Nitrogen isotopes in tree rings record the history of the nitrogen cycle—the critical nutrient that limits growth in many US forests. ECOSS faculty member Michelle Mack, along with colleagues from seven other institutions, recently published a paper that shows nitrogen availability in US forests declining over the past century, with […]
A brand new staff member at Northern Arizona University’s Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Leshyk’s charge is to use the power of art to help interpret and communicate science produced by the center’s researchers as well as others at the university. It’s a unique opportunity to highlight fascinating science that […]
Tonight at 6:30 PM, please join us at The Green Room for “Accurate Passion: Metaphor and Meaning in Scientific Art” with Victor Leshyk and Dr. Bruce Hungate. In this image-heavy presentation which shares a multiyear portfolio of his artwork, Scientific Illustrator Victor Leshyk discusses the challenges and goals of modern science communication. […]
On a 10-meter-square plot of frozen soil in central Alaska, Ted Schuur is creating a window to the future. Schuur, an ecologist at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, is intentionally warming this patch of permafrost to see how much of its carbon— now locked in frozen plant matter buried […]
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are widespread and are increasingly associated with human infections. Inappropriate antibiotic use – both in people and in animals raised for food – drives the evolution of multi-drug-resistant pathogens and threatens a post-antibiotic era – one in which minor infections can kill. The majority of antibiotics are actually sold for use in food […]
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are widespread and are increasingly associated with human infections. Inappropriate antibiotic use – both in people and in animals raised for food – drives the evolution of multi-drug-resistant pathogens and threatens a post-antibiotic era – one in which minor infections can kill. The majority of antibiotics are actually sold for use in food […]
Dr. Michelle Mack will be discussing the future vulnerabilities to Alaskan ecosystems and tools for permafrost assessment during the next resource conservation and resiliency webinar that will be hosted on Thursday, June 29! The webinar is part of the SERDP and ESTCP webinar series, which was launched to promote the […]
How healthy will Earth’s ecosystems be in 2027, 2067 and beyond? It’s an important question to ask, especially on World Environment Day, June 5. To find answers, scientists affiliated with the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) network came together this spring at an NSF LTER mini-symposium. “Arctic […]
Microorganisms perform most decomposition on Earth, mediating carbon (C) loss from ecosystems, and thereby influencing climate. Yet, how variation in the identity and composition of microbial communities influences ecosystem C balance is far from clear. Using quantitative stable isotope probing of DNA, we show how individual bacterial taxa influence soil […]
Temperature rise in the Arctic is causing deepening of active layers and resulting in the mobilization of deep permafrost dissolved organic matter (DOM). However, the mechanisms of DOM mobilization from Arctic soils, especially upper soil horizons which are drained most frequently through a year, are poorly understood. Here we conducted […]