Space Travel News  
WOOD PILE
Droughts are threatening global wetlands: new study
by Staff Writers
Adelaide, Australia (SPX) Oct 11, 2020

Dried and cracked soils in the Lower Lakes region of South Australia during the Millennium Drought.

University of Adelaide scientists have shown how droughts are threatening the health of wetlands globally.

Published in the journal Earth-Science Reviews, the scientists highlight the many physical and chemical changes occurring during droughts that lead to severe, and sometimes irreversible, drying of wetland soils.

"Wetlands around the world are incredibly important for maintaining our planet's biodiversity and they store vast amounts of carbon that can help fight climate change," says project leader Associate Professor Luke Mosley, from the University's Environment Institute and School of Biological Sciences.

"Globally, wetlands cover an area greater than 12.1 million square kilometres and deliver at least A$37.8 trillion (Int$27 trillion) in benefits per year, such as for flood mitigation, food production, water quality improvement and carbon storage."

Wetlands can suffer "water droughts" both from the effects of a drier climate, and also when excessive water is extracted or diverted that would normally flow into them.

The review paper describes how drought often leads to severe cracking and compaction, acidification, loss of organic matter, and enhanced greenhouse gas (for example methane) emissions. In some cases droughts can lead to very long-term (>10 years) and irreversible soil changes, with major impacts on water quality when soils are rewet after the drought ends.

"We have seen many examples of how drought in the Murray-Darling Basin has caused major issues including acidification of soil and water due to acid sulfate soils exposure in wetlands. This review highlights substantial gaps in our global understanding of the effects of drought on wet soils and how they will respond to increasing drought," says Associate Professor Mosley, who is also Deputy Director of the Acid Sulfate Soils Centre.

Effects can be different in different soil types and different regions of the world. The spatial distribution of drought studies shows there has been limited assessment in a large number of regions, including south and central America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Oceania. Many of these regions are predicted to be vulnerable to drought impacts due to climate change.

Lead author Dr Erinne Stirling, from Zhejiang University (China) and the University of Adelaide, says one of the most pressing findings from this review is that there are huge swaths of the world where there is no readily available published research on drought-affected wet soils.

And secondly, she says, there is effectively no applied research into water management outcomes for wetlands and wetland soils.

"At a global level, wet soils are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and need to be protected given the very high environmental and socio-economic values they support. It is our sincere hope that the information in this review contributes to protecting these valuable ecosystems," says Dr Stirling.

Research paper


Related Links
Acid Sulfate Soils Centre
Forestry News - Global and Local News, Science and Application


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


WOOD PILE
Ecuadoran indigenous activist recognized by Time for fighting for her jungle
Quito (AFP) Oct 8, 2020
Nemonte Nenquimo is desperate for her five-year-old daughter to inherit pristine ancestral lands in Ecuador's Amazonian jungle region. It's this tenacity that earned her a spot on Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people in the world in 2020. She lives in the 180,000 hectares (444,780 acres) of virgin jungle belonging to her indigenous Waorani tribe, which she has been fighting to protect from exploitation by oil prospectors. In 2019 she led a legal challenge by the Waorani to pre ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

WOOD PILE
WOOD PILE
Preserved dune fields offer insights into Martian history

The way forward to Mars

AI helps scientists discover fresh craters on Mars

The topography of the Jezero crater landing site of NASA's Mars 2020 mission

WOOD PILE
Moon's magnetic crust research sees scientists debunk long-held theory

First U.S. robotic moon lander since Apollo era planned for mid-2021

A roadmap for science on the moon

Simulations give clues to atmospheric loss from Moon's origin

WOOD PILE
Arrokoth: Flattening of a snowman

SwRI study describes discovery of close binary trans-Neptunian object

JPL meets unique challenge, delivers radar hardware for Jupiter Mission

Astronomers characterize Uranian moons using new imaging analysis

WOOD PILE
New research explores how super flares affect planets' habitability

First direct observation of exoplanet Beta Pictoris c

Recipe is different, But Titan has ingredients for life

Search for New Worlds at Home with NASA's Planet Patrol Project

WOOD PILE
Testing a fiery reentry at DLR

NASA Student Launch program selects 46 teams

Georgia Southern University Shows Massive Tourism Boom for Spaceport Camden

NASA runs eight-part core stage Green Run Test for SLS

WOOD PILE
Eighteen new astronauts chosen for China's space station mission

NASA chief warns Congress about Chinese space station

China's new carrier rocket available for public view

China sends nine satellites into orbit by sea launch

WOOD PILE
GMV to carry out the development phase of the GNC system to guide the HERA mission

Second Alignment Plane of Solar System Discovered

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Begins its Countdown to TAG

US probe to touch down on asteroid Bennu on October 20









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.