Search Results for: du z

leshyk illustration stable isotope probing

Quantitative microbial ecology through stable isotope probing

Measuring the growth rates of individual bacteria taxa within a mixed sample gives a powerful view of the moving parts of a living ecosystem, especially when that sample is soil, where so many ecological processes occur.  Ecoss research pioneered “qSIP” — a new method for gathering many simultaneous bacterial growth […]

leshyk illustration big rip off pollution

A global synthesis reveals biodiversity loss as a major driver of ecosystem change

Pollution scenarios and anthropogenic warming are familiar examples of human-caused stress on the environment.  But human-driven loss of biodiversity itself robs ecosystems of essential players and services, damaging ecosystem function.  Ecoss research examined the effects of various environmental stressors on plant growth and decomposition, two crucial processes in any ecosystem. […]

leshyk illustration rainforest temperate flux

Biophysical considerations in forestry for climate protection

Albedo, the reflectance of sunlight from earth’s surface, is an important moderator of climate because it determines whether solar energy is locally absorbed or re-radiated to space.  Ecoss-associated research characterized the albedo and other energy fluxes of various landscapes to demonstrate that human land-use decisions can alter surface energy fluxes […]

leaf still from ascent of sap rap video

The Ascent of Sap Rap

The latest Ecoss artistic product, “The Ascent of Sap Rap”, by George Koch and students from his “Plants and Climate” class. View the full video here. See lyrics below: For plants on terra firma it’s a struggle to stay wet We’ve talked a bit about it, but you may not […]

A general biodiversity-function relationship is mediated by trophic level

Species diversity affects the functioning of ecosystems, including the efficiency by which communities capture limited resources, produce biomass, recycle and retain biologically essential nutrients. These ecological functions ultimately support the ecosystem services upon which humanity depends. Despite hundreds of experimental tests of the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem function (BEF), […]