The Global Drylands Center of Arizona State University hosted a meeting entitled “Assessing the Relative Importance of Atmospheric vs. Soil Water as Controls of Carbon Cycling in Terrestrial Ecosystems” in Scottsdale, AZ on April 25. Although both atmospheric and soil water describe distinct stages within the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, they have traditionally been explored by different scholarly communities. The workshop brought together 13 scholarly representatives from both communities, who discussed alternative approaches of research and compared the strengths and weaknesses of different methods. By evaluating complementarities and identifying knowledge gaps, we sought to address where, when, and how much atmospheric and soil water affect ecosystem functioning. The meeting concluded on April 26 with plans for three potential publications synthesizing our current knowledge and exploring ways in which we may quantify the effects of atmospheric and soil water on terrestrial carbon cycling. Additional meetings will further support observational and experimental studies that are arising to create a better understanding of atmospheric and soil water dynamics.
