Down to Earth Research

Soil supports life on earth. Without it there is no food, water is not stored and filtered and the largest terrestrial carbon store is lost. In this talk John will explore the hidden world beneath our feet and the sometimes forgotten role it plays in sustaining our planet. John will also offer some take home actions to improve the soil in your life!

The Amazon rainforest is the most biodiverse tropical forest in the world and plays a key role in regulating the global climate. However, the region is increasingly threatened by climate extremes, which have intensified the impacts of high temperatures, floods, and droughts. Climate extremes have increased faster in areas far from the deforestation frontier, affecting mostly the central-northern Amazon, a region with extensive forest cover, indigenous lands and protected areas. In this region, extreme temperatures have already increased by more than 3°C in 43 years. Public policies urgently need to consider the impacts of climate extremes in preserved areas of the Amazon to reduce their effects on ecological and social systems.

With a focus on plants and their power, Armida’s focus is on green science for a green planet. She is interested on how plants utilize the energy from the sun to grow and how they adapt to sudden climate changes. In her talk she will present some of the mechanisms plants deploy to survive in an ever-changing environment.