Rachel Owen

Graduate Student, School of Natural Resources

Across the globe, wetlands serve as buffers between urban and agricultural areas and important water sources, like oceans, rivers, and groundwater. In order to provide flood control, enhance water quality, and support animals that depend on wetlands, wetlands must have a foundation of healthy soil. In a changing climate with warmer temperatures and more erratic precipitation events, healthy soils are at risk. In my research, I measure physical, chemical, and biological processes in soil in response to climatic changes in order to identify the processes that may be most sensitive in future climate conditions. By understanding how soil processes react to a changing climate, we know where to focus our management efforts to maintain healthy soil in the future.

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