A closer look at cultivated land informs actions to protect the vitality of our soil.
agriculture
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Soil Texture Determines How Groundwater and Rain Impact Crops
Scientists model water table depth, soil texture, and weather conditions to identify how these variables interact to make or break corn yields.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Early Agriculture Has Kept Earth Warm for Millennia
Ice core data, archeological evidence, and other studies suggest humans had a significant influence on Earth's preindustrial climate.
Posted inFeatures
How Biofuels Can Cool Our Climate and Strengthen Our Ecosystems
Critics of biofuels like ethanol argue they are an unsustainable use of land. But with careful management, next-generation grass-based biofuels can net climate savings and improve their ecosystems.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Regional Nuclear War Could Cause a Global Famine
A detonation of less than 0.03% of the current global nuclear arsenal could cause fires that clog the air with soot. This soot could block solar radiation, leading to worldwide crop shortages.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Could Amazonian Deforestation Increase Cloudiness and Rain?
In trading trees for pastures, patchwork differences in vegetation heights increase cloudiness in downwind regions.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Could Farmers have Dodged the 2012 Great Plains Drought?
A decision-making model to turn seasonal climate forecasts into information farmers actually need.
Posted inFeatures
Crop Residue Burning: A Threat to South Asian Air Quality
Smoke from the residues, burned during October and November to ready fields for next year’s planting, emanate from Punjab, a region spanning northwestern India and eastern Pakistan.