Climate change not only has catastrophic effects on coasts, oceans, ecosystems, weather and human health but is also largely impacting soil, say researchers. Climate change may reduce the ability of soils to absorb water in many parts of the world, according to a study published in the journal, ‘Science Advances’. And that could have serious implications for groundwater supplies, food production, and security, stormwater runoff, biodiversity, and ecosystems. The lead author of the research is Joshua S. Caplan, a former Rutgers postdoctoral associate now at Temple University. Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, University of Kansas, Kansas State University and Colorado State University also contributed to the study. “Since rainfall patterns and other environmental conditions are shifting globally as a result of climate change, our results suggest that how water interacts with soil could change appreciably in many parts of the world, and do so fairly rapidly,” said co-author Daniel Gimenez, a soil scientist and professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. “We propose that the direction, magnitude, and rate of the changes should be measured and incorporated into predictions of ecosystem responses to climate change,” added Gimenez. To view the full article visit Big News Network.
