Tracking the Restorative Effects of Good Fire

Tracking the Restorative Effects of Good Fire

A few miles south of Yosemite’s famed Glacier Point, ringed by striking granite domes, lies the Illilouette Basin. This small stretch of the Sierra Nevada Mountains has become a sort of fire laboratory, a place where natural wildfires have been allowed to burn since 1972. In contrast with the long-supported program of fire suppression that has dominated American forests since the late 19th century, resulting in dense and unhealthy forests, the Illilouette Basin’s story is about the benefits that natural fire can bring to the landscape.

Groundwater is Key to Protecting Global Ecosystems

Groundwater is Key to Protecting Global Ecosystems

New research identifies ecosystems around the world that could be threatened by declining groundwater levels. The research, published July 17 in Nature, is the first time that groundwater-dependent ecosystems have been mapped on a global scale. Led by scientists from The Nature Conservancy and DRI, the global effort brought researchers together from universities, non-profit organizations, and institutions from seven countries.

New Method Reveals Hidden Activity of Life Below Ground

New Method Reveals Hidden Activity of Life Below Ground

DRI’s Duane Moser, Ali Saidi-Mehrabad, and Molly Devlin co-authored a new study that examines the genetics and life strategies of microbes living deep below Earth’s surface. Dr. Moser and his lab conducted the fieldwork for the research as part of their work studying deep wells located in the Death Valley regional flow system.

DRI’s Christine Albano Co-authors Groundbreaking New Research in Groundwater’s Role in Ecosystem Sustainability

DRI’s Christine Albano Co-authors Groundbreaking New Research in Groundwater’s Role in Ecosystem Sustainability

A new study published in Nature Water used satellite data spanning 38 years to examine how groundwater-dependent ecosystems (such as wetlands, meadows, and springs) in California respond to fluctuations in groundwater levels. The research can help shed light on how water management practices can best account for ecosystem needs in addition to those of human society.

A Fresh Look at the Drivers of Extreme Flooding

A Fresh Look at the Drivers of Extreme Flooding

A new study in Science Advances finds that compounding effects of flood drivers can complicate and exacerbate the risk of extreme floods in watersheds around the world. DRI’s Guo Yu, Ph.D., assistant research professor of hydrometeorology, co-authored the research.