Dr Elaine Mitchell
Faculty of Science,
School of Biology & Environmental Science
Biography
Dr Elaine Mitchell is a Research Associate in the Sustainable Agroecosystems Research Group. Her research focuses on soil carbon: the mechanisms and drivers of soil organic carbon formation and persistence, and how these respond to agricultural management and global environmental change. A second strand of her work addresses the measurement and monetisation of soil carbon under the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Scheme. She is also interested in how co-benefits such as biodiversity can be credibly measured and accounted for alongside carbon. Underpinning this work is an interest in where soil carbon science meets policy. As Australia's flagship climate policy, the ACCU Scheme depends on measurement methods that are defensible at the scales and timeframes over which credits are issued, and cost-effective enough to deploy across large areas. Her work sits on that accuracy–cost tradeoff, keeping policy and evidence aligned as the science develops.Personal details
Positions
- Research Associate
Faculty of Science,
School of Biology & Environmental Science
Qualifications
- PhD (Queensland University of Technology)
Teaching
EVB312 - Soils in the Environment
EVB302 - Environmental Pollution (Unit Coordinator)
Publications
- De Rosa, D., Biala, J., Nguyen, T., Mitchell, E., Friedl, J., Scheer, C., Grace, P. & Rowlings, D. (2022). Environmental and economic trade-offs of using composted or stockpiled manure as partial substitute for synthetic fertilizer. Journal of Environmental Quality, 51(4), 589–601. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/212308
- Mitchell, E., De Rosa, D., Grace, P. & Rowlings, D. (2021). Herd concentration areas create greenhouse gas hotspots. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 121(1), 15–26. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/226502
- Mitchell, E., Scheer, C., Rowlings, D., Cotrufo, F., Conant, R. & Grace, P. (2021). Important constraints on soil organic carbon formation efficiency in subtropical and tropical grasslands. Global Change Biology, 27(20), 5383–5391. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/226503
- Mitchell, E., Scheer, C., Rowlings, D., Cotrufo, M., Conant, R., Friedl, J. & Grace, P. (2020). Trade-off between 'new' SOC stabilisation from above-ground inputs and priming of native C as determined by soil type and residue placement. Biogeochemistry, 149(2), 221–236. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/202234
- Mitchell, E., Scheer, C., Rowlings, D., Conant, R., Cotrufo, M. & Grace, P. (2018). Amount and incorporation of plant residue inputs modify residue stabilisation dynamics in soil organic matter fractions. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 256, 82–91. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/126951
- Deane, F., Wilson, C., Rowlings, D., Webb, J., Mitchell, E., Hamman, E., Sheppard, E. & Grace, P. (2018). Sugarcane farming and the Great Barrier Reef: the role of a principled approach to change. Land Use Policy, 78, 691–698. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/120313
- Mitchell, E., Scheer, C., Rowlings, D., Conant, R., Cotrufo, M., Van Delden, L. & Grace, P. (2016). The influence of above-ground residue input and incorporation on GHG fluxes and stable SOM formation in a sandy soil. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 101, 104–113. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/221654
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Elaine, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Filter publications:
A complete list of publications is available at: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/e5.mitchell
Supervision
Looking for a postgraduate research supervisor?
I am currently accepting research students for Honours, Masters and PhD study.
- Using time-controlled grazing to sequester carbon in Queensland rangelands
- Co-benefits of trees on farms: soil carbon
You can browse existing student topics offered by QUT or propose your own topic.
Current supervisions
- Reconciling stakeholder needs for farm level ecological sustainability measurements
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor David Rowlings, Professor Louisa Coglan, Dr David Tucker - Testing mechanisms of soil carbon persistence in Northern Australia
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Dr Mark Bonner, Professor David Rowlings, Dr Taleta Bailey
Completed supervisions (Doctorate)
Completed supervisions (Masters by Research)
The supervisions listed above are only a selection.