Keeping carbon in the ground
A new long-term study shows that switching to no-till practices may help restore cropland soils to pre-disturbance conditions, letting farmers join the fight against climate change.
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carbon
Oxygen sensitivity in wetlands: Implications for carbon storage
Source Article: Samantha K. Chapman, Matthew A. Hayes, Brendan Kelly, and J. Adam Langley. 2019. Exploring the oxygen sensitivity of
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Growing Conditions Improve with a Pinch
Salt marshes are full of crustacean inhabitants. In particular, fiddler crabs and purple marsh crabs of New England modify these coastal ecosystems by burrowing beneath the waterlogged soils, chewing up plants, and increasing nutrient exchange rates. But it is uncertain to what extent each species contributes to the modification of a salt marsh. Research by Alexandria Moore found the presence of crabs had a significant effect on multiple aspects of salt marsh health and that the herbivore, purple marsh crab, modifies salt marsh ecosystems beyond eating plants.
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Where the mangrove grows
A 65 meter tall mangrove. Imagine that. A tree growing in saltwater that is 20 stories tall. Considering the only mangroves I have seen look like shrubs, I couldn’t believe that some mangroves could reach such heights. But then I saw some photos on Twitter and talked with a scientist who is using new technology to estimate the enormous amount of carbon stored by these beastly coastal trees. Mind Blown.
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We’re all in this together: Climate-forest connections mean local tree deaths have widespread impacts
We know that forests can have a big local impact, but can they also have an impact on the climate on the other side of the continent? With climate change becoming a growing threat to our forests, a team of scientists looks to investigate what cross-continental connections exist between our forests and what they could mean for our future climate.
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Mangroves Marching North: How do black mangroves and saltmarshes interact?
Pickens, C. N., Sloey, T. M. and Hester, M. (2018) Influence of salt marsh canopy on black mangrove(Avicennia germinans) survival
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Different seasons affect how microbes respond to warmer temperatures
Article Information: Kittredge, H.A., Cannone, T., Funk, J., and Chapman, S.K. (2018) Soil respiration and extracellular enzyme production respond differently across
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Can seaweed farming help fight climate change?
Seaweed farming is the fastest growing sector of food production and provides healthy, nutritious sea vegetables. Farming seaweed can also have positive benefits by decreasing wave action, taking up carbon dioxide, and locally reducing the effects of ocean acidification. Spatial planning, market analyses, and infrastructure development are needed to facilitate the expansion of seaweed aquaculture.
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Rejuvenating Agricultural Soils
Soils play an important role in the global carbon cycle because they can absorb carbon from and emit carbon into the atmosphere. Currently, agricultural soils are not home to very large carbon pools. Recent research investigated the effects of adding carbonized crop residue to soils in agricultural environments in the hopes of finding ways to increase the amount of carbon retained by these soils.
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