The world of science span across many seemingly different things that ultimately lead to a common goal: supporting life. After a few weeks working in an Infectious Diseases lab, it was easy to be trapped in a bubble of research that seeks to directly improve human health. However, humans are only but a fibre in the fabric of life. There are other fascinating research programs going on that have important implications on the lives of many organisms, including humans.
Courtney Hill has taken the privilege of exploring the effects of salinity on germination. Well, plants are an important part of our complex ecosystem and their importance is undisputed. All animals and most microorganisms depend on plants for food, medicine, oxygen and shelter among many other things. If it so happens that our planet is transformed enough to be hostile to support plant life, that will affect the balance of the whole ecosystem.
There has been overwhelming evidence to support that humans have single handily contributed significantly to global warming. Courtney explained how that has led to the development of droughts and a rise in sea levels. The droughts have recently become worse especially in southern Africa which happens to have countries whose economies depend on agriculture and other primary sector activities. According to Courtney, droughts forces plants to draw water from underneath the ground there by deposing salts in the root layer. The deposits will eventually increase the soil’s salinity. These salts are otherwise supposed to be washed down by sinking water from the rain. An increase in droughts might be causing a long term problems that a common subsistence farmer in the remote planes of Zimbabwe will not recognise although he will be affected.
The research on germination and salinity has implications that stretch far beyond human lives alone. It is one of many that have a potential to revel life changing information that government will seriously need to consider as they make policies with regards to preservation of the ecosystem and activities that support global warming.
