Cultivating delicate soil crust in the shade of solar panels might boost the recovery of arid land.
Critical Zone
Posted inScience Updates
Envisioning a Near-Surface Geophysics Center for Convergent Science
A recent effort identified how a proposed near-surface geophysics center integrating research and teaching could address critical challenges and promote community engagement and cultural change.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
To Estimate Plant Water Use, Consider the Xylem
New research shows that chemical isotopes from plant xylem can improve representations of the forest water cycle.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The World’s Roots Are Getting Shallower
Root-filled soils are hot spots of nutrient cycling and carbon storage. New research finds that the world has lost millions of cubic meters of rooted soil volume—and we’re on track to lose much more.
Posted inNews
Groundwater May Fix as Much Carbon as Some Ocean Surface Waters
Microbes from wells as deep as 90 meters created organic carbon at a rate that overlaps with some nutrient-poor spots in the ocean.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Impact of Climate on River Chemistry Across the United States
Findings of a new study have implications for water quality, aquatic ecosystem health, and water treatment and management as the world warms.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Small Catchments Sustain Silicon Signatures Following Storms
Watersheds have unique patterns of silicon export due to differences in subsurface water routing and biogeochemical reactions.
Posted inNews
Biocrust “Probiotics” Can Aid Dryland Restoration Efforts
Bacteria can speed up the growth of biocrust-forming organisms in nurseries, providing more material for restoration of degraded dryland soil.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Theory Connects Tree Uprooting and Sediment Movement
Tree throw from extreme wind events plays an important role in the movement of sediment and erosion on forested hillslopes. A new theory offers a novel way to measure its impact.