CAREER: Influence of Geomorphic Complexity on Stream Ecosystem Function

职业：地貌复杂性对河流生态系统功能的影响

• 批准号: 0441504
• 负责人: Martin Doyle
• 金额: $ 31.73万
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-04-01 至 2012-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0441504&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Influence; Geomorphic; Complexity; Stream

River ecosystems have been severely degraded over recent decades by human activities such as the construction of dams, fertilizer applications from agriculture, and urbanization, to name but a few. This degradation includes both physical, i.e., geomorphic, and ecological changes. Assessing the results of and potential solutions to these problems necessitates understanding not only geomorphic, ecological, and biogeochemical processes, but more importantly, how these processes interact. This project will use flume, field, and numerical modeling experiments to develop a quantitative and mechanistic understanding of how fluvial geomorphic forms and processes influence ecosystem function, namely stream nutrient retention. Outdoor experimental flumes will be constructed to examine the role of in-channel versus hyporheic transient storage in nutrient retention, and how various geomorphic parameters control these storage zones, as well as how fluvial geomorphic forms influence the rates of biochemical retention of nutrients. The research will then be extended to field-scale channel manipulations, which will include both manipulations of flow conditions in natural river channels, as well as the more substantial manipulation of river restoration projects. Using the insight gained from the flume and experimental manipulation studies, the second phase of the project will develop the initial components of a Stream Ecosystem Model, coupling existing geomorphic and ecological models in order to examine how geomorphic forms and processes and ecological processes interact across a range of spatial and temporal scales. This model will be uniquely usable to explore and develop theoretical questions. Beyond research, this project will develop a series of educational programs to expose students, grades 7-12, to spatial and quantitative aspects of environmental science, particularly river studies. The education program will leverage off of an existing environmental field education program and an existing general science education outreach program for middle school students, thus providing a more holistic environmental educational experience for middle school and high school students. The education program will use pre-service teachers, providing an immediate source of future environmental educators with substantial spatial environmental analysis education experience. This research is inspired by the realities of widespread physical and ecological disturbance to rivers and streams along with the increased research and application of river restoration. This project will use a series of experimental stream manipulations and numerical modeling to develop fundamental scientific knowledge of the way physical and biological processes in streams are inter-twined. This knowledge is critical to developing a holistic understanding of stream ecosystems as such understanding is the basis for effective management and potential restoration of freshwater resources. The research during this project will also serve as the basis for a series of educational courses designed to teach students how physical and biological processes in rivers are linked, and these courses will span from graduate-level seminars to short courses for middle-school students.

近几十年来，人类的活动（例如大坝的建设，农业的肥料应用和城市化的施肥），仅举几例。 这种降解包括物理，即地貌和生态变化。 评估这些问题的结果和潜在解决方案的结果不仅需要理解地貌，生态和生物地球化学过程，而且更重要的是，这些过程如何相互作用。 该项目将使用水槽，场和数值建模实验来对河流的地貌形式和过程如何影响生态系统功能，即流向养分保留率。 将构建室外实验液，以检查养分保留率和延伸性瞬态储存的作用，以及各种地貌参数如何控制这些存储区域，以及河流的地貌形式如何影响养分生物化学保留的速率。 然后，该研究将扩展到现场规模的通道操作，其中包括对自然河道中流动条件的操纵，以及对河流恢复项目的更实质性操纵。 利用从水槽和实验操作研究中获得的洞察力，该项目的第二阶段将开发流生态系统模型的初始组成部分，耦合现有的地貌和生态模型，以便研究地貌形式，过程以及生态过程如何相互作用，并如何跨空间和时间尺度相互作用。 该模型将独一无二地用于探索和发展理论问题。 除了研究之外，该项目还将开发一系列的教育计划，以使7 - 12年级的学生揭露环境科学，尤其是河流研究的空间和定量方面。 该教育计划将利用现有的环境现场教育计划和中学学生的现有通用科学教育外展计划，从而为中学和高中生提供更全面的环境教育经验。 该教育计划将使用职前教师，为未来的环境教育者提供具有丰富的空间环境分析教育经验的直接来源。 这项研究的灵感来自对河流和溪流的广泛物理和生态障碍的现实，以及河流恢复的研究和应用的增加。 该项目将使用一系列的实验流操作和数值建模来开发基本的科学知识，以缠绕流中的物理和生物过程。 这种知识对于对流生态系统的整体理解至关重要，因为这种理解是有效管理和潜在恢复淡水资源的基础。 该项目期间的研究还将作为一系列教育课程的基础，旨在教学学生如何联系河流中的物理和生物学过程，这些课程将涵盖从研究生级研讨会到中学学生的简短课程。