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CSA News Calls Out Recent NGEE-Tropics Research2 min read

by Christina Procopiou on February 22, 2021

Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division

Image of the research study area as shown in a paper describing NGEE-Tropics research into soil-moisture variation published in Vadose Zone Journal. (a) Location of the pits at the Tropical Silviculture Experimental Station near the city of Manaus in the central Amazon, Brazil; (b) installation of soil water sensor at 1.5 m inside the wall using a custom‐designed device; (c) sensor installed at 1.5 m inside the wall; and (d) pit face after sensor installation.

 

CSA News, the magazine of three related societies: the Agronomy Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, published an article in its January 2021 issue describing research led by research scientist Robinson Negrón Juárez, on behalf of the NGEE-Tropics project. The article highlights a paper published recently in the Vadose Zone Journal, which evaluates soil moisture dynamics in Amazon tropical forest.

Soil moisture plays an important role in the hydrological, biogeochemical, and energy budgets of terrestrial ecosystems. Logistical constraints can make it difficult to obtain accurate soil moisture measurements in remote ecosystems such as the Amazon. The paper described the work of researchers, including Juárez, Jeff Chambers, and Boris Faybishenko, to develop a field‐based calibration of time domain reflectometry (TDR) sensors in a central Amazonian old‐growth upland forest. The team set out to evaluate how well the calibrated sensors work to determine changes in soil moisture at various depths extending 14.2 meters below ground, and across different time intervals in wet and dry seasons. They found soil moisture varied significantly by depth and over time due to soil-texture differentiation, root uptake depths, and event and seasonal precipitation. Results of this study help to enhance our understanding of eco-hydrological processes within tropical forests, and to improve model representation of these systems in the context of changing environmental conditions. 

News & Events

EESA Research Scientist Selected for NAE 2022 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium2 min read

May 23, 2022

Mengsu Hu, an EESA research scientist, was selected to participate in the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) U.S. Frontiers of Engineering symposium in September. For more than 25 years, the NAE has identified the best and brightest early-career engineers from large and small companies, research universities, and government laboratories to discuss their leading-edge research and…

Microbial Response to a Changing and Fire-Prone Arctic Ecosystem2 min read

April 27, 2022

Burning more than 1,000 square kilometers of tundra on Alaska’s North Slope, the 2007 Anaktuvuk river wildfire is one of the largest fires to occur within Arctic ecosystems. Berkeley Lab scientist Nick Bouskill led a study that used data from this disturbance event to predict ecosystem recovery as fires advance in a changing climate. (Credit:…

Study Evaluates Phosphorus Availability Underground using Plant Leaves as Biosensors3 min read

April 25, 2022

When envisioning renewable energy, sources that often come to mind are the sun, wind, batteries, and water. However, biofuel, a type of renewable energy that converts organic material from plants into liquid fuel, is an important part of a global effort to achieve net-zero emissions. Switchgrass, a deep-rooted native North American grass that grows in…

EESA Multimedia Producer and Digital Strategist Niba Audrey Nirmal Awarded Ocean Science Journalism Fellowship1 min read

Niba Audrey Nirmal, EESA Multimedia Producer and Digital Strategist, has been awarded the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) Ocean Science Journalism (OSJ) Fellowship.   In May, Nirmal will join nine other selected fellows on a five-day, experiential-learning based retreat at the WHOI located in Falmouth, Massachusetts to learn about ocean-science concepts ranging from marine biology to…

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