STAFF PROFILE
Dr Samantha Grover
Position:
Senior Lecturer
College / Portfolio:
STEM College
School / Department:
STEM|School of Science
Phone:
+61399251982
Email:
samantha.grover@rmit.edu.au
Campus:
City Campus
Contact me about:
Research supervision
Soil scientist, connector, creator; seeking sustainable solutions to social ecological challenges by combining technical innovation with deep stakeholder engagement.
I lead the Soil-Atmosphere-Anthroposphere Lab at RMIT University. Our research explores the interconnections between food, climate change and people. We collaborate with farmers, NGOs, industry, government and other researchers around the world to more sustainably manage landscapes. We focus on high carbon systems such as peatlands, regenerative agriculture and composting. As a soil scientist, I apply techniques from soil physics, soil chemistry and soil microbiology with micrometeorology to explore the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. I collaborate with economists, social scientists, policy analysist as well as other biological and physical scientists to generate whole-of-system knowledge. Through my teaching of Bachelors and Masters of Environmental Science, as well as my public engagement as a Superstar of STEM, President of Soil Science Australia, VIC, various Board and Committee roles and growing media profile, I communicate my research to create impact. As we enter the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, I aspire to make a nationally and internationally significant contribution to reversing climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Leader, Soil-Atmosphere-Anthroposphere Lab
- Course Co-ordinator, The Soil Environment
I am working from home in line with COVID restrictions. I work part time and have two children in remote learning so my availability is varied in 2020.
- Bachelor of Arts (Melbourne), Bachelor of Science (Melbourne)
- Bachelor of Science Honours (La Trobe)
- PhD (La Trobe)
- Accredited Partnership Broker
- Certified Professional Soil Scientist
- Victorian President, Soil Science Australia
- TERN Ozflux Steering Committee
- International Mire Conservation Group Board member
- Verbeke, B.,Lamit, L.,Grover, S.,Chanton, J. P., et al, . (2022). Latitude, Elevation, and Mean Annual Temperature Predict Peat Organic Matter Chemistry at a Global Scale In: Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 36, 1 - 17
- Haeffner, M.,Hames, F.,Barbour, M.,Reeves, J.,Platell, G.,Grover, S. (2022). Expanding collaborative autoethnography into the world of natural science for transdisciplinary teams In: One Earth, 5, 157 - 167
- Grover, S. (2022). Distribution, nature and threats to soils of the Australian Alps: A review In: Austral Ecology, 47, 166 - 188
- Beringer, J.,Moore, C.,Cleverly, J.,Grover, S., et al, S. (2022). Bridge to the future: Important lessons from 20 years of ecosystem observations made by the OzFlux network In: Global Change Biology, 28, 3489 - 3514
- Silvester, E.,Karis, T.,Yusuf, A.,Pengelly, J.,Grover, S.,Rees, G. (2021). Organic carbon and nitrogen dynamics during a peatland storm event: How dissolved combined amino acids reveal the spatial and temporal separation of organic molecules In: Journal of Hydrology, 597, 1 - 10
- Gunawardhana, M.,Silvester, E.,Jones, O.,Grover, S. (2021). Evapotranspiration and biogeochemical regulation in a mountain peatland: insights from eddy covariance and ionic balance measurements In: Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, 36, 1 - 19
- Livesley, S.,Bristow, M.,Grover, S.,Beringer, J.,Arndt, S.,Hutley, L. (2021). Soil carbon density can increase when Australian savanna is converted to pasture, but may not change under intense cropping systems In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 319, 1 - 11
- Serk, H.,Nilsson, M.,Bohlin, E.,Grover, S., et al, . (2021). Global CO2 fertilization of Sphagnum peat mosses via suppression of photorespiration during the twentieth century In: Scientific Reports, 11, 1 - 11
- Cleverly, J.,Vote, C.,Isaac, P.,Grover, S., et al, . (2020). Carbon, water and energy fluxes in agricultural systems of Australia and New Zealand In: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 287, 1 - 16
- Grover, S.,Butterly, C.,Wang, X.,Gleeson, D.,Macdonald, L.,Hall, D.,Tang, C. (2020). An agricultural practise with climate and food security benefits: “Claying” with kaolinitic clay subsoil decreased soil carbon priming and mineralisation in sandy cropping soils In: Science of the Total Environment, 709, 134488 - 11
8 PhD Current Supervisions
High Carbon Soils: peatland restoration, organic recycling and regenerative agriculture
Soils and climate change are connected. The Soil-Atmosphere-Anthroposphere Lab explores these connections to solve environmental problems in urban, rural and global settings. Techniques from soil chemistry, physics and biology as well micrometeorological approaches are applied in field and laboratory experiments in Australia and overseas. Peatland restoration in Australia and Indonesia, recycling and upcycling of urban organic waste, urban greenhouse gas fluxes and agricultural practises that enhance soil health and increase carbon storage are current foci of the Lab. Highly motivated and talented students are welcome to apply for postgraduate research positions.
- Reimagining restored landscapes and Invasive species in Victoria's National Parks. Funded by: Veski - Inspiring Women Career Recovery Grants from (2022 to 2023)
- The link between microbial community diversity and function, carbonchemistry and water table depth in Alpine Sphagnum peatlands. Funded by: Parks Victoria Research Partners Grant 2017 onwards from (2022 to 2023)
- Building resilient alpine environments with less snow (Administered by Deakin). Funded by: ARC Linkage Project Grants 2019 from (2021 to 2024)
- Upcycling Domestic Food Waste 2.0: Aeration, Water Content and Temperature in Home Compost Systems. Funded by: DIIS - Innovations Connections - Competitive from (2021 to 2022)
- Validating technologies for assessing and monitoring the impacts of re-wetting of peatland Indonesia using eddy flux towers coupled with the Chameleon sensors. Funded by: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Competitive Grants from (2020 to 2023)