THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE SOIL

Weather is changing drastically. Drought and heat waves are causing negative changes on the soil. Our Earth’s soil has many elements and organisms that help us grow the plants we eat and clean the water we drink.

It also helps regulate greenhouse gases. The extreme heat has caused harm to vegetation, which impacts our ecosystem. The diverse and indispensable organisms that live in the soil are deeply affected by the drought and heatwave. Experts now think that the soil’s moisture and overall composition will affect the microbial networks which facilitate the functions of the soil. The disturbances are predicted to become worse in intensity and frequency.

Scientists are now trying to understand how these organisms respond to various weather disturbances and how they recover. Through soil DNA sequencing, the experts can study the identity of these key soil organisms that are deeply affected by the heatwave and drought. The results would then guide future research on the soil’s microbial functions that are affected by drastic changes in our climate.

[Link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180802102337.htm]