Evolution Earth

Scientists Look to Soil for Answers on Climate Change

Plant life on our planet is reacting to the changing climate. So scientists like Jane Zelikova are turning to the soil for an insight as to what is going on. Here in Kansas we see her and her research colleague Dr. Megan Machmuller digging down to take soil and root samples. She explains how grass systems play a vital role in carbon sequestration and the importance of necromass.

Scientists Look to Soil for Answers on Climate Change

3m 7s

  • Moving soon to WETA Passport

    Grasslands: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Grasslands

    S1 E5 - 55m 5s

    Grasslands are one of the planet’s most important, yet most overlooked habitats. Follow scientists as they discover animal species with the power to transform and restore our grasslands, turning them into carbon sinks that could slow climate change.

  • Ice: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Ice

    S1 E4 - 55m 25s

    At the planet’s frozen extremes, shifts in animal movement and behavior reveal vital information about our future world. Examine polar bears in the Arctic, penguins in Antarctica and other animals surviving in icy worlds.

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    Heat: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Heat

    S1 E3 - 55m 31s

    Travel to the hottest and driest extremes to see animals go to extraordinary lengths to survive. From the Sahara Desert to Australia, animals provide new clues about our changing planet and what it will mean for the future of our heating world.

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