In some parts of the world, the soil is showing signs of its reduced ability to absorb water. This is according Rutgers, although it has only affected a number of areas in the world, it shows severe implications for food security and production, groundwater supply, biodiversity, as well as stormwater runoff. The study has been published in the journal of Science Advances.
"The environmental conditions including rainfall patterns are shifting globally as a result of the growing problem on climate change. The results of our study suggest how the water reaches the soil and interacts with it. In many parts of the world, the ability of the soil to absorb the water may decline rapidly," said Daniel Gimenez, co-author of the study. He is a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University that specializes in soil science.
"We propose that the magnitude, direction, and the rate of the changes in the water absorption capacity of the soil be measured and recorded. Incorporating these facts into the predictions made about how the ecosystem responds to changes brought about by global warming."
The presence of water in the soil plays a crucial role in the storage of carbon. The soil influences the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in a very unpredictable way, according the Gimenez, a representative of the School of Environment and Biological Sciences. Carbon dioxide is among the top greenhouse gases that has been strongly associated to climate change.
In a study published in the journal Nature last year that Gimenez co-authored, it showed that the increase amount of precipitation due to the changing weather conditions also meant that there is less water infiltration in soil. It also meant more soil erosion, more runoff and the risk for flooding is relatively higher.
Whether run off of soil or if rainwater will infiltrate the soil basically determines how much water will be available for plants to consume or how much water will evaporate in the atmosphere. Climate change is expected to increase the amount of rainfall in several parts of the world and it could only bring about changes that may not always mean well.
The next step in all these is to conduct an investigation of the mechanisms that drive the changes. This is to help specialists extrapolate the findings, incorporate them in the predictions that they make and hopefully help the ecosystem respond to the changes brought about by global warming. Scientists also want to explore a wider array of soil types and environmental factors bring about the changes in the soil and the shift in the climate.
