Soil nutrients support plants, and the animals who consume plants return these nutrients to the soil, creating a nutrient cycle. In a new study published in Ecology, scientists from the Smithsonian's ...

Prairie dogs and grasshoppers do more than their larger herbivore counterparts in keeping soil and plant nutrients cycling, study finds Soil nutrients support plants, and the animals who consume ...

When people begin gardening, they usually focus on sunlight and watering. While these are essential for plant survival, another factor quietly determines whether plants truly thrive: nutrients. Just ...

Regenerative practices on farmland are not new. They have been carried out by people across the world for centuries. One important aspect of maintaining a regenerative agricultural system is nutrient ...

A new study has investigated how the relationship between mean annual precipitation (MAP) and grassland biomass changes when one or more nutrients are added. The authors show that precipitation and ...

Gardeners are often told how important nutrients are to plants. But what is a nutrient, actually? “Nutrients are the chemical elements that plants need to build their tissues and operate their life ...

Having covered light, temperature, and water and humidity, this column will discuss the last environmental factor that affects plant growth and the distribution of plants — nutrition. Plant nutrition ...

A new study from researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) warns that as human activities increase carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere, they ...

Instead of relying on the soil for nutrients, plants may grab some of those essentials from airborne particles. Feeding through leaves is already well-established in agriculture — farmers spray liquid ...

New research shows prairie dogs play an outsized role in nutrient cycling, adding to their list of beneficial services as ecosystem engineers. Ann Batdorf, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation ...