The Center for Aquatic Environmental Studies - A Miniature Controllable Aquatic Ecosystem for the Study of Biogeochemistry

水生环境研究中心 - 用于生物地球化学研究的微型可控水生生态系统

• 批准号: 9650522
• 负责人: Michael Ort
• 金额: $ 2.65万
• 依托单位: Northern Arizona University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1996
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1996-07-01 至 1999-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9650522&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Center; Aquatic; Environmental; Studies; Miniature

This project has developed a conceptual framework for a Center for Aquatic Environmental Studies (CAES) in which students can investigate biogeochemical processes in a miniaturized aquatic ecosystem. The project supports two laboratories of the CAES: four miniature aquatic ecosystems in which plants and invertebrates live and grow in several large tanks and an isotopic laboratory where processes of heavy metal sequestration can be measured. The new equipment includes the basic materials for the aquatic ecosystems (e.g., tanks and filters) and for isotopic sample preparation (e.g., fume and laminar flow hoods, balance, oven, and hotplates). The CAES is being used to develop lab experiments that can be used throughout the curricula in Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Geology, and Biology. These experiments include studies of the ecology of the system (e.g., population dynamics), nutrient cycling, acid mine drainage, and sequestration of heavy metals in aquatic plants, such as duckweed and water hyacinth. Students can use the lab in introductory-level courses and can return to the CAES frequently throughout their course of study, eventually doing senior projects under faculty supervision as part of a 'capstone' course. Throughout their study, students work in cooperation with others with diverse expertise, learning from other students as well as from professors and the mini-ecosystem itself. Students develop greater sophistication in their understanding and abilities as time goes by, much as one does in projects associated with a job. The CAES is a permanent entity, so students can benefit from long-term data sets. Research at the senior level can be original, and students are being encouraged to write publishable articles in conjunction with their advisors.

该项目为水环境研究中心（CAES）开发了一个概念框架，学生可以在其中研究小型水生生态系统中的生物地球化学过程。该项目支持CAES的两个实验室：四个微型水生生态系统，其中植物和无脊椎动物在几个大型水箱中生活和生长，以及一个同位素实验室，可以测量重金属螯合过程。 新设备包括水生生态系统的基本材料（例如，罐和过滤器）和用于同位素样品制备（例如，烟罩和层流罩、天平、烘箱和加热板）。CAES被用于开发实验室实验，可用于环境科学，化学，地质学和生物学的整个课程。这些实验包括对系统生态学的研究（例如，种群动态）、养分循环、酸性矿井排水和水生植物（如浮萍和水葫芦）中重金属的螯合。 学生可以在入门级课程中使用实验室，并可以在整个学习过程中经常返回CAES，最终在教师的监督下完成高级项目，作为“顶点”课程的一部分。在整个学习过程中，学生与其他具有不同专业知识的人合作，向其他学生以及教授和迷你生态系统本身学习。随着时间的推移，学生的理解力和能力会变得更加复杂，就像一个人在与工作相关的项目中一样。CAES是一个永久性实体，因此学生可以从长期数据集中受益。在高级水平的研究可以是原创的，并鼓励学生与他们的顾问一起写可编辑的文章。