Evapotranspiration is the exchange of water vapor between land and the atmosphere, and it is hard to measure and model. A new study shows promise for its estimation over large, vegetated landscapes.
plants
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Topography and Microclimate Shape Tree Ring Growth
Wizened bristlecone pines in California reveal past climate trends, and new research shows how slight variations in landscape position drive different growth patterns in trees’ annual rings.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Capturing the Dynamism of Plant Roots in Models
Simulating the dynamic nature of plant root profiles in Earth system models improves the representation of the carbon and water cycles.
Posted inENGAGE, News
Rooftop Gardens Make Use of the Air We Breathe Below
Growing plants near building air vents may help them grow better, while reducing the carbon emissions from the people exhaling inside.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Budgeting Ozone-Depleting Emissions from Coastal Tidal Marshes
Brackish wetlands and their salt-tolerant vegetation are significant methyl halide emitters. The natural emissions add chlorine and bromine to the stratosphere, which break down ozone.
Posted inScience Updates
Better Plant Data at the Root of Ecosystem Models
Version 2 of the Fine-Root Ecology Database is bigger, better, and free to download and use.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Restored Wetlands Could Lower Local Surface Temperatures
A 3-year study of wetlands and cropland in a major California delta highlights the need to consider the physical effects of vegetation when planning land use changes.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Seasonal Leaf Production Is Key Control on Amazon Carbon Balance
Characterizing leaf phenology in process-based models reconciles both “dry season green-up” and drought controls on Amazonian carbon balance.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Refining Remote Sensing of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Waterways
Nearby vegetation affects the color of organic matter, a new study finds.
Posted inNews
After a Glacier Retreats, Plants Thrive Thanks to Phosphorus
Grasses, small flowers, and mosses colonize glacial till in the Peruvian Andes when researchers apply a phosphorus fertilizer, an ecological surprise with implications for carbon sequestration.