Workshop on N2 Production from Denitrification, Spring 2004

各项目将于2004年春季举办为期三天的研讨会，约有30人参加，重点是通过生物反硝化量化氮的生产。本次研讨会的目标是：(1)评估我们对广泛的陆地和水生生态系统中反硝化速率的了解状况；(2)比较不同科学学科采用的方法，期望跨学科的合作能够带来方法上的进步；(3)列出当前的不足之处以及解决这些不足之处所需采取的行动，以便更好地评估生物圈中何时、何地以及有多少活性氮转化为氮。两个重要的考虑因素将叠加在生态系统类型和方法方法的矩阵上：(1)可以和应该测量氮产量的适当尺度是什么？(2)如何将模式与测量相结合，以提高对过程的机制理解，并允许在更大的空间尺度、更长的时间尺度和一系列预测情景下估计通量？研讨会的成果将作为一篇或多篇综合论文发表在同行评议的期刊上。这项活动的更广泛影响包括努力引导对N循环的科学理解，以找到解决社会对生物圈富营养化的关注的办法。该讲习班是作为国际氮倡议的一个组成部分组织的，该倡议是SCOPE和IGBP的一个联合项目。国际倡议的总体目标是优化氮在可持续粮食和能源生产中的作用，同时尽量减少对人类健康和环境的负面影响。因此，通过为未来全球氮循环的管理提供知识，以实现粮食安全和环境质量的目标，本次研讨会是对社会具有广泛影响的努力的一部分。

The PIs will hold a 3-day workshop in the spring of 2004 of about 30 participants to focus on quantification of N2 production via biological denitrification. The objectives of this workshop will be: (1) to evaluate the state of our knowledge of denitrification rates in a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems; (2) to compare methodologies that have been adopted by different scientific disciplines, with the expectation that collaborations across disciplines could yield methodological advances; and (3) to chart out the current weaknesses and the actions needed to address those weaknesses for an improved global assessment of where, when, and how much reactive N is converted to N2 in the biosphere. Two important considerations will be superimposed over a matrix of ecosystem types and methodological approaches: (1) What are the appropriate scales over which N2 production can and should be measured?; and (2) How can models be integrated with the measurements to improve mechanistic understanding of the processes and permit estimation of fluxes at larger spatial scales, longer temporal scales, and across a range of forecasted scenarios? The results of the workshop will be published as one or more synthesis papers in a peer reviewed journal. The boarder impacts of this activity include an effort to direct scientific understanding of the N cycle toward finding solutions to society's concerns about eutrophication of the biosphere. The workshop is being organized as an integral part of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI), a joint project of SCOPE and IGBP. The overall goal of the INI is to optimize nitrogen's role in sustainable food and energy production, while minimizing negative effects on human health and the environment. Hence, this workshop is part of an effort that has board implications for society by contributing knowledge to future management the global N cycle to meet objectives of both food security and environmental quality.