Wednesday, February 21, 2018

6th year of Science on Tap

Thanks to the continued support of UNM, Explora and the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History

 

 A time to eat, drink & talk about science!


on Central

Join us Thursday, March 1st at 5:30


2 Presentations from Explora's Science Communication Fellows

Soil fungi may benefit both plants and biocrusts in drylands
 
Dr. Eva Dettweiler-Robinson
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Biology, UNM
 Drylands, such as those across New Mexico, have plants and biological soil crusts (mosses, lichens, cyanobacteria, fungi, bacteria, etc.) living together. Plants and many components of biocrusts are photosynthetic, meaning they can use CO2 from the air to produce their bodies. Many biocrusts can also fix nitrogen from the air which is an important fertilizer. I am researching how fungi affect the rate of nitrogen transfer between biocrusts and plants and the overall effect on the performance of plants and biocrusts. Understanding these processes can help us understand what leads to erosion and windstorms, provide habitat for animals, and understand implications of climate change in drylands.

Albuquerque groundwater aquifer & its response to water resource management
 
Lucas Curry
Hydrologist
New Mexico Water Science Center
US Geological Survey