Meet the scientist using soil science research to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions
This month at NDEP we’d like to take a moment to recognize a pioneer in the field of environmental science; specifically, soil science. That pioneer is Christina T. Igono, a PhD student at the University of Nevada, Reno. Christina is currently a graduate research student at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is on track to acquire her Ph.D in Environmental Science, with a focus in soil science. Starting out as a freshman at Alabama A&M University with a major in Biological Science, Christina was offered an on-campus job as a lab technician in a soil science lab. Here, she primarily worked in soil chemistry and with greenhouse gas fluxes. Before she knew it, this became a passion and she found out just how interested she really was in knowing what goes on in soil, the climate, and the ecosystem as a whole. She knew she had found her calling.
Like many in her field, Ms. Igono believes in the importance of sustainability in all aspects of life, especially when it comes to the environment. As a research scientist in Environmental Soil Science, it is her goal to contribute to the growing research in sustainable agriculture and greenhouse gas mitigation and reduction in natural disasters like wildfires, which adversely affect our ecosystem and safety. When asked what led her to create and ultimately push to achieve this goal, Christina answered, “The fact that I am working to contribute to the health and safety of our ecosystem and the challenge to do and learn something new every day.”
Over the last ten years, Christina has had the opportunity to work on a variety of sustainable research projects across the country. In Northern Alabama, she took part in research that promoted sustainable agriculture by examining the effect of tilling and no-till as a factor in greenhouse gas emission and soil chemistry. In her master’s degree program, she also worked on research that highlighted the importance of agroforestry through the promotion of tree growth as a measure to mitigate greenhouse gas emission and promote soil fertility and nutrient dynamics. More recently, these last three years, Christina has been working on an amazing research project at the University of Nevada Reno, looking at the effects of fire on soil biochemistry. Additionally, the project has entailed utilizing greenhouse gas fluxes as a measure to reduce the spread of invasive species like cheatgrass, while promoting the growth of desirable native plant species like squirreltail. One of the sole aims of this project is to reduce and possibly stop the spread of wildfire in the Northern Nevada rangeland.
Most importantly, Christina has seen her work have a major impact when it comes to sustainability. Each research endeavor she has taken part in has produced tremendous positive results in terms of agricultural and environmental sustainability. When asked to give some examples, Igono had this to say, “We were able to see that no-till agricultural practice is the best and [most] environmentally conscious agricultural practice in Northern Nevada. Secondly, Sustaining and maintaining agroforestry is immensely effective in reducing greenhouse gas emission and also, promoting soil fertility.” It’s people like Christina and her efforts to make our world a better and more sustainable place one soil sample at a time, that we commend here at NDEP. Keep up the good work Ms. Igono. We hope to see more of your work have even greater impacts here in our Silver State and beyond!
