops, including maize, sugarcane, and miscanthus. It… Read More »Why does C4 photosynthesis rarely evolve in trees?

With recent government green light for Lancashire fracking, concerns have arisen over the potential environmental impacts associated with drilling and shale gas production. One issue… Read More »Tracing environmental impacts associated with hydrocarbon production with novel geochemical techniques

Air pollution is a major problem in many parts of the world, and is particularly acute in countries with rapidly developing economies such as China.… Read More »Street-scale modelling of air quality in Beijing: Explaining spatial variability and assessing human exposure

Contamination of the world’s oceans by plastic waste is of growing international concern. The presence of persistent microplastic particles in very remote environments like the… Read More »Sources, transfer and fate of microplastics in the Arctic marine environment

Why this project is important: Solar parks are growing exponentially across the world and this growth is expected to continue. At the same time there… Read More »Solar parks: refuges for pollinators and boosting pollination services

Can our upland landscapes provide clean drinking water, store carbon, maintain biodiversity, act as a platform for leisure activities and provide a rural economy around… Read More »Mountain soil resilience to land-use and climate extremes

Around six million people fish on coral reefs, and the fish they catch provide critical sources of protein, micronutrients and income for many millions more.… Read More »Implications of coral reef degradation for fisheries