Forests play key role to preserve clean water
University of California - Santa
Barbara
Spend time in any of the world s
great forests and you ll start seeing the trees as immense pillars holding the
heavens aloft while firmly anchored in the earth.
It s as much fact as
sentiment. Trees really do link the ground to the sky by exchanging energy and
matter between the soil and the atmosphere.
Researchers believe that
understanding this connection could provide both a wealth of scientific insight
into ecosystems and practical applications that address challenges such as
water resource conservation and management.
A recent study led by UC Santa
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Spend time in any of the world s great forests and you ll start seeing the trees as immense pillars holding the heavens aloft while firmly anchored in the earth. It s as much fact as sentiment. Trees really do link the ground to the sky by exchanging energy and matter between the soil and the atmosphere. Researchers believe that understanding this connection could provide both a wealth of scientific insight into ecosystems and practical applications that address challenges such as water resource conservation and management.
A recent study led by UC Santa Barbara s Marc Mayes investigates how patterns in tree water loss to the atmosphere, tracked with satellite imagery, relates to groundwater supplies. The results validate at landscape-wide scales ideas that scientists have proposed based on decades of research in labs and greenhouses. What s more, the techniques lend themselves to an accurate, efficient way of monitoring groundwater resources over large areas. The findings
Study uses remote sensing to monitor groundwater along river corridors in the Southwest phys.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from phys.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.