Just as urban communities feature a mosaic of cultures, an analysis of Baltimore soil revealed a mosaic of soil conditions. Urban soil has been presumed to be highly disturbed, but this study showed that typical urban soil isn't so typical"”and isn't so disturbed"”after all.
Island countries with atolls, which are defined as ring-like coral islands and reefs that nearly or entirely encloses a lagoon use the shallow, fresh groundwater as the major source of drinking water. Sea-level rise due to increasing global temperatures and the incidences of water-borne diseases and associated infant mortalities are major concerns in many small island countries.
It is estimated that between 9 and 13 million kilograms of antibiotics are used annually in the U.S. for raising livestock, with the majority being used for growth advancement and disease prevention purposes. Large amounts of antibiotics fed to livestock are excreted and end up in animal manure, which is commonly applied to agricultural land to provide crop nutrients. Therefore, food crops grown on manure-altered soils are exposed to antibiotics.
Using sunn hemp as a cover crop can reduce the risk of groundwater contamination in Southern Florida.
Scientists from around the world have begun to scratch the surface of the impact climate change has on water and soil below the earth's surface. Developing research has exposed the need for more information that will be vital to land and water management agencies and policy makers to better predict and respond to future climate shifts.
Scientists in China have been attempting to answer corn producers concerns about precision agriculture, nitrogen fertilizer and their impacts on corn yield, grain quality, resource efficiency, profit, and contamination reduction.
On Monday September 17, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coalition will host a reception on Capitol Hill to highlight the important research, information, and services provided by the USGS and draw attention to the need for increased funding in the FY 2008 budget.
A farmer, agricultural economist, agricultural researcher, and certified crop adviser will discuss the role Nutrient Management Plans have in maximizing crop yield while reducing nutrient runoff into streams and waterways at an educational briefing on Wednesday, September 26.
A renowned group of speakers, including Pedro Sanchez and Jeffrey Sachs, share the promise of fighting hunger in Africa through agricultural productivity at "The African Green Revolution Takes Shape," symposium on Nov. 6 in New Orleans as part of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America Annual Meetings.
Two years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, soil scientists and conservation leaders are coming together to share lessons learned at a symposium on Nov.7-8 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center as part of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America Annual Meetings.
The presidents of Iceland and Bangladesh will each present lectures on the topic of global climate change on Monday, Nov. 5 in New Orleans as part of the Annual Meetings of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.
Syngenta Crop Protection announces a $100,000 gift to "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil" exhibit being developed at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum with a July 2008 launch date. The exhibit's founding sponsor is the Soil Science Society of America.
With forest fertilization up 800%, best management practices can minimize impacts on water quality, according to hydrologists at Stephen F. Austin State University who report the results of a intensive forestry-water quality study in the Journal of Environmental Quality.
More than 10,000 scientists, professionals, and students will gather in Houston on 5-9 October 2008 to discuss the latest research and current trends in energy, water resources, science education, earth systems, and related sciences for a first-ever joint Annual Meeting of several scientific societies.
The February 2008 issue of Vadose Zone Journal includes a special section that presents recent research advances and applications of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in hydrology, geology, and physics. GPR technology has rapidly developed over the last decade and can be used to meet the needs of a growing population and increasing pressures on the environment.
LI-COR products will demonstrate and measure soil in an interactive display as part of a major exhibition, "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil," at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The exhibition opens to the public in July 2008 with the Soil Science Society of America as the founding sponsor.
Scientists integrate soil science data with remote sensing to report soil carbon flux resulting from land management changes.
Grain-based ethanol production has increased dramatically in recent years and with this expansion comes unintended negative water quality impacts. Scientists evaluated potential impacts of grain- and cellulose-based ethanol on nutrient and animal management as they relate to water quality in U.S. inland and coastal waters.
During the planning phase of the Invasion of Normandy during WWII, scientists were tapped to determine the suitability and stability of the beaches to support military traffic. Scientists combined air and on-the-ground missions with historical records to ensure Allied Forces could have a successful amphibious landing on the ground.
The first Don and Betty Kirkham Soil Physics Gold Medal was awarded to Donald R. Nielsen, Emeritus Professor of Soil and Water Science at the University of California-Davis, at the Third Kirkham Conference. Dr. Nielsen was a pioneer in several areas of soil physics research, including the mixing of soil solution and spatial variability of field-measured soil-water properties.
Dig It! The Secrets of Soil, an upcoming exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, finds its newest sponsor in Bayer CropScience. The exhibition will bring soils to life and invite visitors to look at soils in a new and exciting way through interactive displays, multimedia, hands-on components, and cultural displays.
The latest in modern soil mineralogical methods is now available from the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) in their new monograph Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 5. Mineralogical Methods (2008). The new edition reflects improvements in old techniques and presents new techniques and instrumentation, giving students and scientists established methods for measurement of soil mineralogical properties.
Hands-on activities can help instructors to communicate difficult scientific concepts and stimulate student thinking. In the 2008 Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education, instructors describe a candy exercise used to explain the complexity and importance of the soil microbial world to undergraduates at Oregon State University.
The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America announce new society presidents and officers for the upcoming year.
Researchers investigated the potential of no-tillage agricultural soils for increasing the soil organic carbon pool. The results of the study revealed that no till farming impacts on soil carbon sequestration depended on soil type and sampling depth, with greater sequestration evident only in surface (0-10 cm) no till soils.
A study of Florida beaches has shown that wet sand (in the intertidal zone) and dry sand above the intertidal zone have significantly more fecal bacteria than near-shore seawater. Scientists researched whether indicator bacteria survive longer in sand relative to open water and found that all feces-derived bacteria were capable of enhanced growth and survival in sand, while in seawater the bacterial populations steadily decreased over time.
Researchers investigated different components of variation in soil at diverse scales ranging from the nanoscale to entire biomes in order to improve predictions of soil processes. Scientists used a variety of mathematical approaches to explore patterns of soil properties including water content, water movement, corn yields, and remote sensing data.
Crop yield is highly dependent on soil plant-available water, the portion of soil water that can be taken up by plant roots. Research published in the May-June issue of Agronomy Journal showed that measured plant-available water capacity correlated with corn yield better in dry years than in normal or wet years.
Recent research confirmed that--up to a point--liming the soil ameliorates the nitrogen "burn" from the urine, as well as the plant scorching effects of the urine's concentrated salts and organic acids. The researchers found that one or two urinations supplied enough nitrogen to actually help fescue grass growth. But the third application of urine was deadly.
Swine production generates large amounts of waste. While this waste contains nutrients that may serve as fertilizer when applied to agricultural fields, the ratio of nutrients in the waste is different than what a crop requires.
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) applauds the visionary action taken by Senator Sherrod Brown and his colleagues in the Senate who helped usher in legislation to recognize soils as an "essential" natural resource, placing soil on par with water and air.
On Wednesday, 9 July, three prominent scientific societies sponsored briefings on Capitol Hill to inform lawmakers about how to manage natural areas after they have been impacted by wildfire.
Special preview of new soils exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History Thursday July 17, 9:30 a.m.
A new book from the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) digs in the dirt to educate kids about the living world of soil. Soil! Get the Inside Scoop explores how soil is part of our life -- the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the houses we live in, and more.
Recognizing his strong support for agriculture and the conservation of Colorado's and the nation's lands, Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO), received the 2008 Excellence in Soil Stewardship Award presented by the Soil Science Society of America on July 17.
Media Advisory: A three-person panel of experts will discuss the new "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil" exhibition that features Arizona's state soil, "Casa Grande." The panel is the featured Opening Plenary Session - Pritchard Lecture on Monday morning, July 28 as part of the Soil and Water Conservation Society annual conference in Tucson, AZ.
Three studies demonstrate that C storage capacity of soils in different regions of the Western Hemisphere respond similarly to a diverse range of management practices to increase soil C input.
An informational booth at Pennsylvania's Ag Progress Days will feature, "Dig It! The Secrets of Soil" -- a behind-the-scenes look at the Smithsonian soils exhibit in DC and the upcoming Traveling Tour. Also highlighted is Pennsylvania's "Hazleton" soil as a featured component.
Serpentine soils contain highly variable amounts of calcium, making them marginal lands for farming. Successful management of serpentine soils requires accurate measurement of the calcium they hold. Research published this month in the Soil Science Society of America Journal shows that multiple measurement techniques are needed to accurately measure calcium content in serpentine soils.
A number of current issues related to water availability and climate change are giving impetus to new research aimed at roots and their functioning. The research is producing new experimental methods, data acquisition, and theoretical understanding. Recently, scientists from the U.S. Salinity Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, assembled a collection of new research in the form of 13 papers that are published as a special section of the August issue of Vadose Zone Journal.
Scientists at the University of California in Davis present results from a newly developed non-invasive technique that uses thermal neutron attenuation to measure spatial and temporal distribution of water in soils. The study, published in the September-October 2008 issue of Soil Science Society of America Journal, focuses on the McClellan Nuclear Radiation Center (MNRC) in Sacramento, CA, developed by the U.S. Air Force.
The Soil Science Society of America has released a new field guide created to provide a clear guidance on how to conduct specific activities related to improved soil management. Soil Science: Step-by-Step Field Analysis is designed to be carried in the field by professionals, including agronomists, crop consultants, government officials, environmental consultants, teachers and students, and features water-resistant pages and a spiral binding.
A new study funded by the European Union has demonstrated that unsafe levels of selenium, sometimes referred to as an "essential toxin", can be reduced by a microbiological treatment. With this method, microorganisms reduce selenate to the less-toxic elemental selenium, which can potentially be recovered from the process. An estimated 0.5 to 1 billion people worldwide suffer from selenium deficiency, even though many live near areas where levels of selenium have reached toxic levels.
New ways of teaching today's agriculture is the topic of a new article written by Nicholas Jordan and colleagues, featured in the 2008 Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education. With the increasing importance of agriculture in developing biofuels, bioproducts and other goods and services, new methods are needed to teach the resulting intellectual, moral, and practical challenges.
The Smithsonian's design team will explain details about the making of this major exhibition featured at the Natural History Museum. The official Texas state soil, "Houston Black," is featured in the new 5,000-square-foot exhibition in Washington, DC.
Experts discuss how fossil fuels and biofuels will affect the world's economy and environment in the changing global energy market. Speakers will discuss climate change effects on agriculture, as well as effective means of measuring remaining fossil fuel resources.
Houston hosts a global scientific conference, Oct. 5-9, with more than 8,000 international scientists presenting research and trends in energy, water, agriculture, and more.
A line of massive boulders on the western shore of Tonga may be evidence of the most powerful volcano-triggered tsunami found to date.
Small white stalagmites lining caves in the Midwest may help scientists chronicle the history of the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) "“ and even predict when the next big earthquake may strike.
Counting on wetlands restoration projects to protect storm buffeted infrastructure along the Louisiana Coast is likely to be a "losing battle" that provides "false hope" and prevents endangered communities from clearly planning for their future, says a researcher from Western Carolina University.
RSS
Medicine keyboard_arrow_right
Sciencekeyboard_arrow_right
Life keyboard_arrow_right
Business keyboard_arrow_right
Journal News keyboard_arrow_right
By Location keyboard_arrow_right
Meetings, Grants, and Events keyboard_arrow_right