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Milica Radanovic’s Three Minute Thesis


Identifying Soil Microbial Transformations as Drivers of Nitrous Oxide Loss from Agroecosystems

Agricultural systems need to use nitrogen (N) fertilizers to increase crop yield to meet dietary needs of the growing human population. This results in excess N loading into soils and increases soil microbial activity. Enhanced microbial processing of available N leads to N pollution in the atmosphere and water systems. Nitrous oxide (N2O), an extremely potent greenhouse gas, is released during these biological processes but the mechanisms responsible for N2O release are not fully understood. I propose the utilization of molecular techniques and naturally occurring stable isotopes to determine the real-time biological origin of soil emitted N2O. This approach will make it possible to determine how environmental factors, such as soil temperature and moisture, drive biological communities responsible for N2O loss. This work is imperative if we wish to implement agricultural management practices that will decrease gaseous N loss without affecting crop yield. The global population is continuing to increase, and food production needs to increase by more than 50% by 2050 to sustain predicted population sizes. Nitrogen fertilizer application will also need to increase to meet growing dietary demands and this will increase harmful N2O emissions. Identifying the biological communities responsible for N2O loss will allow for implementation of management practices to protect human and environmental health.

About Milica

Milica Radanovic is a PhD candidate in Biology in the School of Biological Sciences. Her thesis works to identify biological communities responsible for nutrient transformation and greenhouse gas release in agroecosystems. She is passionate about STEM outreach and education and works to make scientific findings accessible to everyone.