Agricultural drought: will capillary rise from groundwater be among pertinent drivers of heterotrophic activity and carbon cycling in our soils? Ghent University
Climate projections point at prolonged dry spells in summer across Europe We postulate that by desiccation of topsoil, microbial activity therein ceases unless countered by water supply through capillary rise from groundwater We firstly aim at the experimental verification of this phenomenon in cropland soils We innovate by creatively making use of existing natural gradients in groundwater depth within sloping agricultural fields We in situ ...