Basche discusses how climate change impacts soil on NPR Science Friday

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Andrea Basche, University of Nebraska–Lincoln assistant professor of agronomy and horticulture, and Kristen DeAngelis, University of Massachusetts associate professor of microbiology, were guests on National Public Radio’s Science Friday Sept. 14 to discuss how climate change is impacting the soil.

“Soil is the underdog of natural resources,” Basche said. “I feel we give a lot of attention to water pollution and air quality but infrequently do you hear about the imperative of soil.”

Scientists are studying how increasing temperatures and heavier rainfalls across the country will affect different natural resources including soil ecosystems. According to the 2011 Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts report, soil erosion in Wisconsin is predicted to double by 2050.

Soil is a matrix of particles, including non-living parts and living organisms such as fungi and bacteria. Healthy soil should include adequate empty space for roots to grow and water to infiltrate. The force of rain hitting the soil destroys the healthy “aggregates” or particles in the soil that ensure proper soil structure for plant roots. Heavy rain events can also degrade the soil by causing erosion of the rich top soil which results in decreased crop productivity and water pollution.

University of Washington geomorphology professor, David R. Montgomery, estimates soil formation rates  – how quickly soil forms – happens at a rate of less than one-half ton of soil per area per year. 

Research from the “Daily Erosion Project” at Iowa State University produces daily estimates of soil erosion for parts of the upper Midwest, including parts of Southeast Nebraska. Estimates for parts of southeast Nebraska in 2017 had over 30 tons of soil loss per acre per year.

“If formation rates are less than one-half ton per acre per year, we are losing soil in one year that is going to take decades to replace,” Basche said. Raising awareness of soil as a limiting natural resource requires conservation practices that nourish, protect and build up resilience in soil against floods and droughts.

Listen to the full interview at Science Friday.  

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Andrea Basche
Andrea Basche