“Beach ecosystems respond to negative forces in many ways,” says Mary Tiedeman, soil scientist. “Human development and severe storms often result in erosion and habitat loss. Various types of pollution include water acidification, water temperature rise, oil spills, sewage leaks, and sedimentation. These can cause loss of plant and animal life. Even overfishing, which may only directly effect a few animal species, has the potential to disrupt the balance of an entire ecosystem."
Efforts continue to restore and protect beaches. “With all restoration projects, understanding the local soils is tremendously useful. Through research, scientists gain insights into how coastal soils function and how vulnerable they are to disturbances. Studying soils also helps scientists learn about the types of plant life that individual soils can support,” Tiedeman says.
To read the entire blog post, visit http://soilsmatter.wordpress.com.
Follow SSSA on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SSSA.soils, Twitter at SSSA_Soils. SSSA has soils information on www.soils.org/discover-soils, for teachers at www.soils4teachers.org, and for students through 12th grade, www.soils4kids.org.
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is a progressive international scientific society that fosters the transfer of knowledge and practices to sustain global soils. Based in Madison, WI, and founded in 1936, SSSA is the professional home for 6,000+ members and 1,000+ certified professionals dedicated to advancing the field of soil science. The Society provides information about soils in relation to crop production, environmental quality, ecosystem sustainability, bioremediation, waste management, recycling, and wise land use.
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