Earth Day in Action: ÓñÃ×ÊÓƵ Researchers Tackling Local Environmental Issues
Photo by Jeffrey Clayton
At ÓñÃ×ÊÓƵ University, Earth Day is a commitment all year long. Ìý
Across the Department of Environmental Science, faculty and students are turning research into impact--and data into a deeper understanding of our environment. Under the canopy of Maryland trees, in Virginia caves, and along the local rivers winding through Washington, DC, ÓñÃ×ÊÓƵ researchers are working at the intersection of global environmental challenges and local solutions.
This Earth Day, we are delighted to share some of the vital ways that ÓñÃ×ÊÓƵ’s environmental scientists are making a difference right here in our region, and far beyond.
The Microplastics Amongst Us
In Professor Barbara Balestra’s Micro Lab, student research assistants delve into the emerging problem of microplastics. These tiny fragments of plastic have been detected almost everywhere--in our soil, water, air, and the bodies of humans and animals. With a focus on the DC area, Balestra and her students measure the amount, origin, and chemical composition of microplastics and their role in absorbing and concentrating other pollutants. Eventually, they hope that their work will help develop solutions or preventive measures to protect the environment and human health.
Right: Elise Wilson and Hayes Johnston collecting sediment samples from the Potomac
Deciphering the Stories of Trees
Professor Mike Alonzo and his team are using science to decipher the stories that trees can tell us about climate change. Alonzo and his team spent many hours piloting a drone over 50 trees on the University of Maryland’s Baltimore County campus to gather data about how trees respond to heat and light, especially during the extreme heat events that are becoming more common in our area. Trees are essential for cooling and shading urban areas, but climate change and land use--like being surrounded by pavement--can make it more difficult for them to perform essential functions like photosynthesis and transpiration.Ìý
Above: Mike Alonzo and thermal drone at University of Maryland
BPA Lingering in the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers
Bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic compound used in plastic production for decades in items ranging from baby bottles to food containers, was identified as an endocrine disruptor in the early 2000s. Its use was significantly reduced in the United States, but it may still be lingering in river sediments as older plastic materials continue to break down. In a project funded by the USGS Water Resources Research Institute, Professor Stephen MacAvoy and his team of student researchers are investigating the presence of BPA in surface sediments of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers.
Right: Photo by Marco Palumbo
The Role of Methane in Climate Change
About an hour away from ÓñÃ×ÊÓƵ University at Maryland's , Professor and Department Chair Karen Knee and collaborators are exploring the role that trees play in the global methane cycle. Molecule for molecule, methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and it also turns over faster in the atmosphere. This means that changes in the atmospheric methane concentration can affect the earth’s temperature and climate in less than a decade. Knee’s research focuses on understanding when, how, and why methane escapes from tree trunks, with the long-term goal of improving global climate predictions and developing nature-based solutions to reduce methane in the atmosphere.Ìý
Above: Glory Iorliam ’24 in the field measuring gas emissions from trees
Understanding the Food Webs of Cave Systems Ìý
MacAvoy is launching a new study on the food webs and carbon sources in two spring-fed cave systems in Virginia. Because caves offer limited sources of energy, organisms rely either on material produced by bacteria within the cave or on organic matter carried in from the surface. In most systems, it is still unclear which source is more dominant.
Interestingly, some evidence suggests that species adapted to cave life become more carnivorous over time, even though their surface-dwelling relatives are primarily herbivores. To explore these questions, MacAvoy will analyze the stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen found in both cave-dwelling animals and inorganic materials.
Right: Rare isopod (and cave dweller) Caecidotea kenki, courtesy of Dan Fong