Professor Jessica Davies

Professor of Sustainability

Research Overview

My research focuses on how land and soil systems can be managed to support sustainable outcomes for food production, climate mitigation, and water resources. With a background in both engineering and environmental science, I work across disciplines to understand how soil systems function and respond to human and environmental pressures and find sustainable solutions. Whether its carbon locked in peatlands, nutrients cycling in farmlands, or green infrastructure in urban areas – I’m interested in how we can make best use of our land resource and improve soil health to deliver multiple ecosystem services and better outcomes for people and planet.

A key strand of my work involves process-based modelling to explore soil-plant interactions and their responses to environmental change. I am a core developer of the N14CP model, which links carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles in terrestrial ecosystems and has been extensively applied across natural and agricultural systems and has played a role in supporting policy creation and evaluation, land management and business decisions.

Beyond academia, I actively contribute to advancing soil sustainability through cross-sector collaboration. I led the formation of a global working group on soil health with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and lead-edited The Business Case for Investing in Soil Health with over 30 contributors from five continents. I also co-founded the Soils in Planning and Construction Task Force – a cross-sector initiative promoting the integration of soil sustainability into planning policies and development practices.

I am also passionate about raising wider public awareness of the fascinating world of soils and their importance for sustainability. My team and I regularly share our work through accessible articles, podcasts, and other media if you’re a non-soil expert and would like to learn more:

Selected Publications

The business case for soil
Davies, J. 16/03/2017 In: Nature. 543, 7645, p. 309-311. 3 p.
Journal article

Terrestrial carbon sequestration under future climate, nutrient and land use change and management scenarios: a national-scale UK case study
Davies, J., Yumashev, D., Janes-Bassett, V., Redhead, J.W., Rowe, E.C., Davies, J. 15/11/2022 In: Environmental Research Letters. 17, 11, 12 p.
Journal article

Soil recovery: Advancing understanding and prediction of soil function recovery following degradation by combining modelling methodologies
31/03/2025 → 30/03/2027
Research

IAA: Local Planning Policy for Sustainable Soils (Local-Soils)
01/02/2024 → 31/12/2025
Research

IAA: Local Planning Policy for Sustainable Soils (Local-Soils)
01/02/2024 → 30/09/2024
Research

IAA: Local Planning Policy for Sustainable Soils (Local-Soils)
01/02/2024 → 31/12/2025
Research

KTP with Lake District Farmers
19/04/2023 → 18/07/2025
Research

KTP with Lake District Farmers
19/04/2023 → 18/07/2025
Research

Talent and Research Stabilisation Fund 2022 (Jess Davies)
21/11/2022 → 31/03/2023
Research

Cross Disciplinary Research for Discovery Science at Lancaster University
11/11/2022 → 31/03/2023
Research

Exploring the evidence gaps related to the priorities of Local Authorities for mitigating the health and health inequality impacts of climate change
01/06/2022 → 30/11/2022
Research

Accelerating Nutrient Cycles at the Riparian Land: Water Interface
01/04/2022 → 31/03/2026
Research

IAA - AHRC Impact Acceleration Account
01/04/2022 → 31/03/2026
Research

Discipline Hopping for Environmental Solutions
01/12/2021 → 31/03/2022
Research

DSI: QUENCH Network: A Network Linking the Quality of Urban Environments with Nature-Connectedness and Health
11/11/2021 → 31/03/2022
Research

IAA: Sustainable Soils in Construction
01/08/2021 → 31/03/2022
Research

IAA: Sustainable Soils in Construction (Cornwall Council)
01/08/2021 → 31/03/2022
Research

Detecting soil degradation and restoration through a novel coupled sensor and machine learning framework
31/01/2020 → 16/09/2024
Research

Rurban Revolution: Can ruralising urban areas through greening and growing create a healthy, sustainable & resilient food system?
01/04/2019 → 31/03/2021
Research

DSI: Monitoring and predicting the effects of climate change on crop yields
01/02/2019 → 31/07/2020
Research

Can ruralising urban areas through greening and growing create a healthy, sustainable & resilient food system?
01/01/2019 → 31/12/2021
Research

Preparatory action to Boost Global Crop Yield for Food & Nutrition Security and fueling a Bioeconomy
01/11/2018 → 30/04/2022
Research

Soil-Value: Valuing and enhancing soil infrastructure to improve societal sustainability and resilience
01/06/2016 → 31/05/2021
Research

KTP with Lake District Farmers
01/01/1900 → …
Research

KTP with Lake District Farmers
01/01/1900 → …
Research

Local Soils Policy co-design workshop Lancaster
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Local Soils Policy co-design workshops
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Local Soils Focus Group 1
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Local Soils Focus Group 2
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Local Soils Focus Group 3
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

  • Centre of Excellence in Environmental Data Science
  • Improving global stewardship
  • Soil Plant and Land Systems
  • Sustainable Catchments
  • Understanding a changing planet