Hi! My name is Annette Raffan. I’m a postgraduate researcher in plant and soil science by day and a mum/blogger/small business owner by night! This site is a creative space for me for me to practise writing, gather thoughts and pass on some useful insights as I discover them. When I’m not doing the above things, you’ll probably find me cooking, out in the garden or reading. I also enjoy photography and organising things!!

My Vision

To empower anyone to have the confidence to undertake rigorous, unbiased and evidence-based research so that they may make their own informed decisions about anything that comes their way

My Mission

  • To write trustworthy, balanced and informative content based on peer-reviewed evidence and personal experience.
  • To highlight and support others working within scientific research.
  • To cultivate an appreciation and respect for the natural world

My Values

  1. Open
  2. Trustworthy
  3. Supportive
  4. Creative
  5. Introspective
A profile pic of the postgraduate researcher Annette Raffan
It’s me, Annette Raffan! My go-to cheesy profile photograph…

Here’s my profile page at The University of Aberdeen where I study. You can follow me and my research journey on Twitter as @annetteraffan:

The sections of my blog try to encapsulate what I’m interested in. Although it’s tricky to narrow everything down into categories, because I’m naturally curious… The Posted Stamp is my small business. I have an Etsy shop which I open and close as I have time for. Unfortunately I can’t do everything at once; at the moment I’m focussing on my blog and PhD!

Publication History of Annette Raffan (nee Moran)

2020

Raffan, A.C. (2020) The effects of polyhalite (POLY4) on soil structure, stability and nutrient behaviour. Masters Thesis

Zhong, X.-L., J.-T. Li, M. Naveed, A. Raffan, and P.D. Hallett. ‘A Laboratory Study to Disentangle Hydrological, Mechanical and Structural Mechanisms of Soil Stabilization by Plant Mucilage between Eroding and Depositional Zones of a Slope’. European Journal of Soil Science, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12955.

2019

Koebernick, Nicolai, Keith R. Daly, Samuel D. Keyes, Anthony G. Bengough, Lawrie K. Brown, Laura J. Cooper, Timothy S. George, et al. ‘Imaging Microstructure of the Barley Rhizosphere: Particle Packing and Root Hair Influences’. New Phytologist 221, no. 4 (March 2019): 1878–89. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15516.

2018

Fang, H., H. Zhou, G.J. Norton, A.H. Price, A.C. Raffan, S.J. Mooney, X. Peng, and P.D. Hallett. ‘Interaction between Contrasting Rice Genotypes and Soil Physical Conditions Induced by Hydraulic Stresses Typical of Alternate Wetting and Drying Irrigation of Soil’. Plant and Soil 430, no. 1–2 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-018-3715-5.

Iovino, Massimo, Pavla Pekárová, Paul D. Hallett, Ján Pekár, Ľubomír Lichner, Jorge Mataix-Solera, Vincenzo Alagna, et al. ‘Extent and Persistence of Soil Water Repellency Induced by Pines in Different Geographic Regions’. Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics 66, no. 4 (1 December 2018): 360–68. https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2018-0024.

2017

Koebernick, Nicolai, Keith R. Daly, Samuel D. Keyes, Timothy S. George, Lawrie K. Brown, Annette Raffan, Laura J. Cooper, et al. ‘High-Resolution Synchrotron Imaging Shows That Root Hairs Influence Rhizosphere Soil Structure Formation’. New Phytologist 216, no. 1 (October 2017): 124–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14705.

Naveed, M, L K Brown, A C Raffan, T S George, A G Bengough, T Roose, I Sinclair, N Koebernick, L Cooper, and P D Hallett. ‘Rhizosphere-Scale Quantification of Hydraulic and Mechanical Properties of Soil Impacted by Root and Seed Exudates’. Vadose Zone Journal, 2017. https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2017.04.0083.

Naveed, M., L. K. Brown, A. C. Raffan, T. S. George, A. G. Bengough, T. Roose, I. Sinclair, et al. ‘Plant Exudates May Stabilize or Weaken Soil Depending on Species, Origin and Time’. European Journal of Soil Science 68, no. 6 (November 2017): 806–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejss.12487.

2012

Meharg, Andrew A., Kevin J. Edwards, J. Edward Schofield, Andrea Raab, Joerg Feldmann, Annette Moran, Charlotte L. Bryant, Barry Thornton, and Julian J.C. Dawson. ‘First Comprehensive Peat Depositional Records for Tin, Lead and Copper Associated with the Antiquity of Europe’s Largest Cassiterite Deposits’. Journal of Archaeological Science 39, no. 3 (March 2012): 717–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2011.10.037.

2010

Norton, Gareth J., M. Rafiqul Islam, Guilan Duan, Ming Lei, Yongguan Zhu, Claire M. Deacon, Annette C. Moran, et al. ‘Arsenic Shoot-Grain Relationships in Field Grown Rice Cultivars’. Environmental Science and Technology 44, no. 4 (2010): 1471–77. https://doi.org/10.1021/es902992d.

Pain, Deborah J., Ruth L. Cromie, Julia Newth, Martin J. Brown, Eric Crutcher, Pippa Hardman, Louise Hurst, et al. ‘Potential Hazard to Human Health from Exposure to Fragments of Lead Bullets and Shot in the Tissues of Game Animals’. Edited by Andrew Iwaniuk. PLoS ONE 5, no. 4 (April 2010): e10315–e10315. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010315.

2009

Norton, Gareth J., Guilan Duan, Tapash Dasgupta, M. Rafiqul Islam, Ming Lei, Yongguan Zhu, Claire M. Deacon, et al. ‘Environmental and Genetic Control of Arsenic Accumulation and Speciation in Rice Grain: Comparing a Range of Common Cultivars Grown in Contaminated Sites across Bangladesh, China, and India’. Environmental Science and Technology 43, no. 21 (November 2009): 8381–86. https://doi.org/10.1021/es901844q.

2008

Moran, A.C. (2008) Lichen succession on the branches of Quercus petraea. Honours Thesis