Geoforensics and Information Management for crime Investigation (GIMI)

Project Staff - Lorna Dawson

Dr. Lorna Dawson BSc, PhD.

Soils Group,
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute,
Craigiebuckler,
Aberdeen, AB15 8QH

l.dawson@macaulay.ac.uk
www.macaulay.ac.uk
http://www.macaulay.ac.uk/staff/staffdetails.php?lornadawson

Tel: +44 (0) 1224 395000
Fax: +44 (0) 1224 311556

Current research activities

Dr. Lorna Dawson is a Senior Soil scientist at the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (MLURI). She is PI on the EPSRC funded project, Integration of soil Fingerprinting Techniques for Forensic applications (SoilFit), developing tools for soil characterisation for use in forensics (2005-2008), with David Barclay, Pat Wiltshire (U of Aberdeen), Duncan Pirrie (Camborne School of Mines), Karl Ritz and Pat Bellamy (NSRI), and Crawford Jordan (DARD). This project also involves NCPE and the FSS. She is the Co- PI on this GIMI network project (2006-2009).

Her related research interests are; the use of stable isotope analysis in forensics with Andy Midwood (analytical dept, Macaulay) and Wolfram Meier-Augenstein (Queens, Belfast), developing the use of soil in international forensic investigations - Rob Fitzpatrick (CAFSS), Jacqui Horswell (ESR, New Zealand) and Rob Morrison (DPRA, CA, USA), collaboration on research projects on soil as physical evidence with Andrew Morrisson and Kevin Edwards (RGU, Aberdeen). She is an international member of CAFSS, member of BAHID, BSSS and BES.

She has been awarded grants from the RSE International Exchange Programme to help link to the Soil Forensics International Network, and from the RS to attend and present at The 18th International Symposium on the Forensic Sciences: classroom to courtroom (Perth, Australia, 2-7 April 2006). She was also invited to give a lecture at the International workshop on soil in criminal and environmental forensics (Freemantle, Australia, 8-10 April 2006). She has presented at the Forensic Geoscience conference, Burlington House, London, 3rd - 4th March 2003, and at the Mineralogical Society conference, London, 30th October 2003.

She is currently working on a range of other projects: investigating the contribution of root litter to carbon inputs to soil and the influence of litter on soil organic matter formation in upland ecosystems, quantifying the rates and fate of carbon inputs into soils by trees and understory vegetation of regenerating woodlands, risk-based methodologies to assess soil quality, and management of soils to enhance function and value. She is also currently involved in research into anthropogenic influences on carbon dynamics in peatlands(ACES PhD studentship, 2005-2008), the contribution of fine root turnover to soil organic matter dynamics (MDT PhD studentship, 2001-2006), and on the biodiversity of invertebrate root feeders and their impact on soil microbial communities (NERC Soil Biodiversity Programme, 1999- 2004).

Publications

Brewer, M.J., Filipe, J.A.N., Elston, D.A., Dawson, L.A., Mayes, R.W., Soulsby, C. and Dunn, S.M. (2005).  A hierarchical model for compositional data analysis.  Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics, 10, 19-34.

Dawson, L.A., Towers, W., Mayes, R.W., Craig, J., Vaisanen, K. and Waterhouse, E.C. (2004) The use of plant wax signatures in characterising soil organic matter. In: Forensic Geoscience:  Principles, Techniques and Applications. Eds Pye K & Croft DJ Geological Society Special Publication 232, 269-276.

Dawson, L.A., Grayston, S.J., Murray, P.J., Ross, J.M., Reid, E.J. and Treonis,A.M. (2004). Impact of Tipula paludosa larvae on plant growth and the soil microbial community. Applied Soil Ecology, 25, 51-61.

Staddon, P.L., Ostle, N., Dawson, L.A., and Fitter, A.H. (2003). The speed of soil carbon throughput in an upland grassland is increased by liming. Journal of Experimental Botany, 54, 1461-1469.

Murray P J, Dawson L A and Grayston S J (2002) Influence of root herbivory on growth response and carbon assimilation by white clover plants. Applied Soil Ecology 20: 97-105.

Dawson, L.A., Mayes, R.W., Elston, D.A. and Smart, T.S. (2000.) Root hydrocarbons as potential markers for determining species composition. Plant, Cell and Environment 23, 743-750