![[A corn field during a drought with dry, cracked soil.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2021/09/drought2.jpg)
Extreme floods and droughts are considered to be one of the greatest challenges to society in the 21st century. Historically, they have led to the collapse of civilizations, fatalities, and economic losses. In Indiana, recent droughts, such as the drought of 2012, have affected agriculture and water supplies. Recent flooding, such as summer 2021’s disasters in downtown Bloomington, have damaged businesses and homes. Now, the prevalence of these extreme events is increasing around the world; heavy rainstorms are increasing the severity and frequency of floods, while warming temperatures and a thirsty atmosphere are making droughts more severe…
Tag: Plants
7 Tips on How You Can Help the Environment
This is part three in a series on primates and conservation. Check out parts one and two here. If you want to help with saving our environment and animal conservation efforts follow the tips below! Even the smallest efforts can make an impact on primate conservation, and help combat against the effects of global warming.
The cycle of life… and death… below your feet
As an ecosystem ecologist, I study how the cycle of life and death influences forest structure and changes over time. A walk in the woods might illuminate the forest’s dynamism as you observe squirrels tending to their buried acorn caches and listen to woodpeckers feasting on grubs. In contrast, the plant community may appear more… Read more »
Getting to the root of the global carbon cycle
This post is from ScIU’s archives. It was originally published by Adrienne Keller in March 2018 and has been lightly edited to reflect current events. Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in our atmosphere continue to rise, and global warming has transitioned from a possible future phenomenon to a present environmental reality. Given this reality, scientists are… Read more »
Getting to the root of the global carbon cycle
Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in our atmosphere continue to rise, and global warming has transitioned from a possible future phenomenon to a present environmental reality. Given this reality, scientists are motivated to improve calculations of how much carbon there is on Earth and how it flows from the biosphere to the atmosphere and back to… Read more »
There’s no free lunch in nature: for plants, it takes carbon to get nitrogen
Did you and your grade school friends ever find yourselves in intricate negotiations around the lunch table, trading that boring snack your mom packed you with the sweeter and more enticing dessert in your friend’s lunchbox? Well, similar to you and your childhood friends, plants also partake in such a trading of commodities around their… Read more »
Horton Hears a Who – Hidden Communities in Leaves
Maybe you remember reading the classic Dr. Seuss tale as a child, Horton Hears a Who! Or you may have also seen the 2008 movie adaptation on TV or at some recent family vacation? For those who haven’t, or whose memory might be a little fuzzy, Horton the elephant discovers, and becomes the sole champion of, an… Read more »
Soooo mysterious: The hidden fungi of plants.
Have you ever picked a fallen leaf off the ground and wondered where it came from? Stared at the trees changing colors and losing their leaves above you, as those leaves ultimately find their way to the massive piles young kids like to jump into? Well, ever since I started delving into the strange and… Read more »