Dr Susan Owen

Current work

I study emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from vegetation, soil and other natural sources, and their contribution to atmospheric chemistry and air quality. I am interested in the physiological, ecological and environmental controlling factors of emissions, and interactions between climate change variables and regional VOC emission estimates. I also collaborate with soil microbiologists to investigate the role of biogenic VOCs as co-metabolites for persistent pollutants in soils.

Currently, I chair the Data Management Committee for the NitroEurope Integrated Project, keeping a broad overview of data management activities associated with the field and experimental measurements, and modelling and up-scaling.  I am a Data Centre Manager, taking a leading role in development, use and maintenance of the database for Components 1-3. This contributes to Delivery Plan topic BGC1.2, BGC1.3, BGC2.3 and EIDC1.2.

I am investigating the effect of (VOCs) in rhizosphere and soil surfaces on greenhouse gas flux from natural and managed ecosystems, working in forest research plots (Scots pine, Sitka Spruce), a NitroEurope forest, Speulder, (Douglas fir), and in collaboration with the Consolider project, Catalonia (Pinus halepensis), and with a CEH biofuel crop project in Lincolnshire (willow and elephant grass). This contributes to Delivery Plan Topic BGC2 (all objectives), BD1.4 and BD2.1.

Brief CV

• 15 years of research experience in plant volatile isoprenoids, previously at the Institute of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Lancaster University, the Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and at CEH, Edinburgh.
• Organised and participated in field work in eight European countries, and in Hawaii, Colorado, Botswana, China and Borneo (including participation in OP3 http://www.es.lancs.ac.uk/op3/index.html).
• 32 publications in high impact journals (and seven in preparation). World-wide contacts and collaborators. Success in attracting research funding. H-index=12.
• A wide range of research, managerial, communications, computing and modelling skills in the fields of atmospheric chemistry, plant physiology and ecology.
• Technical expertise and experience with GC-MS. Limited experience with PTR-MS. Some experience of Fortran programming in a Lagrangian model for chemistry and transport of pollutants in the atmosphere. Some experience with GIS.
• Experience of supervising students and small research teams, and organising and executing field-work in the UK and abroad in European and tropical locations.

Previous positions

• 2004-2007: Marie Curie Training Network Research Fellow, CREAF, Barcelona, Spain, with Professor Josep Penuelas.
• 2001-2004: Research Fellow, Lancaster University, UK. Quantifying natural volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from a variety of tropical forest canopies in Borneo, and investigating environmental controls for these fluxes.
• 1999-2001: Postdoctoral Research Associate Lancaster University, UK, with Professor Nick Hewitt.

Please follow this link for more comprehensive CV

Selected publications

See also NERC Open Research Archive

http://www.researcherid.com/rid/A-5051-2009

McCLoughlin E., Owen S.M.,  Rhodes A. and Semple K. Investigating biogenic volatile organic compounds as a potential stimulator for pollutant degradation by soil microorganisms. Environmental Pollution, 157, 86–94, 2009.

Asensio D., Owen S.M., Llusià J., Peñuelas J. The distribution of volatile isoprenoids in the soil horizons around Pinus halepensis trees. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 40(12) 2937-2947, 2008.

Wang Y.F., Owen S.M., Li Q.J. and Penuelas J. Monoterpene emissions from rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) in a changing landscape and climate: Chemical speciation and environmental control. Global Change Biology 13(11) 2270-2282. 2007.

Rhodes A.H., Owen S.M., Semple K.T. (2007) Biodegradation of 2,4-DCP in the presence of volatile organic compounds in soils under different vegetation types. FEMS Microbiology letters 269 (2) 323-330, 2007.

Akira Tani, Shungo Kato, Yoshizumi Kajii, Michael Wilkinson, Sue Owen, Nick Hewitt, A proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry based system for determining plant uptake of volatile organic compounds. Atmospheric Environment 41 (8) 1736-1746, 2007.

Owen S.M., Clarke S., C.N. Hewitt, K. Semple, Biogenic volatile organic compounds as potential carbon sources for soil microflora in soil from the rhizosphere of Populus tremula. FEMS Microbiology Letters 268, 34-39, 2007.

Lin C., Owen S.M. and Penuelas J. Volatile organic compounds in the roots and rhizosphere of Pinus spp. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 39(4) 951-960, 2007.

Owen S.M., A.R. MacKenzie, R.G.H. Bunce, H.E. Stewart, R.G. Donovan, G. Stark and C.N. Hewitt, Urban land classification and its uncertainties using principal component and cluster analyses: A case study for the UK West Midlands. Landscape and Urban Planning. 78(4), 311-321, 2006.

Wilkinson M.J., Owen S.M., Possell M., Hartwell J., Gould P., Hall A., Vickers C. and Hewitt C.N. Circadian control of isoprene emissions from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis). The Plant Journal. 47, 960-968, 2006.

Owen S.M. and J. Penuelas, Opportunistic emissions of isoprene and monoterpenes. Trends in Plant Science 10(9), 420 – 426, 2005.