This paper examines the effects of soil moisture initialization in a coupled air quality–meteorological model on temperature profiles, wind speeds, and pollutant concentrations. Three simulations, each with different initial soil moisture fields, were run. In the baseline simulation, predicted temperatures, wind speeds, and gas/aerosol pollutant concentrations accurately matched observations. I...

Climate change predictions for the Great Plains region of North America include reduced growing season precipitation. The consequence of this prediction for soil fauna and belowground processes was investigated at two spatial scales by integrating experimental manipulation of soil moisture levels with natural variation in soil-water availability. Experiments consisted of (1) reciprocal core tra...

Plant soil specialists contribute greatly to global diversity; however, the ecoevolutionary forces responsible for generating this diversity are poorly understood. We integrate molecular phylogenies with descriptive and experimental ecological data, creating a powerful framework with which to elucidate forces driving soil specialization. Hypotheses explaining edaphic specialization have histori...

Studying the responses of soil respiration (Rs) to soil management changes is critical for enhancing our understanding of the global carbon cycle and has practical implications for grassland management. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (1) quantify daily and seasonal patterns of Rs, (2) evaluate the influence of abiotic factors on Rs, and (3) detect the effects of soil management ch...

Solubility and bioavailability of heavy metals are important with respect to theirtoxicity. The discharge of municipal wastewater in soil and surface waters can affectbioavailability and mobility of heavy metals in soils and sediments. The effect of dischargeof Arak municipal wastewater on the KNO3 and DTPA extractable heavy metals in a salinesoil sampled from Mighan playa (Iran) compared to a ...