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

科学界最近将注意力转向碳和氮循环，认识到这些元素的地球化学基本知识的空白正在阻碍作出重要政策决定的能力。 虽然主要关注的是CO2，但人们普遍认为，其他痕量气体，特别是CH 4和N2 O，是温室效应的重要参与者。 这项工作的目标是研究二氧化碳浓度升高对生产和消费的CH 4和N2 O使用生物圈2号设施的影响。生物圈2号包含了各种复杂性和环境条件的受控“中型生态系统”，提供了一个在实验室和实地之间的中等规模研究自然过程的机会。 这项研究将作为一项更大的合作的一部分，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、CH 4、N2 O、O2、异戊二烯和其他痕量气体交换的过程。 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。 这是在基础设施建设和数据收集的一年之后确定生物圈2号系统的基线的。拟议的工作旨在解决以下两个问题：1）CO2升高对生物圈2号中雨林和森林土壤的CH 4和N2 O交换有何影响; 2）CO2升高对湿地CH 4通量有何影响？ 后续工作将导致基于过程的研究，并扩大研究方案，以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号内的工作将建立在未来的实地和实验室研究的基础上，并为之提供支持。 生物圈2号内部微量气体通量相互依赖性的探索性工作将作为PI在陆地养分循环方面发展新研究重点的第一阶段。POWRE基金将帮助PI在未来几年从行政管理过渡到研究和教学/课程开发的结合，并重新建立奖学金，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.