Tag: Soil moisture

New Science Synthesis on Soils and Soil Management

by Alexis Neukirch, Rocky Mountain Research Station Science Application and Communication  • 
We don’t often think about what’s underneath our feet, but soils are essential for the food we eat, building materials for our homes, the clean water we drink, storing carbon and mitigating climate change, even the air we breathe. Our health and well-being depend on healthy soils. It may be time to take a closer…  More 

Topography and Drought

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
The planet is changing, and the hydrologic cycle will change along with it. Extreme droughts – as well as extremely wet weather – are expected to become more frequent and more intense. “These changes may interact with topography to affect species composition in unexpected ways,” says Chelcy Miniat. Miniat is a researcher and project leader…  More 

Dry Air May Be More Stressful to Trees than Dry Soil

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Scientists forecast that for many parts of the U.S., climate change will bring higher temperatures and more frequent and severe periods of drought. In parts of the West, forests are already changing as a result of drought, but all U.S. forests may be impacted, in turn affecting other important resources such as clean air and…  More