Katy J. Faulkner

Katy J. Faulkner is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge, a position she has held since January 2023. Her research focuses on ecosystem responses to climate change in forest and peatland environments, with emphasis on soil-plant-microbe interactions and decomposition processes.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Warwick
• MRes in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation from Imperial College London
• BSc (Hons) in Biology from the University of Manchester

Dr. Faulkner's research spans soil ecology, climate change impacts, and ecosystem functioning. She investigates how drought, elevated CO2, and warming alter litter decomposition, soil food webs, and carbon cycling in temperate forests and peatlands. Her work integrates field experiments with ecological modeling to predict ecosystem responses under future climate scenarios, with particular focus on microbial processes and soil fauna dynamics.

Her recent publications reveal consistent themes in climate change ecology, including forest decomposition under stressors, peatland soil responses to warming, and agricultural peatland management for net zero goals. The research demonstrates methodological diversity across empirical field studies, meta-analyses, and theoretical modeling approaches.

Professional memberships include:

• Society for Applied Microbiology
• British Society of Soil Science
• British Ecological Society

Regarding advising and funding, current information indicates no formal PhD students supervised. Her postdoctoral position suggests research support through departmental funding or collaborative grants, though specific projects aren't detailed in the source material.