DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Leaf litter leachate and the fate of phosphorus in seasonal lowland tropical forests

论文研究：季节性低地热带森林中的落叶渗滤液和磷的归宿

• 批准号: 0909734
• 负责人: Michelle Mack
• 金额: $ 1.34万
• 依托单位: University of Florida
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-06-01 至 2012-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0909734&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Leaf; litter; leachate; DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Leaf; litter; leachate

Phosphorus is a key element for plant growth, so phosphorus availability in the soil is critical for world food production and carbon cycling by terrestrial ecosystems. Yet the controls on phosphorus cycling are not well understood, and these controls are expected to change with global climate change and continued land-use conversion. Understanding phosphorus cycling in the lowland tropics is especially critical because many soils of this region have mineral constituents that greatly hinder the mobility of this nutrient. The goal of this study is to improve our understanding of how leaf litter leachate (water extracts of senesced leaves) affects phosphorus cycling in seasonal lowland tropical forests. This study will evaluate whether leaf litter leachate is important for the return of nutrients to the soil, and if leaching potential can be predicted from structural and chemical characteristics of litter. The researchers will also investigate the extent to which litter leachate controls phosphorus cycling within the plant-soil-microbe environment. The broader impacts of this research include its contribution to our understanding of the relationships between litter leaching and rainfall patterns, and the applications of these results for predicting and mitigating the effects of climate change. An improved understanding of how natural systems cycle phosphorus could also have applications for improving production in managed systems, without high inputs of fertilizer. During the course of this research, the student will mentor undergraduate students through coursework hosted by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, and by engaging University of Florida undergraduates in this research.

磷是植物生长的关键要素，因此土壤中的磷供应对于世界粮食生产和陆地生态系统的碳循环至关重要。然而，对磷自行车的控制尚不清楚，预计这些控制将随着全球气候变化和持续的土地利用转换而发生变化。了解低地热带地区的磷自行车尤其至关重要，因为该地区的许多土壤都有矿物质成分极大地阻碍了这种养分的迁移率。这项研究的目的是提高我们对叶窝浸出液（卷叶的水提取物）如何影响季节性低地热带森林中的磷循环的理解。这项研究将评估叶子浸出物对于将养分返回到土壤中是否重要，并且是否可以从垃圾的结构和化学特征中预测浸出潜力。研究人员还将研究垃圾渗滤液在植物土壤 - 微叶环境中控制磷循环的程度。这项研究的更广泛的影响包括我们对我们对垃圾浸出和降雨模式之间关系的理解以及这些结果在预测和减轻气候变化影响方面的应用。对自然系统循环磷的改进了解也可以应用于改善托管系统中的生产，而没有高肥料投入。在这项研究过程中，学生将通过由史密森尼热带研究所在巴拿马举办的课程指导本科生，并通过吸引佛罗里达大学的本科生参与这项研究。