Trees have the ability to capture and remove pollutants from the soil and degrade them through natural processes in the plant. It’s a feat of nature companies have used to help clean up polluted sites, though only in small-scale projects. Now, a probiotic bacteria for trees can boost the speed and effectiveness of this natural cycle, providing a microbial partner to help protect trees from the toxic effects of the pollutants and break down the toxins plants bring in from contaminated groundwater.
Read more at UW Today »Bottom-trawling techniques leave different traces on the seabed
New research on how bottom-trawling impacts the seabed will fill a gap in the science and could be used to inform policy and management strategies for fishing.
Read more at UW Today »Scientists set the stage for a more just, equitable seafood sector
Marine scientists from UW and other organizations launch a global agenda to curb social and human rights abuses in the seafood industry.
Read more at UW Today »New book by UW's David R. Montgomery addresses how to rebuild Earth's soils
University of Washington geologist David R. Montgomery, a professor in the College’s Department of Earth and Space Sciences, writes that he never thought he’d write an optimistic book about the environment. Montgomery’s first popular book, “Dirt,” was about how erosion undermined ancient civilizations around the world in places like modern-day Syria and Iraq. Yet his latest book, “Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life,” is a good-news environment story.
Read more at UW Today »Researchers find more efficient way to make oil from dead trees
The mountain pine beetle has destroyed more than 40 million acres of forest in the western United States — an area roughly the size of Washington state. The beetles introduce a fungus that prevents water and critical nutrients from traveling within a tree. They also lay eggs under the conifers’ bark, and their feeding larvae help kill trees — sometimes just weeks after the initial attack.
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