Will Work for Dirt

Soil in urban and rural areas alike is becoming degraded, lacking in essential humus, moisture, and microbes. In fact, a third of the world’s land surface is no longer as productive as it once was.

 

Soil in handsNatural Climate Solutions Could Cancel Out a Fifth of U.S. Emissions, Study Finds

In a new study published in Science Advances scientists report that 21 “natural climate solutions”, if deployed across agricultural lands, forests, grasslands and wetlands, could mitigate 21 percent of the United States’ net annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Of note, the New York Soil Health collaborators involved: The Nature Conservancy (study lead); and Cornell research support specialist Peter Woodbury who contributed to efforts in quantifying how agricultural management practices such as cover cropping can mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Electron microscope image of Hemimastix kukwesjijk

📷Yana Eglit

Rare microbes lead scientists to discover new branch on the tree of life

While out hiking in Nova Scotia a graduate student collected a soil sample that contained rare microbes leading scientists to discover new branch on the tree of life.

 

 

Dung beetleRelease of non-native dung beetles in New Zealand

New Zealand is releasing dung beetles to rebalance the environmental impact of livestock. Dung beetles tunnel through soil and bury livestock dung, which aerates soil, improves the nutrient cycle and helps manage water absorption and dispersion.