A new project from the University of Central Florida is looking to the soils for a way to cool the skies.
Funded by a nearly $750,000 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the research will examine a method to keep carbon from escaping soils and becoming the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. As carbon dioxide accumulates in the atmosphere, it warms the Earth by trapping heat.
The research is important as NASA has reported that the Earth has seen some of the hottest temperatures on record this summer.
"When we talk about climate change, a lot of people have the misperception that most of the Earth's carbon is stored in the atmosphere," says Lisa Chambers, the project's principal investigator and an associate professor in UCF's Department of Biology. "But the atmospheric carbon pool is actually quite small, relative to the pool of carbon in the soil."
The research will focus on histosols, or organic rich soils, in the Everglades Agricultural Area located south of Lake Okeechobee in Florida.
Histosols comprise only about 1.3% of Earth's land surface, but store approximately 23% of its carbon. The nutrient-rich soils are perfect for agriculture, but their drainage and cultivation lead to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The research team, which includes Jehangir Bhadha with the University of Florida and Jing Hu with Mississippi State University, will examine adding fine minerals - such as silt and clays - to the histosols to prevent carbon from escaping.
Research has found that mineral-associated organic matter releases less carbon into the atmosphere because it is less susceptible to decomposition by microbes.
"It's been shown through carbon-14 dating that the carbon that's associated with these fine silts and clays has remained in the soil the longest," Chambers says. "Whereas unassociated, loose organic matter only dates back tens to hundreds of years old and is easily decomposed by microbes into CO2, the mineral-associated organic matter has been aged to be millennia."
She says the Everglades Agricultural Area is the perfect place to perform the research because not only could the work help with climate change, but it could also improve agricultural production and sustainability in the area.
Soil subsidence due to decomposing histosols has become a major problem in the Everglades Agricultural Area, where in some locations soil elevation has dropped as much as six feet over the past 100 years.
"The soil has been so unprotected and oxidizing so fast, that there are places where the soils are almost completely gone, turned back into carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and they're almost down to bedrock," she says. "So, it's kind of a precarious situation."
The four-year project will involve surveying the current status of mineral-associated organic matter in the area, lab experiments to determine the best soil formulations and field-scale trials. Although the project will focus on South Florida, the findings could have applications in other areas where histosols have been drained for agricultural production.
Artificial Intelligence Analysis
Analyst Summary
: This article discusses a research project conducted by the University of Central Florida that is looking to soils for a way to cool the skies. The project is funded by a grant of nearly $750 000 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and seeks to examine a method for preventing carbon from escaping soils and becoming the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. The research team is focusing on histosols, or organic-rich soils, in the Everglades Agricultural Area of Florida. These soils hold 23% of the Earth’s carbon and are especially susceptible to drainage and cultivation, which leads to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The research team is looking at adding fine minerals such as silt and clays to the histosols to prevent carbon from escaping.
Defense Industry Analyst rating: 8/10
The research conducted in this article is especially relevant to the defense industry as it is looking at ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which are a major cause of climate change. Climate change is a major security concern as it affects food and water security, economic stability, and can lead to a range of other security threats. This research has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and provide a more secure environment for the defense industry.Stock Market Analyst rating: 7/10
This article is relevant to stock market analysts in that it discusses a project that could lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, which may lead to a more stable climate. This could have a positive impact on the stock market by reducing the risks associated with climate change and providing a more secure environment for businesses to operate in.General Industry Analyst rating: 8/10
This article is relevant to general industry analysts as the research discussed could lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, which could have a positive impact on the environment and lead to a more secure and stable operating environment for businesses.
When examining the articles content in relation to significant events and trends in the space and defense industry over the past 25 years, there is a correlation between the increased focus on reducing carbon emissions and the rise of global environmental awareness. In recent years, there has been an increased focus on reducing carbon emissions through research projects such as this one. This has been in response to the growing evidence of the damaging effects of climate change and the need to mitigate its effects.Investigative
Question:
- 1. What other techniques are being explored to reduce carbon dioxide emissions?
- 2. What are the potential impacts of this research on the defense and stock markets?
- 3.
What are the potential long-term impacts of this research?4. Is this research cost-effective and feasible?
5. How does this research compare to other initiatives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions?
This AI report is generated by a sophisticated prompt to a ChatGPT API. Our editors clean text for presentation, but preserve AI thought for our collective observation. Please comment and ask questions about AI use by Spacedaily. We appreciate your support and contribution to better trade news.
