Ian Clancy

Project Title: Carbon and Greenhouse Dynamics of Grassland Organic Soils

Overview: Ian is originally from Aughrim in Co. Wicklow. Growing up on a farm, he always had an interest in agriculture and the environment which led him to study this field in university.

Academically, Ian is a graduate of DCU (BA) and Maynooth University (MSc) in Geography. During his studies he gained fieldwork experience across a range of disciplines such as oceanography, climate science and paleoclimatology. From his academic background he has developed a strong interest in how scientific research can be utilised to create policy aimed at more sustainable land management.

Ian is currently working on quantifying carbon and trace gas fluxes from organic and organo-mineral soils using techniques such as Remote Sensing, Eddy Covariance, and  Chamber based approaches. This forms part of the Teagasc funded Carbosol project and will form part of the NASCO network activities. It is estimated these landscapes cover around 300,000ha and are drained for permanent pasture. They emit large quantities of CO₂ upon drainage which is further accelerated by the imposition of agricultural management. Going forward to goals set by the Climate Action Bill, it is inherently important that the emission factors of these soils are quantified, and the impact of rewetting is studied at ecosystem scale.

Programme Area: Environment, Soils and Land Use

Supervisors: Prof. Gary Lanigan, Dr. Conor Bracken, Dr. Rachael Murphy, and Dr. Matthew Saunders

Location: Teagasc Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford

Funding Source: Teagasc