Dissertation Research: Carbon Dynamics in Detritus-Based Systems: Can Cave Streams Be Used to Understand Energy Flow In Surface Streams?

基于碎屑的系统中的碳动力学：洞穴溪流可以用来理解地表溪流的能量流动吗？溪流生态系统既依赖水生植物，也依赖陆生植物的有机物——树叶、木材——来获取能量。这两种能量来源之间复杂的相互作用使得流食物网难以研究。该项目将使用洞穴溪流作为地表溪流的替代品，以更好地了解溪流食物网中有机物的使用情况。因为洞穴溪流完全依赖陆生有机物提供能量（洞穴里没有光来进行绿色植物的光合作用），所以各种有机物类型的作用可以更容易地被检验。pi将通过比较有和没有颗粒有机物输入的多个洞穴溪流的能量过程来确定颗粒和溶解有机物在河流食物网中的重要性。具体来说，研究人员将研究树叶和木材输入对河流食物网中颗粒和溶解有机物的有效性、运输、转化和利用的影响。

98-01082 Benfield/Simon DDIG: Carbon dynamics in detritus-based systems: Can cave streams be used to understand energy flow in surface streams Stream ecosystems rely on both aquatic plants and organic matter from terrestrial plants-leaves, wood-for energy. The complex interaction between these two energy sources makes stream food webs difficult to study. This project will use cave streams as surrogates for surface streams to better understand organic matter use in stream food webs. Because cave streams rely exclusively on terrestrial organic matter for energy (there is no light in caves for green-plant photosynthesis) the roles of various organic matter types can be more easily examined. The PIs will determine the importance of particulate and dissolved organic matter in stream food webs by comparing energy processes in multiple cave streams with and without particulate organic matter input. Specifically, the investigators will examine the effects of leaf and wood input on particulate and dissolved organic matter availability, transport, transformation, and use in stream food webs.