2020
Dawson, T. E.; Hahm, W. J.; Crutchfield-Peters, K.
Digging deeper: what the critical zone perspective adds to the study of plant ecophysiology Journal Article
In: New Phytologist, vol. 226, no. 3, pp. 666-671, 2020.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Zone, ERCZO, nutrients, plant ecophysiology, soil, water, weathered bedrock
@article{Dawson2020,
title = {Digging deeper: what the critical zone perspective adds to the study of plant ecophysiology},
author = {T. E. Dawson and W. J. Hahm and K. Crutchfield-Peters},
url = {https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.16410},
doi = {10.1111/nph.16410},
year = {2020},
date = {2020-01-08},
journal = {New Phytologist},
volume = {226},
number = {3},
pages = {666-671},
abstract = {The emergence of critical zone (CZ) science has provided an integrative platform for investigating plant ecophysiology in the context of landscape evolution, weathering and hydrology. The CZ lies between the top of the vegetation canopy and fresh, chemically unaltered bedrock and plays a pivotal role in sustaining life. We consider what the CZ perspective has recently brought to the study of plant ecophysiology. We specifically highlight novel research demonstrating the importance of the deeper subsurface for plant water and nutrient relations. We also point to knowledge gaps and research opportunities, emphasising, in particular, greater focus on the roles of deep, nonsoil resources and how those resources influence and coevolve with plants as a frontier of plant ecophysiological research.},
keywords = {Critical Zone, ERCZO, nutrients, plant ecophysiology, soil, water, weathered bedrock},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
The emergence of critical zone (CZ) science has provided an integrative platform for investigating plant ecophysiology in the context of landscape evolution, weathering and hydrology. The CZ lies between the top of the vegetation canopy and fresh, chemically unaltered bedrock and plays a pivotal role in sustaining life. We consider what the CZ perspective has recently brought to the study of plant ecophysiology. We specifically highlight novel research demonstrating the importance of the deeper subsurface for plant water and nutrient relations. We also point to knowledge gaps and research opportunities, emphasising, in particular, greater focus on the roles of deep, nonsoil resources and how those resources influence and coevolve with plants as a frontier of plant ecophysiological research.
2017
Grant, Gordon E.; Dietrich, William E.
The frontier beneath our feet Journal Article
In: Water Resources Research, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 2605-2609, 2017.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Critical Zone, environmental problems, ERCZO, field studies, groundwater, landscape development, water
@article{Grant2017,
title = {The frontier beneath our feet},
author = {Gordon E. Grant and William E. Dietrich},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1002/2017WR020835},
year = {2017},
date = {2017-04-20},
journal = {Water Resources Research},
volume = {53},
number = {4},
pages = {2605-2609},
abstract = {Following the simple question as to where water goes when it rains leads to one of the most exciting frontiers in earth science: the critical zone—Earth's dynamic skin. The critical zone extends from the top of the vegetation canopy through the soil and down to fresh bedrock and the bottom of the groundwater. Only recently recognized as a distinct zone, it is challenging to study because it is hard to observe directly, and varies widely across biogeoclimatic regions. Yet new ideas, instruments, and observations are revealing surprising and sometimes paradoxical insights, underscoring the value of field campaigns and long‐term observatories. These insights bear directly on some of the most pressing societal problems today: maintaining healthy forests, sustaining streamflow during droughts, and restoring productive terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The critical zone is critical because it supports all terrestrial life; it is the nexus where water and carbon is cycled, vegetation (hence food) grows, soil develops, landscapes evolve, and we live. No other frontier is so close to home.},
keywords = {Critical Zone, environmental problems, ERCZO, field studies, groundwater, landscape development, water},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
Following the simple question as to where water goes when it rains leads to one of the most exciting frontiers in earth science: the critical zone—Earth’s dynamic skin. The critical zone extends from the top of the vegetation canopy through the soil and down to fresh bedrock and the bottom of the groundwater. Only recently recognized as a distinct zone, it is challenging to study because it is hard to observe directly, and varies widely across biogeoclimatic regions. Yet new ideas, instruments, and observations are revealing surprising and sometimes paradoxical insights, underscoring the value of field campaigns and long‐term observatories. These insights bear directly on some of the most pressing societal problems today: maintaining healthy forests, sustaining streamflow during droughts, and restoring productive terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The critical zone is critical because it supports all terrestrial life; it is the nexus where water and carbon is cycled, vegetation (hence food) grows, soil develops, landscapes evolve, and we live. No other frontier is so close to home.