All Stories

  1. Faster-and-tighter nitrogen cycle supports mature forest productivity under elevated CO 2

    Article • Science Advances, July 2026, American Association for the Advancement of Science

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  2. Leaf Litter Decomposition in the Tropics Dynamically Recovers Following Experimental Disturbance Across Temporal Scales

    Article • Biotropica, March 2026, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  3. A global database of soil microbial phospholipid fatty acids and enzyme activities

    Article • Scientific Data, September 2025, Springer Science + Business Media

    Professor Paula V Morais, Dr Emma J Sayer

  4. Root exudate stoichiometry is a key driver of soil N cycling: implications for forest responses to global change

    Article • Soil Biology and Biochemistry, September 2025, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  5. Elevated CO 2 alters relative belowground carbon investment for nutrient acquisition in a mature temperate forest

    Article • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, July 2025, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  6. Tree mycorrhizal associations regulate relationships between plant and microbial communities and soil organic carbon stocks at local scales in a temperate forest

    Article • Functional Ecology, March 2025, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  7. Salutogenic Effects of Greenspace Exposure: An Integrated Biopsychological Perspective on Stress Regulation, Mental and Physical Health in the Urban Population

    Article • Open Psychology, January 2025, De Gruyter

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  8. Variation in leaf phosphorus fractions reflects plant adaptations and distribution in low‐phosphorus tropical forests

    Article • Functional Ecology, December 2024, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  9. Nutrient availability explains distinct soil fungal colonization of angiosperm versus gymnosperm wood

    Article • Journal of Ecology, December 2024, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  10. The Gigante Litter Manipulation Experiment

    Article • November 2024, Smithsonian Institution

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  11. Global atmospheric methane uptake by upland tree woody surfaces

    Article • Nature, July 2024, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  12. Functional Ecology is moving to open access

    Article • Functional Ecology, July 2024, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  13. Tropical forest above‐ground productivity is maintained by nutrients cycled in litter

    Article • Journal of Ecology, January 2024, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  14. Global fine-resolution data on springtail abundance and community structure

    Article • Scientific Data, January 2024, Springer Science + Business Media

    Toke Høye, Pr Jean-François Ponge, Dr Maria A. Tsiafouli, prof. Ľubomír Kováč, Dr Emma J Sayer

  15. Understanding distribution and survey gaps of Mammals from the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado Biomes

    Article • Biota Neotropica, January 2024, FapUNIFESP (SciELO)

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  16. Precipitation change affects forest soil carbon inputs and pools: A global meta-analysis

    Article • The Science of The Total Environment, January 2024, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  17. Demonstrating a significant advance to the field: An essential criterion for publication in Functional Ecology

    Article • Functional Ecology, December 2023, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  18. Soils are a non-negligible source of NO in a UK suburban greenspace and SE Australian Eucalyptus forest

    Article • Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, November 2023, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  19. Soil carbon dynamics are linked to tree species growth strategy in a naturally regenerating tropical forest

    Article • Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, August 2023, Frontiers

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  20. Bioavailability of Macro and Micronutrients Across Global Topsoils: Main Drivers and Global Change Impacts

    Article • Global Biogeochemical Cycles, June 2023, American Geophysical Union (AGU)

    Dr Emma J Sayer, Feike Dijkstra

  21. Enhanced abundance of generalist and litter saprotrophs explain increased tropical forest soil carbon with long‐term nitrogen deposition

    Article • Functional Ecology, May 2023, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  22. Carbon allocation to root exudates in a mature mixed F. sylvatica – P. abies forest under drought and one year after drought release.

    Article • May 2023, Copernicus GmbH

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  23. Post-drought root exudation defines soil organic matter stability in a temperate mature forest

    Article • May 2023, Copernicus GmbH

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  24. Root soil Nitrogen acquisition by mature Oak trees exposed to elevated CO2: Nitrogen preference and uptake rate under a future climate

    Article • May 2023, Copernicus GmbH

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  25. The grassland carbon cycle: Mechanisms, responses to global changes, and potential contribution to carbon neutrality

    Article • Fundamental Research, March 2023, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  26. Globally invariant metabolism but density-diversity mismatch in springtails

    Article • Nature Communications, February 2023, Springer Science + Business Media

    Pr Jean-François Ponge, Dr Maria A. Tsiafouli, prof. Ľubomír Kováč, Dr Emma J Sayer

  27. Grazing intensity alters the plant diversity–ecosystem carbon storage relationship in rangelands across topographic and climatic gradients

    Article • Functional Ecology, January 2023, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  28. Seasonal Influence of Biodiversity on Soil Respiration in a Temperate Forest

    Article • Plants, December 2022, MDPI AG

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  29. Nitrogen deposition enhances soil organic carbon and microbial residual carbon in a tropical forest

    Article • Plant and Soil, November 2022, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  30. Soil carbon storage is related to tree functional composition in naturally regenerating tropical forests

    Article • Functional Ecology, November 2022, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  31. Biocrust diversity enhances dryland saline soil multifunctionality

    Article • Land Degradation and Development, November 2022, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  32. Multiple land-use changes threat the Amazon ecosystem

    Article • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, June 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

    Cássio Alencar Nunes, Dr Emma J Sayer

  33. Delayed wet season increases soil net N mineralization in a seasonally dry tropical forest

    Article • The Science of The Total Environment, June 2022, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  34. Root exudation: the constant in carbon allocation in a drought-stressed mature forest

    Article • New Phytologist, May 2022, Wiley

    Melanie Brunn, Dr Emma J Sayer

  35. Experimental drought increased the forest’s belowground sink strength towards temporarily increased topsoil carbon stocks

    Article • March 2022, Copernicus GmbH

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  36. Methane source-sink behaviour in upland trees spanning a global climate gradient

    Article • March 2022, Copernicus GmbH

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  37. Root exudation rate increases, and composition changes in a mature temperate forest under elevated carbon dioxide

    Article • March 2022, Copernicus GmbH

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  38. Micronutrients in Food Production: What Can We Learn from Natural Ecosystems?

    Article • Soil Systems, January 2022, MDPI AG

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  39. Long-term fertilization modifies the mineralization of soil organic matter in response to added substrate

    Article • The Science of The Total Environment, December 2021, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  40. Deepened snow cover mitigates soil carbon loss from intensive land‐use in a semi‐arid temperate grassland

    Article • Functional Ecology, November 2021, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  41. Differential responses of forest strata species richness to paleoclimate and forest structure

    Article • Forest Ecology and Management, November 2021, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  42. Contributions and future priorities for soil science: Comparing perspectives from scientists and stakeholders

    Article • European Journal of Soil Science, November 2021, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  43. On pedagogy of a Soil Science Centre for Doctoral Training

    Article • European Journal of Soil Science, November 2021, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  44. Distinct storage mechanisms of soil organic carbon in coniferous forest and evergreen broadleaf forest in tropical China

    Article • Journal of Environmental Management, October 2021, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  45. Nutrient addition enhances carbon sequestration in soil but not plant biomass in a coastal shelter plantation in South China

    Article • Land Degradation and Development, September 2021, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  46. Species co‐occurrence shapes spatial variability in plant diversity–biomass relationships in natural rangelands under different grazing intensities

    Article • Land Degradation and Development, August 2021, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  47. Functional redundancy of Amazonian dung beetles confers community‐level resistance to primary forest disturbance

    Article • Biotropica, July 2021, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  48. Soil Stoichiometry Mediates Links Between Tree Functional Diversity and Soil Microbial Diversity in a Temperate Forest

    Article • Ecosystems, June 2021, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  49. High foliar K and P resorption efficiencies in old‐growth tropical forests growing on nutrient‐poor soils

    Article • Ecology and Evolution, June 2021, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  50. Adaptation to chronic drought modifies soil microbial community responses to phytohormones

    Article • Communications Biology, May 2021, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  51. Fine root exudation rate increases in drier soils, but tree level carbon exudation does not change under drought in mature Fagus sylvatica - Picea abies trees

    Article • March 2021, Copernicus GmbH

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  52. Aboveground litter inputs determine carbon storage across soil profiles: a meta-analysis

    Article • Plant and Soil, February 2021, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  53. Altered litter inputs modify carbon and nitrogen storage in soil organic matter in a lowland tropical forest

    Article • Biogeochemistry, December 2020, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  54. The diversity of decay

    Article • eLife, August 2020, eLife

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  55. Author Correction: Tropical forest soil carbon stocks do not increase despite 15 years of doubled litter inputs

    Article • Scientific Reports, July 2020, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  56. Soil microbial biomass and community responses to experimental precipitation change: A meta-analysis

    Article • Soil Ecology Letters, May 2020, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  57. Deepened winter snow cover enhances net ecosystem exchange and stabilizes plant community composition and productivity in a temperate grassland

    Article • Global Change Biology, March 2020, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  58. Litter Inputs, but Not Litter Diversity, Maintain Soil Processes in Degraded Tropical Forests—A Cross-Continental Comparison

    Article • Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, January 2020, Frontiers

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  59. Revisiting nutrient cycling by litterfall—Insights from 15 years of litter manipulation in old-growth lowland tropical forest

    Article • January 2020, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  60. Tropical forest soil carbon stocks do not increase despite 15 years of doubled litter inputs

    Article • Scientific Reports, December 2019, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  61. The essentials of effective scientific writing – A revised alternative guide for authors

    Article • Functional Ecology, September 2019, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  62. Biodiversity in tropical plantations is influenced by surrounding native vegetation but not yield: A case study with dung beetles in Amazonia

    Article • Forest Ecology and Management, July 2019, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  63. Litter Traits of Native and Non-Native Tropical Trees Influence Soil Carbon Dynamics in Timber Plantations in Panama

    Article • Forests, February 2019, MDPI AG

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  64. Foliar phosphorus fractions reveal how tropical plants maintain photosynthetic rates despite low soil phosphorus availability

    Article • Functional Ecology, January 2019, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  65. Spatial and temporal shifts in functional and taxonomic diversity of dung beetles in a human-modified tropical forest landscape

    Article • Ecological Indicators, December 2018, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  66. Tree stem bases are sources of CH4 and N2 O in a tropical forest on upland soil during the dry to wet season transition

    Article • Global Change Biology, October 2018, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  67. The anatomy of an excellent review paper

    Article • Functional Ecology, October 2018, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  68. Drying and rewetting conditions differentially affect the mineralization of fresh plant litter and extant soil organic matter

    Article • Soil Biology and Biochemistry, September 2018, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  69. Responses of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to long-term inorganic and organic nutrient addition in a lowland tropical forest

    Article • The ISME Journal, June 2018, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  70. Distinct responses of soil respiration to experimental litter manipulation in temperate woodland and tropical forest

    Article • Ecology and Evolution, March 2018, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  71. Initial Soil Organic Matter Content Influences the Storage and Turnover of Litter, Root and Soil Carbon in Grasslands

    Article • Ecosystems, February 2018, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  72. Decomposition of coarse woody debris in a long-term litter manipulation experiment: A focus on nutrient availability

    Article • Functional Ecology, February 2018, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  73. Tree functional diversity affects litter decomposition and arthropod community composition in a tropical forest

    Article • Biotropica, August 2017, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  74. Tropical forest restoration: Fast resilience of plant biomass contrasts with slow recovery of stable soil C stocks

    Article • Functional Ecology, July 2017, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  75. The Automated Root Exudate System (ARES): a method to apply solutes at regular intervals to soils in the field

    Article • Methods in Ecology and Evolution, April 2017, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  76. Links between soil microbial communities and plant traits in a species-rich grassland under long-term climate change

    Article • Ecology and Evolution, January 2017, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  77. Short- and Long-term Influence of Litter Quality and Quantity on Simulated Heterotrophic Soil Respiration in a Lowland Tropical Forest

    Article • Ecosystems, January 2017, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  78. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community composition is altered by long-term litter removal but not litter addition in a lowland tropical forest

    Article • New Phytologist, January 2017, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  79. Dung beetle community dynamics in undisturbed tropical forests: implications for ecological evaluations of land-use change

    Article • Insect Conservation and Diversity, November 2016, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  80. Nutrient limitation of woody debris decomposition in a tropical forest: contrasting effects of N and P addition

    Article • Functional Ecology, June 2015, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  81. Tree communities rapidly alter soil microbial resistance and resilience to drought

    Article • Functional Ecology, December 2014, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  82. Sex & Bugs & Rock ‘n Roll – getting creative about public engagement

    Article • Trends in Ecology & Evolution, February 2014, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  83. Variability of above-ground litter inputs alters soil physicochemical and biological processes: a meta-analysis of litterfall-manipulation experiments

    Article • Biogeosciences, November 2013, Copernicus GmbH

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  84. Litter manipulation and the soil arthropod community in a lowland tropical rainforest

    Article • Soil Biology and Biochemistry, July 2013, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  85. Leaf-cutting ants as ecosystem engineers: topsoil and litter perturbations aroundAtta cephalotesnests reduce nutrient availability

    Article • Ecological Entomology, June 2013, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  86. Grassland management influences spatial patterns of soil microbial communities

    Article • Soil Biology and Biochemistry, June 2013, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  87. Variability of aboveground litter inputs alters soil physicochemical and biological processes: a meta-analysis of litterfall-manipulation experiments

    Article • Biogeosciences Discussions, March 2013, Copernicus GmbH

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  88. Variable Responses of Lowland Tropical Forest Nutrient Status to Fertilization and Litter Manipulation

    Article • Ecosystems, January 2012, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer, Dr. Michael Kaspari

  89. Soil carbon release enhanced by increased tropical forest litterfall

    Article • Nature Climate Change, August 2011, Nature

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  90. Potassium, phosphorus, or nitrogen limit root allocation, tree growth, or litter production in a lowland tropical forest

    Article • Ecology, August 2011, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer, Dr. Michael Kaspari, Professor Louis S. Santiago

  91. Experimental investigation of the importance of litterfall in lowland semi-evergreen tropical forest nutrient cycling

    Article • Journal of Ecology, July 2010, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  92. A new approach to trenching experiments for measuring root–rhizosphere respiration in a lowland tropical forest

    Article • Soil Biology and Biochemistry, February 2010, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  93. Arthropod Abundance and Diversity in a Lowland Tropical Forest Floor in Panama: The Role of Habitat Space vs. Nutrient Concentrations

    Article • Biotropica, September 2009, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  94. Increased Litterfall in Tropical Forests Boosts the Transfer of Soil CO2 to the Atmosphere

    Article • PLOS One, December 2007, PLOS

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  95. Effects of litter manipulation on early-stage decomposition and meso-arthropod abundance in a tropical moist forest

    Article • Forest Ecology and Management, July 2006, Elsevier

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  96. Increased Litterfall Changes Fine Root Distribution in a Moist Tropical Forest

    Article • Plant and Soil, March 2006, Springer Science + Business Media

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  97. Using experimental manipulation to assess the roles of leaf litter in the functioning of forest ecosystems

    Article • Biological Reviews, September 2005, Wiley

    Dr Emma J Sayer

  98. The role of tree size in the leafing phenology of a seasonally dry tropical forest in Belize, Central America

    Article • Journal of Tropical Ecology, September 2003, Cambridge University Press

    Dr Emma J Sayer