Recovery of Terrestrial Ecosystems from Major Disturbance: Constraints Due to Carbon/Nutrient Interactions

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This research will combine an ecosystem process model (GEM) and ecosystem data sets from a variety of ecosystem types world- wide to address effects of carbon/nutrient interactions on ecosystem recovery from major disturbances. Objectives are 1) to identify characteristics of element cycles that affect ecosystem respond to and recovery from disturbances, 2) synthesis of disturbance and recovery data, 3) analysis of changes in carbon storage, nutrient cycling, water balance and other ecosystem processes during recovery from disturbance, and 4) assessment of additional effects of global change on recovering ecosystems. %%% The effect of interactions among element cycling on ecosystem recovery from disturbance remains a central question for ecosystem ecologists. The effects of climate change on elemental control of ecosystem recovery are more poorly understood. Improved knowledge of how elemental fluxes control ecosystem recovery and how these fluxes will respond to global change will be a major contribution to ecology and environmental policy. This project will address these critical questions through a modeling approach that will assess sensitivity of model parameters to changing conditions during ecosystem recovery.