POWRE: Initiation of a Trace Gas Research Program at Biosphere 2 Center

科学界最近将注意力转向了碳和氮循环，认识到这些元素的生物地球化学基础知识的差距正在阻碍做出重要政策决定的能力。虽然主要关注的是二氧化碳，但人们普遍认为，其他微量气体，特别是CH4和N2O，在温室效应中也起着重要作用。这项工作的目的是利用生物圈2号设施研究二氧化碳浓度升高对CH4和N2O的生产和消耗的影响。生物圈2封闭了不同复杂性和环境条件的受控“中生态系统”，提供了在实验室和野外之间的中间尺度上研究自然过程的机会。这项研究将作为一个更大的合作的一部分进行，利用生物圈2号更好地了解调节大气和陆地生物圈之间CO2、H2O、CH4、N2O、O2、异戊二烯和其他微量气体交换的过程。拟议工作的性质是探索性的，并将导致设计基于过程的研究，以最佳地利用生物圈2号设施。它遵循了一年的基础设施建设和数据收集，以确定生物圈2号系统的基线。提出的工作旨在解决以下两个问题：1)升高的CO2对生物圈2中雨林和林业土壤中CH4和N2O交换的影响；2) CO2浓度升高对湿地CH4通量的影响是什么？后续工作将导致基于过程的研究，并将研究计划扩展到包括氮氧化物和稳定同位素工作。该奖项的一个关键方面是支持两个研讨会，将一个跨学科专家团队带到生物圈2号，为实验设计提供建议并启动合作。生物圈2号内的工作将建立并支持未来的实地和实验室研究。这项关于生物圈2号内微量气体通量相互依赖关系的探索性工作将作为PI发展陆地养分循环新研究重点的第一阶段。这笔power资金将帮助PI在未来几年内从管理过渡到研究和教学/课程开发的结合，并重建奖学金，以维持PI的长期职业生涯。

The scientific community has recently turned focused attention to the carbon and nitrogen cycles, with the recognition that gaps in the basic knowledge of the biogeochemistry of these elements is impeding ability to make important policy decisions. While the main focus has been on CO2, it is widely acknowledged that other trace gases, particularly CH4 and N2O, are significant players in the greenhouse story. The goal of this work is to study the effects of elevated CO2 on the production and consumption of CH4 and N2O using the Biosphere 2 facility. Biosphere 2 encloses controlled 'mesocosms' of varying complexity and environmental conditions, offering a chance to study natural processes at an intermediate scale between the laboratory and the field. This study will be carried out as part of a larger collaboration to use Biosphere 2 to better understand the processes that regulate the exchange of CO2, H2O, CH4, N2O, O2, isoprene and other trace gases between the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere. The nature of the proposed work is exploratory, and will result in the design of process-based studies that make optimal use of the Biosphere 2 facility. It follows on a year of infrastructure development and data gathering to determine a baseline for the Biosphere 2 system.The proposed work is designed to address the following two questions: 1) What is the effect of elevated CO2 on CH4 and N2O exchange with rainforest and forestry soils in Biosphere 2; and 2) What is the effect of elevated CO2 on CH4 flux from wetlands? Follow-up work will result in process-based studies and the expansion of the research program to include NOx and stable isotope work. A key aspect of this award is the support of two workshops to bring a team of interdisciplinary experts to Biosphere 2 to advise on experimental design and initiate collaborations. Work inside Biosphere 2 will build on and support future field and laboratory studies. This exploratory work on the interdependencies of trace gas fluxes inside Biosphere 2 will serve as the first phase in the PI's development of a new research emphasis in terrestrial nutrient cycling.This POWRE funding will help the PI transition from administration to a combination of research and teaching/curriculum development for the next several years, and reestablish the scholarship that will sustain the PI's longer-term career.