The University of Western Australia

Assoc/Prof Louise Barton

Research Associate Professor
School of Earth and Environment

Contact details

Address

School of Earth and Environment
The University of Western Australia (M087)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 2543

Fax

6488 1108

Email

louise.barton@uwa.edu.au

Qualifications

BSc W.Aust., PhD Waik.

Biography

Louise Barton is a soil scientist who has been researching nitrogen cycling in various landuses for the past 15 years. She is based in the School of Earth & Environment and the School of Plant Biology. Her current interests include developing irrigation and fertiliser strategies for mininising nitrogen leaching from turfgrass, plus investigating the contribution of agriculture to greenhouse gas emissions. In other field-based research, Louise has investigated nitrous oxide emissions from soils receiving agricultural and domestic wastewater in New Zealand.

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Barton L., and T. D. Colmer. 2011.Granular Wetting Agents Ameliorate Water Repellency in Turfgrass of Contrasting Soil Organic Matter Content. Agricultural Water Mananagement 99:1-7.

Barton L., and T. D. Colmer. 2011. Granular Wetting Agents Ameliorate Water Repellency in Turfgrass of Contrasting Soil Organic Matter Content. Plant and Soil 348:411-424.

Biswas W., L. Barton, and D. Carter. 2011. Biodiesel production in a semi-arid environment – a life cycle assessment approach. Environmental Science and Technology 45: 3069-3074.

Barton L., K. Butterbach-Bahl, R. Kiese, and D.V. Murphy. 2011. Nitrous oxide fluxes from a grain-legume crop (narrow-leafed lupin) grown in a semi-arid climate. Global Change Biology 17: 1153–1166.

Barton L., D. V Murphy, R. Kiese, and K. Butterbach-Bahl. 2010. Soil nitrous oxide and methane fluxes are low from a bioenergy crop (canola) grown in a semi-arid climate. Global Change Biology Bioenergy 2: 1-15.

Barton L., G. Wan, R. Buck, and T. D. Colmer. 2009. Does ‘splitting’ annual N application rates decrease N leaching from turfgrass on a sandy soil? Plant and Soil 316: 81-96.

Barton L., G. Wan, R. Buck, and T. D. Colmer. 2009. Nitrogen Increases Evapotranspiration and Growth of a Warm-Season Turfgrass. Agronomy Journal 101: 17-24.

Barton L., G. Wan, R. Buck, and T. D. Colmer. 2009. Cultural Controls of Thatch and Mat and Effects on Turfgrass Growth and Quality. Agronomy Journal 101: 67-74.

Biswas W. K., L. Barton, and D. Carter. 2008. Global warming potential of wheat production in Western Australia: A life cycle assessment. Water and Environment Journal 22: 206–216.

Barton L., R. Kiese, D. Gatter, K. Butterbach-Bahl, R. Buck, C. Hinz, and D.V. Murphy. 2008. Nitrous oxide emissions from a cropped soil in a semi-arid climate. Global Change Biology 14: 177–192.

S.M. Pathan, L. Barton, and T. D. Colmer. 2007. Evaluation of a soil moisture sensor to reduce water and nutrient leaching in turfgrass (Cynodon dactylon cv. Wintergreen). Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47:215–222.

Barton L., G. G. Y. Wan, and T. D. Colmer. 2006. Turfgrass production on growth and quality: I. Effects of irrigation and fertiliser regimes on N leaching Plant & Soil 284: 147–164.

Barton L., G. G. Y. Wan, and T. D. Colmer 2006. Turfgrass production on sandy soils: II. Effects of irrigation and fertiliser regimes on N leaching Plant & Soil 284: 147–164.

Sparling G. P., L. Barton, L. Duncan, A. McGill, T.W Speir, L.A. Schipper, G. Arnold, and A. van Schaik. 2006. Nutrient leaching and changes in soil characteristics of four contrasting soils irrigated with secondary-treated wastewater for 4 years. Australian Journal of Soil Research 44:107–116.

Barton L., and T. D. Colmer 2006. Irrigation and fertiliser strategies for minimising nitrogen leaching from turfgrass. Agricultural Water Management 80: 160–175.

Barton L., L.A. Schipper, G. F. Barkle, M. McLeod, T. W. Speir, M. D. Taylor, A. C. McGill, A. P. van Schaik, N. B. Fitzgerald, and S. P. Pandey. 2004. Land application of domestic effluent onto four soil types: Plant uptake and nutrient leaching. Journal of Environmental Quality 34: 635–643.

de Klein, C.A.M., Barton, L., Sherlock, R.R., Li. Z., and Littlejohn, R.P. 2003. Estimating nitrous oxide emission factor for animal urine from some New Zealand Pastoral Soils. Australian Journal of Soil Research 41: 381–399.

Barton, L., and Schipper, L.A. 2001. Nitrous oxide emissions from soils irrigated with dairy farm effluent. Journal of Environmental Quality 30: 1881–1887.

Barton, L., Schipper, L. A., Smith, C. T. and McLay, C. D. A. 2000. Denitrification enzyme activity is limited by soil aeration in a wastewater-irrigated forest soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils 32: 385–389.

Barton, L., McLay, C.D.A., Schipper, L.A. and Smith, C. T. 1999. Denitrification rates in a wastewater-irrigated forest soil in New Zealand. Journal of Environmental Quality 28: 2008–2014.

Barton L., C.D.A. McLay, L.A. Schipper and C.T Smith. 1999. Annual denitrification rates in agricultural and forest soils: a review. Australian Journal of Soil Research 37: 1073–1093.

Barton, L., C.D.A. McLay, L.A. Schipper, and C.T Smith. 1998. Procedures for characterising denitrification rates in a wastewater-irrigated forest soil. Australian Journal of Soil Research 36: 997–1008.

Tang C., L. Barton, and C. Raphael. 1998. Pasture legume species differ in their capacity to acidify soil. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 49: 53–58.

McLay C.D.A., L. Barton, and C. Tang. 1997. Acidification potential of ten grain legume species grown in nutrient solution. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 48: 1025–1032.

Tang C., C.D.A. McLay, and L. Barton. 1997. A comparison of proton excretion of twelve pasture legumes grown in nutrient solution. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 37:563–570.

Barton, L., and S.J. Carr. 1996. Development and verification of a quick test for the diagnosis of aluminium toxicity on the deep yellow earths of Western Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research 34: 781–788.

OTHER REFEREED PUBLICATIONS

Barton L., K. Butterbach-Bahl, R. Kiese, and D. Murphy. 2010. Soil N2O emissions are low from a grain-legume crop grown in a semi-arid climate. 19th World Congress of Soil Science, Brisbane, Australia, 1–6 August.

Barton L., and T.D. Colmer. 2004. Irrigation and fertiliser strategies for minimising nitrogen leaching from turfgrass. In: New Directions for a Diverse Planet. Proceedings of the 4th International Crop Science Congress, Brisbane, Australia, 26 September–1 October 2004.

Barton L., L.A. Schipper, M. McLeod, J.M. Aislabie, and R. Lee. 2000. Soil processes that influence sewage effluent renovation. In: New Zealand Guidelines for Utilisation of Sewage Effluent on Land. Part 2. Issues for Design and Management. (Edited by L. J. Whitehouse, H. Wang and M. Tomer). Pp 21–40. Joint publication of the New Zealand Land Treatment Collective and Forest Research, Rotorua, New Zealand.

de Klein, C.A.M., R.R. Sherlock, S.F. Ledgard, L. Barton, F.M. Kelliher, A.S. Walcroft, and G. Rys. 2002. Nitrous oxide emissions from New Zealand agriculture: research to refine the national inventory. In: Non-CO2 greenhouse gases: scientific understanding, control options and policy aspects. Proceedings of the Third International Symposium, Maastricht, Netherlands, 21–23 January 2002. Millpress Science Publishers,Rotterdam, Netherlands: pp 275–280

Honours and awards

Most meritorious oral presentation (Australian Society of Soil Science) at Soils 2008, Australian and New Zealand Fourth Joint Soil Science Conference, 1–5 December, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

T.W. Walker Prize for best oral presentation by a young scientist at Soils 2000, Australian and New Zealand Second Joint Soils Conference.

T.W. Walker Prize for best poster presentation by a young scientist at Soils 2000, Australian and New Zealand Second Joint Soils Conference.

Previous positions

RESEARCH SCIENTIST, Landcare Research (New Zealand), 1998–2001
Employed as a Soil Biogeochemist to primarily conduct research projects funded within two Landcare Research Programs by national public-good funding (FoRST). In addition, conducted commercial research, including the first nationally co-ordinated field study investigating nitrous oxide emissions from New Zealand pasture soils.

PhD CANDITATE, The University of Waikato (New Zealand), 1995–1998
My dissertation investigated denitrification rates, and regulating factors, in the upland soil of a forested land treatment system. The research was conducted in partnership with Forest Research in Rotorua.

GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT, The University of Western Australia, 1993–1995:
A staff member in the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA), in sub-program investigating the soil acidification potential of grain and pasture legumes.

LAND CONSERVATION OFFICER, WA Department of Agriculture (Moora) 1992–1993:
Employed to assist farmers develop farm plans by providing soil technical information and practical options for addressing soil degradation. The position involved soil identification and mapping, organising workshops and assisting programs intended to increase community awareness of ‘landcare’ principles.

RESEARCH OFFICER, The University of Western Australia, 1992:
Collated and presented soil chemical and physical methods as a manual for use by soil acidity researchers in Western Australia.

June 1993-April 1995RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Cooperative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Australia.

Dec 1992-June 1993LAND CONSERVATION OFFICER
Western Australian Department of Agriculture.


Feb 1992: RESEARCH OFFICER, Department of Soil Science, University of Western Australia, Australia.

Research profile

Research profile and publications