BIOCOMPLEXITY: Collaborative Research: Microbial and Nutrient Controls in Mangrove Ecosystems

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ABSTRACTThis project, which is being supported by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering and by the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, will fund research on mangrove forests that dominate the world's tropical and subtropical coasts, paralleling the geographical distribution of coral reefs. Ecological processes here are influenced by inputs from the land, sea, and sky, which result in extreme fluctuations of flooding, salinity, temperature, light, and nutrient availability. Mangrove-associated organisms have specialized physiological and structural adaptations that sustain them in this variable environment. Human-caused enrichment is one of the major global threats to these coastal ecosystems. Experiments show that nutrients are not uniformly distributed among or even within mangrove forests. Soil fertility can switch from nitrogen to phosphorus limitation across narrow gradients. This study will explore the relationships among physical and chemical factors, nutrients, microbes, trees, and elemental cycling on off-shore mangrove islands in Belize.We will examine the interactions between the environment and organisms to determine how changes in nutrient inputs from natural, agricultural, or urban sources might alter the delicate balance among these ecosystem components. Mathematical models will help us predict the contribution complexity makes to the ability of mangrove ecosystems to survive both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The results of the study will help scientists understand how to better manage and conserve mangrove ecosystems and will contribute to our understanding of biocomplexity in other ecosystems.