Nick Ostle

Professor Nick Ostle is affiliated with the Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University. His research focuses on plant-soil biodiversity interactions, carbon cycling, and climate change mitigation across diverse ecosystems including peatlands, grasslands, and tropical forests.

• Research Themes: Ecosystem biogeochemistry, greenhouse gas exchanges, terrestrial carbon sequestration, and sustainable soil management.
• Key Projects: NERC-funded 'BALI' (tropical forest modification), 'Boreal N Gap' (nitrogen fixation), and 'WESSEX BESS' (grassland carbon dynamics); BBSRC's 'ECOTRAITS' and H2020's 'TUdi' (EU-China soil sustainability).
• Methods: Stable isotope probing (¹³C/¹⁵N), ¹⁴C dating, soil microbial molecular techniques, and greenhouse gas flux measurements.
• Teaching: Lectures in Biology, Ecology, and Environmental Science; leads 'Issues in Conservation Ecology' module and field trips to Scottish Highlands.
• Leadership: Director of NERC ENVISION Doctoral Training Programme; collaborates globally via visiting roles in China and EU projects.