Overview
My work focuses on environmental biogeochemical cycling staged in the context of environmental change. In particular I am interested in nutrient cycling in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. A consistent theme of my research prior to teaching has been the cycling of carbon in organic material and its subsequent release, storage and transport. This work has a strong analytical component supported by field and laboratory studies with modeling components.
Since joining Biosciences in Cornwall I have developed local research programmes that focus on monitoring the health and diversity of Cornwall's marine environment. Specifically I am working with students, Cornwall Wildlife Trust and local harbour authorities to monitor benthic community recruitment in the Fal and Seagrass health along the south coast of Cornwall.
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Qualifications
MSc in Ecology, PhD in carbon cycling, Senior Fellow of the HEA
Publications
Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year
Publications by category
Journal articles
Patterson C, Slater M, Early R, Laing C (2020). The status of Clibanarius erythropus after a recent range expansion to Great Britain, with the highest latitude recording of a gravid individual.
Marine Biodiversity Records,
13(1).
Abstract:
The status of Clibanarius erythropus after a recent range expansion to Great Britain, with the highest latitude recording of a gravid individual
Abstract
Background
In 2016, the range of the hermit crab Clibanarius erythropus expanded to South West Britain for the second time. C. erythropus primarily lives in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast of Europe from the Bay of Biscay to Morocco. The species has now been recorded on both the north and south coast of the South West peninsula of the UK from Newtrain Bay, on the north coast of Cornwall, to Wembury, on the south coast of Devon. It is unknown if the crab’s reappearance in the UK has been caused by a one-off colonisation event or by a continued influx of larvae.
Results
The population in the UK is made up of individual within a narrow size bracket, indicating a single colonisation event took place, and that the population is an ageing one. However, we also report the highest latitude recording of a gravid individual for the species.
Conclusion
A lack of gravid individuals was suggested to be why the species was unable to sustain its presence in the UK following a previous colonisation in 1960. This discovery hints that rising water temperatures may allow C. erythropus and other warm-water species to expand and sustain themselves in the UK. We also found crossover in shell utilisation between C. erythropus and the native hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus, suggesting that competition might occur between the two species.
Abstract.
Full text.
Laing CG, Granath G, Belyea LR, Allton KE, Rydin H (2014). Tradeoffs and scaling of functional traits in Sphagnum as drivers of carbon cycling in peatlands.
Oikos,
123(7), 817-828.
Abstract:
Tradeoffs and scaling of functional traits in Sphagnum as drivers of carbon cycling in peatlands
Growth and decomposition of Sphagnum controls turnover of a large global store of soil organic carbon. We investigated variation in morphological and physiological traits of Sphagnum shoots, and related this variation to canopy variables relevant to peatland carbon cycling. We sampled Sphagnum along a bog plateau-swamp forest gradient and measured a suite of shoot traits and canopy variables. Major axes of variation were identified using principal component analysis and correlated with canopy variables such as growth, biomass and decomposition. We also examined scaling of shoot traits with one another and with canopy variables. Two distinct tradeoffs in shoot traits emerged. From dry to wet habitats, individual metabolic rates and capitulum size increased while numerical density decreased, leading to faster growth and elongation on an individual basis. From treed to open habitats, photosynthetic efficiency decreased and photosynthetic biomass increased, driving faster growth on an area basis and slower litter mass loss. The tradeoffs identified have important implications for peatlands undergoing climate-related changes in water and light availability. Sphagnum trait comparisons, combined with scaling analyses, offer a promising approach to understanding and predicting the effects of environmental change on peatland carbon cycling. © 2014 the Authors.
Abstract.
Abbott GD, Swain EY, Muhammad A, Allton KA, Belyea LR, Laing CG, Cowie GR (2013). Effect of water-table fluctuations on the degradation of Sphagnum phenols in surficial peats. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 106, 177-191.
Laing CG, Shreeve TG, Pearce DME (2010). The fine scale variability of dissolved methane in surface peat cores. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 42, 1320-1328.
Laing CG, Shreeve TG, Pearce DME (2008). Methane bubbles in surface peat cores: in situ measurements. Global Change Biology, 14, 1-9.
Publications by year
2020
Patterson C, Slater M, Early R, Laing C (2020). The status of Clibanarius erythropus after a recent range expansion to Great Britain, with the highest latitude recording of a gravid individual.
Marine Biodiversity Records,
13(1).
Abstract:
The status of Clibanarius erythropus after a recent range expansion to Great Britain, with the highest latitude recording of a gravid individual
Abstract
Background
In 2016, the range of the hermit crab Clibanarius erythropus expanded to South West Britain for the second time. C. erythropus primarily lives in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast of Europe from the Bay of Biscay to Morocco. The species has now been recorded on both the north and south coast of the South West peninsula of the UK from Newtrain Bay, on the north coast of Cornwall, to Wembury, on the south coast of Devon. It is unknown if the crab’s reappearance in the UK has been caused by a one-off colonisation event or by a continued influx of larvae.
Results
The population in the UK is made up of individual within a narrow size bracket, indicating a single colonisation event took place, and that the population is an ageing one. However, we also report the highest latitude recording of a gravid individual for the species.
Conclusion
A lack of gravid individuals was suggested to be why the species was unable to sustain its presence in the UK following a previous colonisation in 1960. This discovery hints that rising water temperatures may allow C. erythropus and other warm-water species to expand and sustain themselves in the UK. We also found crossover in shell utilisation between C. erythropus and the native hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus, suggesting that competition might occur between the two species.
Abstract.
Full text.
2014
Laing CG, Granath G, Belyea LR, Allton KE, Rydin H (2014). Tradeoffs and scaling of functional traits in Sphagnum as drivers of carbon cycling in peatlands.
Oikos,
123(7), 817-828.
Abstract:
Tradeoffs and scaling of functional traits in Sphagnum as drivers of carbon cycling in peatlands
Growth and decomposition of Sphagnum controls turnover of a large global store of soil organic carbon. We investigated variation in morphological and physiological traits of Sphagnum shoots, and related this variation to canopy variables relevant to peatland carbon cycling. We sampled Sphagnum along a bog plateau-swamp forest gradient and measured a suite of shoot traits and canopy variables. Major axes of variation were identified using principal component analysis and correlated with canopy variables such as growth, biomass and decomposition. We also examined scaling of shoot traits with one another and with canopy variables. Two distinct tradeoffs in shoot traits emerged. From dry to wet habitats, individual metabolic rates and capitulum size increased while numerical density decreased, leading to faster growth and elongation on an individual basis. From treed to open habitats, photosynthetic efficiency decreased and photosynthetic biomass increased, driving faster growth on an area basis and slower litter mass loss. The tradeoffs identified have important implications for peatlands undergoing climate-related changes in water and light availability. Sphagnum trait comparisons, combined with scaling analyses, offer a promising approach to understanding and predicting the effects of environmental change on peatland carbon cycling. © 2014 the Authors.
Abstract.
2013
Abbott GD, Swain EY, Muhammad A, Allton KA, Belyea LR, Laing CG, Cowie GR (2013). Effect of water-table fluctuations on the degradation of Sphagnum phenols in surficial peats. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 106, 177-191.
2010
Laing CG, Shreeve TG, Pearce DME (2010). The fine scale variability of dissolved methane in surface peat cores. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 42, 1320-1328.
2008
Laing CG, Shreeve TG, Pearce DME (2008). Methane bubbles in surface peat cores: in situ measurements. Global Change Biology, 14, 1-9.
Refresh publications
External Engagement and Impact
Awards
Senior Teaching Fellow ASPIRE
External Examiner Positions
Oxford Brookes University-MSc Conservation Ecology
Find out more as.exeter.ac.uk/aspire
Teaching
I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and member of the education committee for CLES. Click here to see my profile on the education strategy webpage of the University as an example of multidisciplinary teaching within the ASPIRE framework.
I predominantly teach on the BSc and MSci Marine Biology degree overseeing the boatwork that is integral to this. I work with Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) on a collaborative teaching project for the Marine Biology degree with the aim of bringing the latest marine research into our teaching programme.
I'm passionate about giving students access to relevant, meaningful data that links our research to teaching. To this end I am heavily involved with field technique and data analysis elements across the Biosciences degrees. Long-term environmental monitoring programs I have set up in Kenya and Falmouth as part of this initiative and my work with local stakeholders like CWT will deliver high quality student data sets year-on-year.
Teaching Resources
I am part of the team responsible for the delivery of statistics using our new R server 'Rstudio' in CLES. In using this we are changing how statistics are taught in class and opening new themes of science for our students built on coding. See below links to my YouTube help videos on using Rstudio or contact me for further information:
Importing data into Rstudio (link)
Getting started in Rstudio (link)
Exporting code and plots from Rstudio (link)
Modules
2021/22
Supervision / Group
Postgraduate researchers
