Contact Professor Jane Rickson
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 750111
- Email: j.rickson@cranfield.ac.uk
- ORCID
Areas of expertise
- Carbon, Climate and Risk
- Environmental Policy
- Natural Capital
- Soil
- Soil Resources
- Water Science and Engineering
Background
BSc (Hons) in Geography (2i), King's College, University of London
Diploma of the Associateship of King's College (A.K.C.), London
MSc in Agricultural Engineering (Land Resource Management), Silsoe College (awarded full NERC scholarship)
PhD 'The use of geotextiles for soil erosion control', Cranfield University
Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv).
Current activities
Professor Jane Rickson has over 30 years' experience of research, consultancy and teaching in soil and water engineering, specialising in soil degradation processes and sustainable land management. Her work has focused on better understanding of soil functions and their role in the delivery of ecosystems goods and services, including water regulation, agricultural production and carbon storage. She uses multi-disciplinary approaches to integrate fundamental and applied land resources science at a range of spatial and temporal scales.
Her work is directed at Research Councils, industry, farmers and policy makers. Recent projects include: Development of a Soil Management Information System (AHDB); Better understanding of the soil protection landscape (Defra); Developing a conceptual framework for a soil impact metric for agricultural and commodity supply chains (Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge; CISL); Review of the England and Wales soils evidence base (Welsh Government); Provision of research to develop the evidence base on soil erosion (Committee on Climate Change, Adaptation Sub Committee); and The total costs of soil degradation in England & Wales (Defra).
She is also involved in the training and teaching on Masters courses in Land Reclamation and Restoration, Environmental Engineering, and Soil Management, as well as bespoke short courses on soil erosion and conservation. Consultancy activities include soil erosion and remediation in mine site rehabilitation.
Jane is a Fellow and was President of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers from 2018 to 2020, a Chartered Environmentalist, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists.
Clients
Working with clients from the private and public sectors, including:
ADAS
Alcoa of Australia
BBSRC
British Council
CIRIA
City of London Authority
Common Fund for Commodities
CPRE
Defra
Environment Agency
EU
Horticulture Development Company
International Trade Centre
Marks & Spencers
WWF
Ministry of Defence
National Jute Board of India
Syngenta
Tribhuvan University, Nepal
TRL
UN
WRAP.
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Roche D, Rickson JR & Pawlett M. (2024). Moving towards a mechanistic understanding of biostimulant impacts on soil properties and processes: a semi-systematic review. Frontiers in Agronomy, 6
- Bahddou S, Otten W, Whalley WR, Shin H-C, El Gharous M, .... (2023). Changes in soil surface properties under simulated rainfall and the effect of surface roughness on runoff, infiltration and soil loss. Geoderma, 431(March)
- Beniaich A, Otten W, Shin H-C, Cooper HV, Rickson J, .... (2023). Evaluation of pedotransfer functions to estimate some of soil hydraulic characteristics in North Africa: A case study from Morocco. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11
- Dowdeswell-Downey E, Grabowski RC & Rickson RJ. (2023). Do temperature and moisture conditions impact soil microbiology and aggregate stability?. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 23(10)
- Sakrabani R, Garnett K, Knox JW, Rickson J, Pawlett M, .... (2023). Towards net zero in agriculture: Future challenges and opportunities for arable, livestock and protected cropping systems in the UK. Outlook on Agriculture, 52(2)
- Lees C, de Baets S, Rickson J & Simmons RW. (2021). Selecting plant traits for soil erosion control in grassed waterways under a changing climate: A growth room study. European Journal of Soil Science, 72(6)
- Cooke AL, Simmons RW, Rickson RJ & Sakrabani R. (2021). Efficacy of selected phosphorus sorbing materials (PSMs) to enhance the orthophosphate sorption capacity of filter socks. Water and Environment Journal, 35(2)
- Benaud P, Anderson K, Evans M, Farrow L, Glendell M, .... (2021). Reproducibility, open science and progression in soil erosion research. A reply to “Response to ‘National-scale geodata describe widespread accelerated soil erosion’ Benaud et al. (2020) Geoderma 271, 114378” by Evans and Boardman (2021). Geoderma, 402
- Giannitsopoulos ML, Burgess PJ & Rickson RJ. (2020). Effects of conservation tillage drills on soil quality indicators in a wheat–oilseed rape rotation: organic carbon, earthworms and water‐stable aggregates. Soil Use and Management, 36(1)
- Niziolomski JC, Simmons RW, Jane Rickson R & Hann MJ. (2020). Efficacy of mulch and tillage options to reduce runoff and soil loss from asparagus interrows. CATENA, 191
- Benaud P, Anderson K, Evans M, Farrow L, Glendell M, .... (2020). National-scale geodata describe widespread accelerated soil erosion. Geoderma, 371
- Dazzi C, Cornelis W, Costantini EAC, Dumitru M, Fullen MA, .... (2019). The contribution of the European Society for Soil Conservation (ESSC) to scientific knowledge, education and sustainability. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 7(1)
- Giannitsopoulos ML, Burgess PJ & Rickson RJ. (2019). Effects of conservation tillage systems on soil physical changes and crop yields in a wheat–oilseed rape rotation. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 74(3)
- Pawlett M, Rickson J, Niziolomski J, Churchill S & Kešner M. (2019). Human Cadaver Burial Depth Affects Soil Microbial and Nutrient Status. Archaeological and Environmental Forensic Science, 1(2)
- Remaury A, Guittonny M & Rickson J. (2019). The effect of tree planting density on the relative development of weeds and hybrid poplars on revegetated mine slopes vulnerable to erosion. New Forests, 50(4)
- Campbell S, Simmons R, Rickson J, Waine T & Simms D. (2018). Using Near-Surface Photogrammetry Assessment of Surface Roughness (NSPAS) to assess the effectiveness of erosion control treatments applied to slope forming materials from a mine site in West Africa. Geomorphology, 322
- Niziolomski JC, Simmons RW, Rickson RJ & Hann MJ. (2018). Managing runoff and soil loss in asparagus production systems. Acta Horticulturae, 1223(1223)
- Corstanje R, Mercer TG, Rickson JR, Deeks LK, Newell-Price P, .... (2017). Physical soil quality indicators for monitoring British soils. Solid Earth, 8(5)
- Vercruysse K, Grabowski RC & Rickson RJ. (2017). Suspended sediment transport dynamics in rivers: Multi-scale drivers of temporal variation. Earth-Science Reviews, 166
- Glendell M, McShane G, Farrow L, James MR, Quinton J, .... (2017). Testing the utility of structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry reconstructions using small unmanned aerial vehicles and ground photography to estimate the extent of upland soil erosion. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 42(12)
- Evans R, Collins AL, Foster IDL, Rickson RJ, Anthony SG, .... (2016). Extent, frequency and rate of water erosion of arable land in Britain – benefits and challenges for modelling. Soil Use and Management, 32(S1)
- Niziolomski JC, Simmons RW, Rickson RJ & Hann MJ. (2016). Tine options for alleviating compaction in wheelings. Soil and Tillage Research, 161
- Graves AR, Morris J, Deeks LK, Rickson RJ, Kibblewhite MG, .... (2015). The total costs of soil degradation in England and Wales. Ecological Economics, 119
- Rickson RJ, Deeks LK, Graves A, Harris JAH, Kibblewhite MG, .... (2015). Input constraints to food production: the impact of soil degradation. Food Security, 7(2)
- Posthumus H, Deeks LK, Rickson RJ & Quinton JN. (2015). Costs and benefits of erosion control measures in the
UK . Soil Use and Management, 31(S1) - Abdollahi L, Hansen EM, Rickson RJ & Munkholm LJ. (2015). Overall assessment of soil quality on humid sandy loams: Effects of location, rotation and tillage. Soil and Tillage Research, 145
- Kibblewhite MG, Bellamy PH, Brewer TR, Graves AR, Dawson CA, .... (2014). An exploration of spatial risk assessment for soil protection: Estimating risk and establishing priority areas for soil protection. Science of The Total Environment, 473-474
- Rickson RJ. (2014). Can control of soil erosion mitigate water pollution by sediments?. Science of The Total Environment, 468-469
- Osiński P, Rickson RJ, Hann MJ & Koda E. (2014). Assessment of slope stability influenced by vegetation cover and additional loads applied. Annals of Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Land Reclamation, 46(2)
- Rickson RJ. (2012). Handbook of Soil Sciences. Properties and Processes. Second edition. Edited by P. M. Huang, Y. Li and M. E. Sumner. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press (2011), pp. 1442, £99.99. ISBN 978-1439803059. - Handbook of Soil Sciences. Resource Management and Environmental Impacts. Second edition. Edited by P. M. Huang, Y. Li and M. E. Sumner. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press (2011), pp. 830, £89.00. ISBN 978-1439803073. - A two-volume set is also available: pp. 2272, £159.00. ISBN 978-1439803035.. Experimental Agriculture, 48(4)
- Verheijen FGA, Jones RJA, Rickson RJ, Smith CJ, Bastos AC, .... (2012). Concise overview of European soil erosion research and evaluation. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil & Plant Science, 62(sup2)
- Posthumus H, Deeks LK, Fenn I & Rickson RJ. (2011). Soil conservation in two English catchments: Linking soil management with policies. Land Degradation & Development, 22(1)
- Jeffery S, Harris JA, Rickson RJ & Ritz K. (2010). Effects of soil‐surface microbial community phenotype upon physical and hydrological properties of an arable soil: a microcosm study. European Journal of Soil Science, 61(4)
- Jeffery S, Harris JA, Rickson RJ & Ritz K. (2009). The spectral quality of light influences the temporal development of the microbial phenotype at the arable soil surface. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 41(3)
- Verheijen FGA, Jones RJA, Rickson RJ & Smith CJ. (2009). Tolerable versus actual soil erosion rates in Europe. Earth-Science Reviews, 94(1-4)
- Allton KE, Harris JA, Rickson RJ & Ritz K. (2007). The effect of microbial communities on soil hydrological processes: A microcosm study utilising simulated rainfall. Geoderma, 142(1-2)
- Jeffery S, Harris JA, Rickson RJ & Ritz K. (2007). Microbial community phenotypic profiles change markedly with depth within the first centimetre of the arable soil surface. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 39(5)
- Rickson RJ, Clarke MA & Owens PN. (2006). The use of vegetation for erosion control and environmental protection. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 31(5)
- RICKSON RJ. (2005). Soil Erosion and Conservation. Third Edition
BY R.P.C. MORGAN x + 304 pp., 17 × 24.4 × 2 cm, ISBN 1 40511 781 8 paperback, GB£29.95, Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. Environmental Conservation, 32(4) - Rickson RJ. (2003). Preface. Journal of Arid Environments, 54(3)
- Idowu OJ, Rickson RJ & Godwin RJ. (2002). Analysis of surface roughness in relation to soil loss and runoff at high rainfall intensities. Hydrological Processes, 16(12)
- O. J. Idowu , R. J. Rickson & R. J. Godwin . (2002). EROSION AS AFFECTED BY TILLAGEINDUCED ROUGHNESS AND SURFACE MULCH IN A SOIL WITH A SIMULATED SUBSURFACE PAN. Transactions of the ASAE, 45(1)
- Rickson RJ. (2002). Land use systems research on strongly weathered soils in south and south-east Brazil.. GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL, 168
- Crossley CP, Kibiwot VN, Reynolds AJ & Rickson RJ. (2001). SW—Soil and Water. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research, 78(1)
- Rickson J. (2001). The best is yet to come. Ground Engineering, 34(3 SUPPL.)
- Rickson RJ. (1997). Factors affecting changes in erosion status in the Swaziland Middleveld. Soil Technology, 11(3)
- Morgan RPC, McIntyre K, Vickers AW, Quinton JN & Rickson RJ. (1997). A rainfall simulation study of soil erosion on rangeland in Swaziland. Soil Technology, 11(3)
- Felix-Henningsen P, Morgan RPC, Mushala HM, Rickson RJ & Scholten T. (1997). Soil erosion in Swaziland: A synthesis. Soil Technology, 11(3)
- Morgan RPC, Rickson RJ, McIntyre K, Brewer TR & Altshul HJ. (1997). Soil erosion survey of the central part of the Swaziland Middleveld. Soil Technology, 11(3)
- Mushala HM, Morgan RPC, Scholten T, Felix-Henningsen P & Rickson RJ. (1997). Soil erosion and sedimentation in Swaziland: an introduction. Soil Technology, 11(3)
- Idowu OJ, Rickson RJ & Godwin RJ. (1996). The Effect of an Impermeable Pan on Erosion by Water of a Sandy Loam Soil. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research, 65(2)
- Jenkins P, Morgan RPC & Rickson RJ. (1995). Slope Stabilisation and Erosion Control.. The Journal of Applied Ecology, 32(3)
- Morgan RPC, Quinton JN & Rickson RJ. (1994). Modelling Methodology for Soil Erosion Assessment and Soil Conservation Design: The EUROSEM Approach. Outlook on Agriculture, 23(1)
- Schwertmann U, Rickson RJ & Auerswald K. (1991). Soil erosion protection measures in Europe. Proceedings of the European Community workshop, Freising, Germany, May 1988. Soil erosion protection measures in Europe. Proceedings of the European Community workshop, Freising, Germany, May 1988
- Abrahim YB & Rickson RJ. (1991). The effectiveness of stubble mulching in soil erosion control. Soil erosion protection measures in Europe. Proc. EC workshop, Freising, 1988
- Morgan R & Rickson J. (1988). Soil erosion control: importance of geomorphological information. Geomorphology in environmental planning
Conference Papers
- Lees C, Simmons R & Rickson J. (2020). This study
- Dowdeswell E, Rickson J & Grabowski B. (2018). Climate change effects on soil erodibility
- Guittonny-Larcheveque M, Remaury A, Bouchard H, Brais S & Rickson J. (2015). Fast-Growing Plantations as an Ecoengineering Tool to Improve Revegetation of Mine Waste Rock Slopes
- Niziolomski J, Simmons R, Rickson J & Hann M. (2014). Optimising soil erosion and runoff control from asparagus: A case study from the UK
- Rickson RJ, Moore M, Blackmore S, Day W, Godwin RJ, .... (2013). Agricultural engineering: a key discipline enabling agriculture to deliver global food security
- Campbell S, Simmons R & Rickson J. (2013). Differences in runoff, leachate and erosion, generated by rainfall on slope forming materials from an Iron-Ore Mine, West Africa
- Rickson RJ & Loveday AD. (2012). Can erosion control blankets (geotextiles) aid vegetation establishment in mine restoration?
- Rickson RJ. (2012). Evaluating the effectiveness of geotextiles for slope erosion control in mine restoration
- Clarke MA, Creamer RE, Deeks LK, Gowing D, Holman Jones R, .... (2008). Soil compaction in Wales
- Rickson RJ. (2008). Standardisation of jute geotextiles: their applications and related regulatory issues.
- Clarke MA, Creamer RE, Deeks LK, Gowing D, Holman IP, .... (2007). Soil compaction in England and Wales : a vulnerability assessment, state-of knowledge and recommendations for future research
- Jeffery S, Harris JA, Rickson RJ & Ritz K. (2006). Communities exposed: an investigation of the microbiology of arable soil surfaces
- Jeffery S, Harris JA, Rickson RJ & Ritz K. (2006). The microbiology of the extreme surface of arable soils
- Rickson RJ. (2006). Controlling sediment at source: an evaluation of erosion control geotextiles
- Whitmore A, Watts C, Clarke M & Rickson RJ. (2004). Critical levels of soil organic carbon in surface soils in relation to soil stability, function and infiltration
- Morgan RPC, Collins AJ, Hann MJ & Rickson RJ. (2004). A decision support system for waterway bank protection.
- Rickson RJ. (2003). The Use of Jute Based Products as Geotextiles.
- Rickson RJ. (2003). Erosion risk assessment on disturbed and reclaimed land
- Rickson RJ. (2003). Geotextiles in land reclamation: applications for erosion control and vegetation establishment
- Rickson RJ. (2003). The use of jute based products as geotextiles
- Rickson RJ. (2002). Salient properties of erosion control geotextiles.
- Quinton JN & Rickson RJ. (1993). The Role of Soil Erosion in the Movement of Pollutants
- RICKSON RJ. (1992). CONTROL OF SEDIMENT PRODUCTION USING GEOTEXTILES - RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTAL TESTING USING SIMULATED RAINFALL AND RUNOFF
- Morgan RPC & Rickson RJ. (1990). Issues on soil erosion in Europe: the need for a soil conservation policy
Books
- Rickson RJ. (2023). Water induced soil erosion In Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment. Elsevier.
- Rickson RJ. (2023). Water induced soil erosion In Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment, Second Edition.
- Rickson RJ. (2023). Water induced soil erosion In Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment, Second Edition: Volume 1-5 (3).
- Rickson J & Fullen M. (2022). Soil Conservation Programmes and Policies in England and Wales In Li R, Napier TL, El-Swaify SA, Sabir M & Rienzi E (eds), Global Degradation of Soil and Water Resources. Springer Nature Singapore.
- Rickson J & Fullen M. (2022). Soil Conservation Programmes and Policies in England and Wales In Global Degradation of Soil and Water Resources: Regional Assessment and Strategies. Springer Nature.
- Rickson RJ, Downey ED, Alegbeleye G & Cooper SE. (2021). Advances in techniques to assess soil erodibility In Otten W(ed.), Advances in measuring soil health. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing.
- Rickson RJ, Dowdeswell Downey E, Alegbeleye G & Cooper SE. (2021). Advances in techniques to assess soil erodibility In Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing.
- Rickson RJ. (2018). Mechanisms of soil erosion/degradation In Reicosky D(ed.), Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science. Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing.
- Simmons RW & Rickson RJ. (2008). Increasing rainfall and erosion. In Water and Food. Swedish Research Council (Formas).
- Rickson RJ. (2006). Management of sediment production and prevention in river catchments: a matter of scale? In Soil erosion and sediment redistribution in river catchments: measurement, modelling and management. CABI.
- Bullock P & Rickson R (eds). (2004). The future of the Mediterranean rural environment: prospects for sustainable land use and management
- Rickson RJ & Hann MJ. (2004). Applications of crop-based geotextiles. In Crops in construction handbook (C614). CIRIA.
- Rickson RJ, McHugh M & Morgan RPC. (2004). Soil Conservation In The encyclopedia of water. Wiley.
- McHugh M, Clarke M, Duzant J, Morgan R & Rickson J. (2004). Soil Erosion and Control Practices In The encyclopedia of water. Wiley.
- Rickson R(ed.). (2003). The Future of the Mediterranean Rural Environment: Prospects for Sustainable Land Use and Management
- Rickson RJ. (2003). Erosion risk assessment on disturbed land. In Land reclamation: extending the boundaries. Balkema.
- Rickson RJ. (2003). Geotextiles in land reclamation: applications for erosion control and vegetation establishment. In Land reclamation: extending the boundaries. Balkema.
- Rickson RJ. (2003). Preface - The future of the Mediterranean rural environment: prospects for sustainable land use and management In The future of the Mediterranean rural environment: prospects for sustainable land use and management. Elsevier Science.
- Rickson RJ. (1995). Soil protection using biodegradable geotextiles
