Academic Staff & Independent Research Fellows

Professor David J Beerling

Tel: +44 (0)114 222 4359
Fax: +44 (0)114 222 0002

Career/appointments

2009-present Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Awarder.
2008-2009. Edward P. Bass Distinguished Visiting Environmental Scholar, Yale University.
2002–present. Personal chair, University of Sheffield.
1999–2002. Reader, University of Sheffield.
1994–2002. Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Sheffield.
2001–2003. Recipient of a Philip Leverhulme Prize in Earth sciences. Leverhulme Trust.
Awarded in recognition of outstanding world-class research achievement in palaeobotany and palaeoclimatology.
1993–1994. Post-doctoral research associate. European Union, University of Sheffield.
1990–1993. Post-doctoral research associate. Natural Environment Research Council, University of London and University of Durham.
1990. PhD. University of Wales, Cardiff.
1987. BSc (Hons) University of Wales, Cardiff.

Key Research Interests

My interdisciplinary research group focuses on fundamental questions concerning the evolving dynamic
behaviour of Earth´s coupled biotic and physical systems over the Phanerozoic (past 540 Myr).

We aim to elucidate process-based understanding of the evolution of photosynthetic organisms, and their
associated biota, especially in relation feedbacks on climate, global geochemical cycles and atmospheric chemistry.

Our approach utilizes an integrated research framework interfacing between the biological and physical sciences.

This includes integrating across molecular genetics, experimental studies with extant plants from a
wide phylogenetic spectrum, geochemistry and palaeontology, and rigorous theoretical modelling of
biological and physical systems.

Selected Professional Activities (since 2000)

2008–present. Working Group. Stomata and climate change.Australian Research Council-New Zealand Network for Vegetation Function.
2008-present. Instructor. Urbino Summer School in Paleoclimatology (USSP). Past climate reconstruction and modelling techniques. Italy.
2007–present. Scientific Steering Committee, NERC/World Universities Network (WUN) weathering science consortium.
2007. World Universities Network, Paleo-Arctic Climates and Environments (PACE) scientific expedition to Svalbard.
2008. Arizona State University, Working Group. Development, design and scientific utility of large-scale variable atmosphere laboratory (NSF).
2007. University of California, Santa Cruz, Working Group. Dynamics of carbon release and sequestration: case studies of two early Eocene hyperthermals (NSF).
2006. Organizer/editor. Royal Society Discussion meeting: Trace gas biogeochemistry and
2004. University of California, Santa Cruz, Working group. Consequences of PETM greenhouse warming for biocomplexity and biogeochemical cycles (NSF).
2001. Royal Society Working Group, Land carbon sources and sinks.
2000–2003. NERC Peer Review Committee. Atmospheric Sciences.

Selected Recent Invited Lectures

Selected recent invited public understanding of science lectures
2009. Oxford University Press `Science at Sea´ lecturer. Southampton-New York.
2009. John H. Ostrom Lecturer, Peabody Museum, Yale University.
2008. Cosmo-Caixa lecturer, La Caixa Foundation, Science Museum, Barcelona, Spain.
2008. 10th International Science Festival, Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.
2008. The Guardian Hay Literary Festival, Hay-on-Wye.
2007. The Guardian Hay Literary Festival, Hay-on-Wye.
2007. Café Scientifique, Showroom Cinemas, Sheffield.

Selected recent invited science lectures
2009. Botanical Society of America (keynote).
2009. Environmental Science Centre/Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, University of Yale.
2009. Dept. Earth Sciences, Wesleyan University.
2009. Irish Plant Scientists´ Association meeting, Trinity College, Dublin (plenary).
2008. Eight Annual Venn Lecture, Mathematics Institute, University of Hull.
2008. Frontiers in Science Symposium, University of Tskuba, Tokyo, Japan (plenary).
2008. Edward P. Bass lecture, Yale Institute of Biospheric Studies, University of Yale.
2007. American Geophysical Union, Fall meeting, San Francisco, USA.

Current Research Students

PHD Students

Kate Hardy: Ectomycorrhizal mineral weathering

Joe Quirk: Arbuscular mycorrhizal mineral weathering

Lyla Taylor: Modelling biotic weathering in the long-term carbon cycle

Claire Humphreys: Function of arbuscular mycorrhizas in liverworts

Caspar Chater: Evo-devo of guard cell signalling

Eleanor Lloyd: Functional significance of toothy leaves

Simon Wallace: Evo-Devo of sporopollenin

Post-Doctoral Research Associates/Fellows

Andrew Fox: Modelling trace greenhouse gas-climate feedbacks in the Eocene (Leverhulme)

Megan Andrews: Experimental analyses of the biotic evolution and weathering (NERC)

Peter Franks: Evolution and physiology of stomata (UoS)

Katie Field: Mycorrhizal function in lower land plants (NERC)

David Walton: Modelling VOC emissions from the terrestrial biosphere (NERC)

Technical Support

Ben Palmer (NERC)

Stephanie Tille (NERC)

Selected Recent Publications

Books

Beerling, D.J. (2007) The Emerald Planet. How plants changed Earth´s history. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Beerling, D.J. & Woodward, F.I. (2001) Vegetation and the terrestrial carbon cycle. Modelling the first 400 million years. Cambridge University Press.

Praise for The Emerald Planet:

`My favourite non-fiction book this year´
Oliver Sacks, Book of the year, The Observer

`A gorgeous book about plants´
Steven Poole, The Guardian

`Wonderful´
Paul Falkowski, Nature

Edited Volumes

Beerling, D.J. (editor) (2009) Coevolution of photosynthetic organisms and the environment (Special Issue). Geobiology, 7, 97-264.

Beerling, D.J., Hewitt, C.N., Pyle, J.A. & Raven, J.A. (editors) (2007) Trace gas biogeochemistry and global change. Discussion meeting. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, A365, 1627-1954.

Selected Recent Scientific Papers

Beerling, D.J. (2009) Enigmatic Earth [Invited News & Views]. Nature Geoscience, 2, in press.

Beerling, D.J. & Franks, P.J. (2009) Evolution of stomatal function in `lower´ land plants [Invited]. New Phytologist, in press.

Pagani, M., Caldeira, K., Berner, R.A., & Beerling, D.J. (2009) The role of terrestrial vegetation in limiting atmospheric CO2 decline over the past 24 million years. Nature, 460, 85-88.

Franks, P.J. & Beerling, D.J. (2009) Maximum leaf conductance driven by atmospheric CO2 effects on stomatal size and density over geologic time. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, 106, 10343-10347.

View Franks & Beerling article

Beerling, D.J., Berner, R.A., Mackenzie, F.T., Harfoot, M. & Pyle, J.A. (2009) Methane and the CH4-related greenhouse effect over the past 400 million years. American Journal of Science, 309, 97-113.

Franks, P.J. & Beerling, D.J. (2008) CO2-forced evolution of plant gas exchange capacity and water-use efficiency over the Phanerozoic. Geobiology, 7, 227-236.

Fletcher, B.J., Brentnall, S.J., Anderson, C.W., Berner, R.A. & Beerling, D.J. (2008) Atmospheric carbon dioxide linked with Mesozoic and early Cenozoic climate change. Nature Geoscience, 1, 43-48.

Harfoot, M.B., Pyle, J.A. & Beerling, D.J. (2008) End-Permian ozone shield unaffected by oceanic hydrogen sulphide and methane releases. Nature Geoscience, 1, 247-252.

Leake, J.R., Cameron, D.D. & Beerling, D.J. (2008) Fungal fidelity in the myco-heterotroph-to-autotroph lifecycle of Lycopodiaceae: a case of parental nurture ? New Phytologist, 177, 572-576.

Beerling, D.J. (2008) Journal Club (Invited). Nature, 453, 827.

Lomax, B.H. et al. (2008) Plant spore walls as a record of long-term changes in ultraviolet-B radiation. Nature Geoscience, 1, 582-596.

Hansen, J., Sato, M., Kharecha, P., Beerling, D.J., Berner, R.A., Masson-Delmonte, V., Pagani, M., Raymo, M., Royer, D.L. & Zachos, J.C. (2008) Target atmospheric CO2: where should humanity aim ? The Open Atmospheric Science Journal, 2, 217-231.

Hansen et al full article

Beerling, D.J. & Fleming, A.J. (2007) Zimmermann´s telome theory of megaphyll leaf evolution: a molecular and cellular critique. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 10, 4-12.

Beerling, D.J., Harfoot, M., Lomax, B.H. & Pyle, J.A. (2007) The stability of the stratospheric ozone layer during the end-Permian eruption of the Siberian Traps. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, A365, 1843-1866.

Osborne, C.P. & Beerling, D.J. (2006) Nature´s green revolution: the remarkable evolutionary rise of C4 plants. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, B361, 173-194. 137.

Beerling, D.J. & Osborne, C.P. (2006) The origin of the savanna biome. Global Change Biology, 12, 2023-2031.

Possell, M., Hewitt, C.N. & Beerling, D.J. (2005) The effects of glacial atmospheric CO2 concentrations and climate on isoprene emissions by vascular plants. Global Change Biology, 11, 60-69.

Recent Publicity

Godderis, Y. & Donnadieu, Y. (2009) Climatic plant power. News & Views. Nature, 460, 40-41.

NERC Planet Earth online (2009) Plants saved the Earth from a frozen past.
http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=465

NERC Planet Earth online (2009) Plant leaf pores co-evolved with carbon dioxide. http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=449

NERC Planet Earth online (2009) Coal deposits provide a record of ancient methane emissions. http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=382.

Geoscience: ancient forests. Nature, 457, 766 (2009).

Scales, H. (2008) World´s greatest extinction not caused by toxic gases. National Geographic. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/03/080324-mass-extinction.html

Highfield, R. (2007) Scientists discover previous ozone thinning. Daily Telegraph, June 4.

Smith, L. (2007) Biggest ozone hole was not of man´s making. The Times, June 9.

Teaching

APS223 World Ecosystems

APS313 Global change

APS407 Research and study skills in Biology

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