The geology and the structure of Earth’s critical zone control subsurface moisture storage potential and determine the resilience of forest and river ecosystems to drought.
ecosystems
Posted inNews
Climate Change May Shift Coral Population Dynamics
New paleoceanographic research indicates that warming waters may contribute to fewer coral reefs but to a flourishing presence of soft-bodied corals.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How River Capture Affects the Evolution of Aquatic Organisms
River basins are dynamic environments that are always changing and reorganizing under geologic forces. New research investigates how this shape shifting influences aquatic speciation and extinction.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Most of the Arctic’s Microscopic Algae Are Chilling Under Ice
New research reveals that tiny single-celled organisms in the Arctic Ocean are growing more numerous as climate change thins the ice.
Posted inNews
Los Costos Ecológicos de Remover las Plataformas Petroleras Mar Adentro en California
Las plataformas de perforación de petróleo- y gas-mar adentro son hábitats ricos para peces. Eliminarlas por completo resultaría en una pérdida del 95% de biomasa de peces, revela una nueva investigación.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Ideal Temperatures for Carbon Uptake by Subtropical Plants
Air temperatures in coastal ecosystems of Australia routinely exceed the optimum range for photosynthesis, hindering plants’ ability to take up atmospheric carbon.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
How Forest Degradation Affects Carbon and Water Cycles
Forest degradation may be as widespread as deforestation in the Amazon, but its impact on energy, carbon, and water fluxes is less well understood.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Lake Ice—and Ecosystems—in a Warming World
Extending ice records and standardizing sampling protocols are among recommendations to help researchers better predict how changing ice cover will affect aquatic ecosystems.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Lasting Legacy of Phosphorus Buried in Lakes
Research at an experimental lake suggests that phosphorus inputs from runoff may affect the health of aquatic ecosystems long after external additions of the nutrient are reduced.
Posted inScience Updates
Measuring, Monitoring, and Modeling Ecosystem Cycling
Scientists leverage long-term environmental measurements, emerging satellite observations, and recent modeling advances to examine changes in ecosystem carbon and water cycling.