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Current Soil News Events, Discoveries and Articles

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Seagrasses Can Store as Much Carbon as Forests
Seagrasses are a vital part of the solution to climate change and, per unit area, seagrass meadows can store up to twice as much carbon as the world's temperate and tropical forests. (2012-05-24)

Southern pine beetle impacts on forest ecosystems
Research by USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) scientists shows that the impacts of recent outbreaks of southern pine beetle further degraded shortleaf pine-hardwood forest ecosystems in the southern Appalachian region. (2012-05-18)

When the soil holds not enough phosphorus
Plants cannot survive without phosphorus. It forms the backbone of many crucial molecules (such as DNA) and is a key player in energy transfer reactions. (2012-05-16)

Secret soil cracks linger, despite surface sealing
Deep cracks in soil can remain open underground even after they have visibly sealed on the surface, a new study has found. (2012-05-15)

Wasted milk is a real drain on our resources, study shows
Milk poured down Britain's kitchen sinks each year creates a carbon footprint equivalent to thousands of car exhaust emissions, research shows. (2012-05-14)

Agricultural bacteria: Blowing in the wind
It was all too evident during the Dust Bowl what a disastrous impact wind can have on dry, unprotected topsoil. Now a new study has uncovered a less obvious, but still troubling, effect of wind: Not only can it carry away soil particles, but also the beneficial microbes that help build soil, detoxify contaminants, and recycle nutrients. (2012-05-09)

Plant Diversity Is Key to Maintaining Productive Vegetation
Vegetation, such as a patch of prairie or a forest stand, is more productive in the long run when more plant species are present, results of a new study show. (2012-05-07)

Plant diversity is key to maintaining productive vegetation, U of M study shows
Vegetation, such as a patch of prairie or a forest stand, is more productive in the long run when more plant species are present, a new University of Minnesota study shows. (2012-05-04)

Clean Drinking Water for Everyone
Nearly 80 percent of disease in developing countries is linked to bad water and sanitation. Now a scientist at Michigan Technological University has developed a simple, cheap way to make water safe to drink, even if it's muddy. (2012-05-02)

Plant perfumes woo beneficial bugs
Scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have discovered that maize crops emit chemical signals which attract growth-promoting microbes to live amongst their roots. (2012-04-25)