Her research explores the closest interactions between microbial life and soil physicochemical attributes on which an outstanding finding has been to verify the co-spatial association that exists between soil biodiversity and pedodiversity besides other environmental variables. A better insight into this biodiversity-pedodiversity relationship will provide new knowledge and impact our society since there are still endless improvements to make on human activities to secure soils around the world – our primary source for world's food production and C storage still largely unknown.
Vanessa's research on soil microbial biogeography has a pedological perspective and extends from Australian agroecosystems to global scales. She has carried out extensive sampling campaign interacting with farmers all across New South Wales with a particular track along the Wheatbelt Region. Vanessa has witnessed and contributed to turning into a new era the study of the soil bio-physicochemical components by pioneering a combination of both pedometrics approaches (used for digital soil global mapping) and soil biomolecular information from high-throughput sequencing technology. In both areas, she has been involved with worldwide experts emerging global scientific efforts in the recognition of soil biodiversity as a critical component for soil ecosystems services.
Other interests include:
Soil microbiomes related to earth processes and soil diversity
Soil biogeographical patterns and modelling
Strategies for soil biological management and pedodiversity conservation
Soil-Water-Plant microbiomes interactions
Soil organic matter and nutrients cycling
Hidden Hunger in relation with soil micronutrients deficiencies
Soil, human and planetary health
