U.S.-Hungary Research on a Cross-Continental Study of Controls on Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics

INT 0002956 LajthaThis美国-匈牙利的研究项目涉及在美国的三个既定地点和匈牙利的一个地点对土壤有机物质形成的控制或“碎屑投入和清除处理”进行长期研究。 俄勒冈州州立大学的凯特·拉伊塔与匈牙利德布勒森的科苏特大学的雅诺斯·阿提拉·托特合作，担任美国首席研究员。 DIRT的目标是评估植物凋落物输入的速率和来源如何控制森林土壤中有机质和养分在十年时间尺度上的积累和动态。 美国--匈牙利研究小组打算研究土壤中多层次的过程，以探索导致长时间形成腐殖物质的化学和生物相互联系。 特别令人感兴趣的是土壤有机碳（C）和无机氮和有机氮（N）的稳定和保持，因为土壤有机质分解过程似乎会影响全球碳封存。匈牙利Sikfokut长期生态研究基地加入了美国-通过这个项目的基础努力是一个温带落叶橡树林位于埃格，匈牙利。 它带来了一个欧洲网站的努力，有植被类似于参与美国东部森林网站，但一个表现出显着更高的氮输入。 因此，与匈牙利同行在Sikfokut的合作研究提供了一个独特的机会，在一个结构相似的系统与极端的N输入和森林地面化学测试的假设。 计划中的合作有三个重点：a）分析对氮动态和淋溶的控制; B）分析由于形成、稳定和不稳定的相互作用机制而产生的碳动态; c）实地土壤呼吸测量。 结果预计将揭示新的光的途径，氮和碳封存和损失，在一个大的气候和污染历史gradient.This跨大陆的土壤动力学研究实现了该计划的目标，使美国和中欧的专家，联合收割机互补的人才和共享研究资源领域的强烈的共同利益和能力，推进科学知识。

INT 0002956LajthaThis U.S.-Hungary research project involves a long-term study of controls on soil organic matter formation or "Detritus Input and Removal Treatments" (DIRT) at three established sites in the United States and one in Hungary. Kate Lajtha of Oregon State University serves as the U.S. principal investigator in cooperation with her Hungarian counterpart, Janos Atilla Toth of Kossuth University in Debrecen. The goal of DIRT is to assess how rates and sources of plant litter inputs control the accumulation and dynamics of organic matter and nutrients in forest soils over decadnal time scales. The U.S.-Hungarian research team intends to examine processes at multiple levels in the soil to explore the chemical and biological interconnections that lead to formation of humic materials over long time spans. Of special interest is the stabilization and retention of soil organic carbon (C) and inorganic and organic nitrogen (N) because soil organic matter decomposition processes appear to influence global carbon sequestration.The Hungarian Sikfokut long-term ecological research site that joins the U.S.-based effort via this project is a temperate deciduous oak forest located in Eger, Hungary. It brings a European site to the effort that has vegetation similar to participating eastern U.S. forest sites, yet one that exhibits significantly higher nitrogen inputs. Thus, cooperative research with Hungarian counterparts at Sikfokut offers a unique opportunity to test hypotheses in a structurally similar system with extreme N input and forest floor chemistry. The planned collaboration has three foci: a) an analysis of the controls on N dynamics and leaching; b) analysis of carbon dynamics due to interacting mechanisms of formation, stabilization, destabilization; and c) field soil respiration measurements. Results are expected to shed new light on the pathways of N and C sequestration and loss, across a large climatic and pollution history gradient.This cross-continental study of soil dynamics fulfills the program objectives of advancing scientific knowledge by enabling experts in the United States and Central Europe to combine complementary talents and share research resources in areas of strong mutual interest and competence.