US-Namibia Planning Visit: Building a Research Collaboration on the Effects of Non-rainfall Input on Dryland Ecosystem Functions

美国-纳米比亚规划访问：就非降雨输入对旱地生态系统功能的影响建立研究合作

• 批准号: 1427642
• 负责人: Lixin Wang
• 金额: $ 6.73万
• 依托单位: Indiana University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-08-15 至 2017-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1427642&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: US; Namibia; Planning; Visit; Building

This research project, led by PI Lixin Wang of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), will conduct planning meetings and collect and analyze preliminary data to develop a project that will assess the effects of non-rainfall water input on dryland ecosystem functions. The planning visit, preliminary data collection and future research efforts will take place in the Namib Desert, Namibia. Dr. Wang will collaborate with Dr. Mary Seely of the Gobabeb Research and Training Center in the Namib-Naukluft National Park, located in the Namib Desert. The research effort that will result from this planning visit will test the hypothesis that non-rainfall moisture contributes significantly to desert ecosystem function. Equally importantly, the research will attempt to identify the source areas of fog/dew using stable isotope analyses and will assess how much fog and dew contribute to ecosystem function. With lower future rainfall predicted across drylands globally, the role of non-rainfall moisture input may become even more valuable, and assessing the sources of fog/dew inputs will allow modeling to determine how those inputs may change with climate change. The planning visit will include identification of specific sampling sites and collection of fog, dew, precipitation and soil moisture samples in three ecosystems near Gobabeb in the Naukluft Park area of the Namib Desert. The team will also meet with ministry officials to explore the potential for additional permits for sampling on non-park land closer to the shore where fog may be more frequent. The planning visit will also assess the ability of the Gobabeb Training and Research Center to support longer-term sampling efforts. Proof-of-concept stable isotope analyses will be conducted on the samples collected during the planning visit to verify that fog/dew isotope signatures can be differentiated from other moisture sources and therefore form the foundation for future water source modeling efforts. This project also has interesting and valuable broader impacts. The planning visit team includes an education outreach coordinator from the IUPUI Center for Earth and Environmental Science (CEES) who will initiate an education module for third through ninth graders focusing on the physical geography of the Namib Desert, the changes taking place in this ecosystem and the implications for dryland ecosystems globally. This education module will be fully developed in the full proposal that the team plans to prepare based on this planning visit. In addition, a graduate student will participate in the planning visit, initial data collection, data analyses and preparation of the full proposal, providing that student with a valuable professional development opportunity. The PI also plans to develop a new course on Desert Environments for senior undergraduates and graduate students at IUPUI using case studies based on this project, which will expose other students to the international contexts of their studies. Undergraduates are expected to be involved in the research that would be supported by a later full proposal.

该研究项目由印第安纳大学普渡大学印第安纳波利斯大学（IUPUI）的Pi Lixin Wang领导，将进行计划会议，并收集和分析初步数据，以开发一个项目，该项目将评估非漏水水的影响对旱地生态系统功能的影响。 计划访问，初步数据收集和未来的研究工作将在纳米比亚的纳米布沙漠进行。 Wang博士将与位于纳米布沙漠的Namib-Naukluft国家公园的Gobabeb研究与培训中心的Mary Seely博士合作。这次计划访问将导致的研究工作将检验以下假设：非洪水水分对沙漠生态系统功能产生了重大贡献。同样重要的是，该研究将尝试使用稳定的同位素分析来识别雾/露的源区域，并评估雾和露的对生态系统功能的贡献。随着在全球旱地预测的未来降雨量较低，非漏气水分输入的作用可能会变得更加有价值，并且评估雾/露水输入的来源将允许建模来确定这些输入如何随气候变化而变化。计划访问将包括识别特定的采样场所以及在纳米布沙漠Naukluft公园地区Gobabeb附近的三个生态系统中的三个生态系统中的雾，露水，降水和土壤水分样品的收集。该团队还将与部委官员会面，以探索靠近雾气可能更频繁的岸上在非公园土地上取样的额外许可证的潜力。计划访问还将评估Gobabeb培训和研究中心支持长期抽样工作的能力。概念验证稳定的同位素分析将对计划访问期间收集的样品进行，以验证雾/露水同位素特征是否可以与其他水分来源区分开，因此为将来的水源建模工作奠定了基础。该项目还具有有趣且有价值的广泛影响。计划访问小组包括来自IUPUI地球与环境科学中心（CEES）的教育外展协调员，他将启动一个专注于纳米布沙漠的物理地理的三年级至九年级学生的教育模块，该生态系统中发生的变化以及对旱地生态系统的影响。该教育模块将在团队计划根据计划访问的完整提案中充分开发。此外，研究生将参加计划访问，最初的数据收集，数据分析和完整建议的准备，从而为该学生提供宝贵的专业发展机会。 PI还计划在IUPUI的高级本科生和研究生的沙漠环境中开发一门新课程，该课程基于该项目，该案例研究将使其他学生接触他们的研究的国际环境。预计本科生将参与这项研究，这将由后来的全面提案提供支持。