For some time now, scientists have known that climate influences soil chemistry — and, in particular, soil pH, a measure of acidity or alkalinity. In dry climates, soil is alkaline; in wet climates, it’s acidic. the parts of the world that humans depend upon the most for agriculture sit on an edge between wet and dry climates and between acid soils and alkaline soils. soil pH — and therefore soil fertility — is tightly linked to climate. A new analysis by UC Santa Barbara researchers reveal that the shift occurs abruptly, right at the boundary between wet and dry conditions. The findings appear in the journal Nature.
— source news.ucsb.edu