Consisting of old volcanic lava, the region is deeply dissected by a series of shallow, dry riverbeds and narrow, steep valleys.
We hypothesized that much fewer soil animals would survive the same fire intensity on shallow, dry soils than on deep, moist soils.
Pineland ecosystems (or pine rocklands) are characterized by shallow, dry sandy loam over a limestone substrate covered almost exclusively by slash pines (Pinus elliottii var. densa).
The angling pond and ditch (Fig. 2a, b) had deep permanent water but most ponds on the reclamation site had shallow water, drying out during drought.
As sediment buried the fish, the surrounding sediment began to lithify into rock as the shallow sea dried and became a desert.
At home I rinse it in a shallow bath before drying it as thoroughly as possible.
All other sites, on derelict industrial land, are shallow, vulnerable to drying and to penetration of ice into the substrate.
But with shallow-water fields drying up and production down by about 25% over the past decade, government officials say changes are necessary to lure global oil giants such as Exxon Mobil and Brazil's Petrobras, which have the technical expertise and money to explore and drill in deep-water and shale fields that are more difficult to access.
Looking for shore birds, which were incredibly easy to spot, because they were all out in the open, as distinct shapes bestrewn across a scintillating flatland, bobbing for fish in fast drying shallows.
Spawning was successful but survival was probably poor in shallow ponds vulnerable to drying, predation (especially by herons) and habitat destruction (by bulldozing).
