An undergraduate experiment grew vegetables and herbs in simulated Martian soil under Mars-like reduced daylight. The tasty results suggest that Mars colonists could farm their own produce.
plants
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Scientists Probe Water Inside Leaves via Satellite
Improving satellite-based studies of vegetation optical depth, a critical ecosystem indicator.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Mossy Oaks Are Dripping with Organic Matter
Epiphyte-bearing trees leach carbon when it rains.
Posted inNews
Eyes in the Sky Look Closer at Under-Surveyed Northern Forests
Spaceborne images give scientists a detailed picture of the boreal forests’ tree heights, which help scientists estimate their contribution to carbon budgets.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Nonflood Flow May Be Major Driver of Delta Growth
Plants and fluctuating river flow work together to balance vertical sediment buildup with sediment delivery to the delta’s edge.
Posted inFeatures
Assessing a New Clue to How Much Carbon Plants Take Up
Current climate models disagree on how much carbon dioxide land ecosystems take up for photosynthesis. Tracking the stronger carbonyl sulfide signal could help.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Tool for Understanding Landscape Evolution in Drylands
Combining vegetation distribution models and sediment transport models offers a better understanding of how dryland environments change in response to different factors.
Posted inNews
Tracking Global Change with a Cloud-Based Living Atlas
With their feet in the cloud, Descartes Labs is pushing the limit of how we study the Earth with satellite images.
Posted inNews
How Do Trees Respond to Climate Change? Clues from an Arboretum
The rich diversity of trees at arboreta may allow scientists to home in on the specific traits that allow trees to grow faster or slower in response to warming temperatures.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Groundwater: A Hidden Influence on River Shape
A new study shows how groundwater influences river dynamics and channel pattern.