Scientists have long assumed that dust storms lead to infections with the desert soil fungus Coccidioides, but new evidence suggests otherwise.
soils
Posted inNews
Soil Texture Affects How Carbon Is Stored Underground
Using measurements from more than 9,300 soil samples collected worldwide, researchers have shown that carbon storage in soils is affected by both air temperature and soil texture.
Posted inNews
Large Herbivores May Improve an Ecosystem’s Carbon Persistence
The grazing habits of wild animals like elephants and boars enable long-term carbon storage, according to new research that stresses the need to align climate mitigation goals with biodiversity conservation.
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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.
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Mapping Teotihuacan’s Past, Present, and Future
A new lidar project reveals how mining and urban expansion have put one of Mexico’s most iconic cultural heritage sites at risk.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Modeling Mulch to Understand Agricultural Soil
A new model helps shed light on residue mulch, an important regulator of surface soil conditions.
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Wildfires May Alter the Nitrogen Cycle—and Air Pollution
Research indicates that wildfires could be bolstering soil emissions of air pollutants that contribute to smog and climate change.
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Settlement of Rapa Nui May Have Been Doomed by a Dearth of Dust
Rapa Nui and Hawai‘i offer a tale of two island settlements: Hawai‘i was close enough to Asia for continental dust to help replenish soil nutrients depleted by agriculture. Rapa Nui wasn’t.
Posted inNews
Community Input Drives Superfund Research
Researchers identified geochemical tracers for lead and investigated Oklahomans’ concerns at the Tar Creek Superfund site.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Plant Root Exudates Mediate Soil Nutrient Transport
Plant roots mediate solute transport through the soil immediately surrounding them by introducing polymers and other binding compounds that disrupt water transport pathways between soil pore spaces.