Construction of Tidal Marsh Mesocosms at the Baruch Field Laboratory

巴鲁克野外实验室潮汐沼泽中生态系统的构建

• 批准号: 9713886
• 负责人: Dennis Allen
• 金额: $ 4.8万
• 依托单位: University of South Carolina at Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1997
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1997-09-01 至 2000-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9713886&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Construction; Tidal; Marsh; Mesocosms; Baruch

This project will develop and construct sets of large outdoor mesocosms which will be used by resident and visiting investigators to conduct manipulative experimental research. The facility represents the next phase in the development of field laboratory infrastructure designed to expand the usefulness of the seawater, stimulate new research directions and collaborations, and provide student training and public opportunities at the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory. New administrative, faculty, and staff appointments coupled with record levels of research and educational use of the field station have resulted in plans for the future growth and enhanced productivity of the Baruch Institute. The mesocosm facility represents a major new initiative designed to promote the testing of hypotheses regarding salt marsh structure and function. Comprehensive long-term datasets based on up to 25 years of regular measurements in the North Inlet Estuary have provided insights into the role of abiotic and biotic factors in long-term change, but opportunities for researchers to conduct large scale manipulative experiments in the tidally dominated natural system are limited. A group of engineers and scientists will design a set of eight replicate 3.5m by 13m units which can be planted, flooded, and drained in such a way as to simulate conditions in the adjacent tidal marsh. Associated infrastructure and controls will allow for future manipulations using hydroperiod, salinity, and/or temperature as test factors. A set of smaller mesosms will be established to provide research opportunities for addressing questions which require different spatial scales or time frames. Together, the array of units for ecological studies will advance the research and educational goals of the facility, perhaps more than any other improvement that can be made at this point.

本项目将开发和建造大型户外围隔生态系统，供居民和访问调查人员进行操作性实验研究。该设施代表了现场实验室基础设施发展的下一阶段，旨在扩大海水的用途，刺激新的研究方向和合作，并在巴鲁克海洋现场实验室提供学生培训和公共机会。 新的行政，教师和工作人员的任命，再加上创纪录的水平的研究和教育使用的外地站，导致了巴鲁克研究所的未来增长和提高生产力的计划。中尺度生态系统设施是一项重大的新举措，旨在促进检验有关盐沼结构和功能的假设。 基于北入口河口长达25年的定期测量的综合长期数据集提供了对非生物和生物因素在长期变化中的作用的见解，但研究人员在潮汐主导的自然系统中进行大规模操纵实验的机会有限。 一组工程师和科学家将设计一套8个重复的3.5米乘13米的单元，这些单元可以种植，淹没和排水，以模拟邻近潮汐沼泽的条件。 相关的基础设施和控制将允许未来的操作使用水文周期，盐度，和/或温度作为测试因素。将建立一套较小的中尺度，为解决需要不同空间尺度或时间框架的问题提供研究机会。 总之，生态研究单位的阵列将推进该设施的研究和教育目标，也许比任何其他改进，可以在这一点上。