This month's Women in Soil Science-Australia Seminar Series speaker is Dr Yunyun (Allie) Zheng who will be speaking on "The Priming Effect as a Mechanistic Lens on Soil Carbon Stability"

About the speaker

Dr Yunyun (Allie) Zheng is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Soil Science in the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability at the University of Queensland. She completed her PhD at La Trobe University, then moved to the University of Western Australia to study the microbial interactions in carbon and nitrogen cycling before moving to her current role. She aims to improve soil health for sustainable agricultural production and environmental protection. Her research spans the areas of plant-soil-microbe interactions, soil microbiology, nutrients cycling and the recycling of organic wastes, currently focusing on (i) the development of advanced and novel methodologies for investigation of plant-soil-microbe interactions; (ii) dynamics of nutrients (N, P, K) and carbon in soils including greenhouse gas emissions; and (iii) soil carbon sequestration and persistence.

Abstract

This seminar will show how we explore the priming effect as a window into soil carbon stability. When fresh organic carbon enters soil, it can stimulate or suppress the decomposition of existing carbon pools—revealing hidden vulnerabilities within seemingly stable fractions. By examining priming responses across different soils and carbon fractions, we gain insight into how microbial processes regulate the persistence of both recent and older carbon. This seminar will also highlight emerging opportunities to resolve carbon–microbe–mineral interactions at finer spatial scales, offering new perspectives on the mechanisms underpinning soil carbon persistence.

Contact the host of Women in Soil Science-Australia Seminar Series: Dr Yunyun (Allie) Zheng

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