Philip Wookey

Professor Philip Wookey is an ecosystems ecologist/biogeochemist specializing in northern high-latitude ecosystems and environmental change. He holds a professorial position at the University of Stirling's Biological and Environmental Sciences department within the Faculty of Natural Sciences. His career spans institutions including Lancaster University, the University of Uppsala, and Heriot-Watt University. He leads the Environmental Biogeochemistry Research Group and has chaired major initiatives such as the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) and the International Arctic Science Committee's Terrestrial Working Group.

Education:

• BSc (Hons) Biology & Geography, University of Exeter, 1984
• PhD in Air Pollution Effects on Forest Soils, Lancaster University & Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, 1988

Research Focus:
Wookey’s work investigates Arctic and boreal soil carbon vulnerability to climate warming, with a focus on rhizosphere processes and mycorrhizal fungi. His research highlights risks of soil carbon losses due to warming-induced productivity shifts, published in top journals like Nature and Global Change Biology. He emphasizes Earth System context, linking process studies to global climate models.

Key Contributions:

• Co-founder of the UK Arctic and Antarctic Partnership (UKAAP)
• Chair of the Science Advisory Group Abisko (SAGA), Swedish Polar Research Secretariat
• Co-chair of the IASC Action Group on Carbon Footprint

Advising & Labs:
Leads the Environmental Biogeochemistry Research Group at Stirling, focusing on Arctic soil dynamics and climate feedbacks. His collaborative work includes NERC-funded projects on rhizosphere processes and soil organic carbon turnover.

Labs/Teams:
Environmental Biogeochemistry Research Group at the University of Stirling, collaborating with international networks like ITEX and IASC.