by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n
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Soil is reportedly releasing more carbon<\/strong> and other greenhouse gases than expected. That is the hypothesis put forward by a group of scientists at TUFTS University<\/strong> in Medford, Massachusetts. The research<\/a>, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, consequently suggests the possible acceleration of the climate change beyond the estimates suggested by current models.<\/p>\n “If we don\u2019t consider the interplay of drought, soil desiccation cracking, and CO2 emissions, that could result in significant inaccuracies when modeling<\/strong> and predicting climate change,” explains Farshid Vahedifard<\/strong>, TUFTS researcher and co-author of the study in an article<\/a> released by the same U.S. university. Morevover, he adds, “Poorer soil health can lead to reduced photosynthesis<\/strong> and lower carbon dioxide uptake and it can compromise the structural integrity of earthen dams that protect against floods.”<\/p>\n