Collaborative Research: Distribution and Dynamics of Belowground Carbon in Savannas

合作研究：稀树草原地下碳的分布和动态

• 批准号: 0717451
• 负责人: Natalie Mladenov
• 金额: $ 2.25万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-09-15 至 2011-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0717451&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Distribution; Dynamics; Belowground

This project will map root and soil carbon in three dimensions at sites across a regional climate gradient in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana. The Kalahari is one of the only places on Earth where this type of natural experiment can be conducted without having to worry about problems of variations in soil characteristics. This research seeks to understand 1) how the distribution of roots in the soil varies among different plant species and across large distances, and 2) how carbon found in soils changes in response to climate change at multiple timescales.Arid and semiarid regions, such as the Kalahari, cover over 40% of the Earth's land surface. Roots are an important component of the productivity and composition of these ecosystems, and play an important role in their response to climate variability. Thus, understanding the root structure of water-limited vegetation is vital to the study of the global biosphere?which includes its human inhabitant?and global carbon budgets amidst a changing climate. This research will address how belowground plant processes in water-limited ecosystems control belowground carbon dynamics under different climate conditions. The interdisciplinary nature of this research will include mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students from Botswana and the U.S., and collaborations with colleagues in Botswana. A short course on the research and related fields will be offered to high-school science teachers to encourage the discussion of plant-water interactions and active research in high school classrooms.

该项目将在博茨瓦纳卡拉哈里沙漠的区域气候梯度的地点的三个维度绘制根和土壤碳。 卡拉哈里（Kalahari）是地球上唯一可以进行这种自然实验的地方之一，而不必担心土壤特征的变化问题。这项研究试图了解1）土壤中的根部在不同的植物物种之间以及在较大距离之间如何变化，2）土壤中发现的碳在多个时间范围内的气候变化响应。根是这些生态系统生产率和组成的重要组成部分，并且在其对气候变异性的反应中起着重要作用。因此，了解水限制植被的根系结构对于全球生物圈的研究至关重要吗？哪个包括其人类居民？以及在气候变化的情况下全球碳预算。这项研究将解决地下植物在不同气候条件下在地下生态系统中如何控制地下碳动态。这项研究的跨学科性质包括指导来自博茨瓦纳和美国的研究生和本科生，以及与博茨瓦纳的同事的合作。有关研究和相关领域的简短课程将提供给高中科学教师，以鼓励讨论植物 - 水相互作用和高中教室中的积极研究。