Scientists planted 40,000 seedlings in Yosemite; 3 years later, meadow is still losing carbon

Native sedges growing in a wet meadow (Representational photo) Scientists who planted 40,000 native sedge seedling to restore the damaged Tuolumne Meadows in California's Yosemite National Park, have found early signs of improvement after. The results, however, also show that restoring the meadow's soil and its ability to store carbon could take several decades. Three years after the planting, while the soil organic matter increased, the meadow continued to lose more carbon than it gained.The restoration project, led by researchers at Colorado State University (CSU), aims to reverse damage caused by livestock grazing more than a century ago. According to the an official release by the University, sheep grazing during the 19th century severely reduced the native plants that once covered the wet meadows. Although grazing ended long ago, the original vegetation has not returned naturally.The loss of plants has affected the soil's ability to retain moisture and store carbon. As the soil dries and organic matter continues to decompose, carbon is released from the meadow. Researchers are now trying to restore the deep-rooted vegetation that previously helped maintain these conditions.The...