Development of the Minnesota Terrestrial Integrated Mesocosms for Biophysical and Ecophysiological Research

该奖项支持开发世界级的研究和教育中观设施，该设施将提供独特的机会：1)进行详细的过程和模拟研究，以补充正在进行的现场实验；2)改进未来现场实验和模型的设计；3)研究未来的管理和气候变化情景；4)通过将该设施整合到该大学至少三所学院提供的课程来教育学生；5)提供一个高度可见和易于访问的论坛，供公众参与科学教育。这一设施将使进行长期多学科研究成为可能。这一独特的设施将帮助解决两个重要的研究和教育主题，包括：1)多种气候变化应激源(二氧化碳、臭氧、温度)对北方多年生自然和受管生态系统的影响；2)季节性饱和和冻融循环对北方自然和受管生态系统的影响。将利用12个大型根际养殖场，包括具有气候和环境控制系统的大型地上冠层，开发中观生态系统，以研究从模型生态系统中的过程到分子尺度上的过程，包括地上和地下过程。中观设施将被用来弥合理论、实验室、现场和基于模型的各种尺度调查之间的差距。一个复杂的气候控制系统将允许一个大型的、跨学科的、合作的研究小组检查温度、地下水位、二氧化碳(CO2)和地面臭氧(O3)变化对生物物理和生态生理过程的影响。特别是，中温带将被独特地设计来研究冷温过程，这一过程仍然知之甚少，研究不足。模拟中大陆冬季将使用条件(过滤、修改)室外空气和土壤冻结。此外，还将研究对北方生态系统的化学、物理和生物学有很大影响的地下水位波动。该仪器还将促进过程研究，包括微生物种群动力学和根系人口学、土壤化学、温室气体交换、土壤水、热和化学运输、全植物的生理反应、共生组合、生态系统动力学和陆地-大气能量和质量交换。在每个中层对二氧化碳、臭氧、N2O、NH3和CH4的连续通量测量将允许进行详细的环境控制研究。

This award supports the development of a world-class research and education mesocosm facility that will provide unique opportunities to: 1) conduct detailed process and simulation studies to complement ongoing field experiments; 2) improve the design of future field experiments and models; 3) examine future management and climate change scenarios; 4) educate students by integrating this facility into courses offered in at least three colleges at the University, and 5) provide a highly visible and easily accessible forum for public engagement in science education. This facility will make it possible to pursue long-term multidisciplinary studies. Two important Research and Education Themes that this unique facility will help address include: 1) Impacts of Multiple Climate Change Stressors (CO2, O3, temperature) on Northern Perennial Natural and Managed Ecosystems and 2) Effects of Seasonal Saturation and Freeze-Thaw Cycles on Natural and Managed Northern Ecosystems. The mesocosms will be developed using 12 large rhizotrons including large above ground canopies with a climate and environmental control system to examine processes ranging from those in a model ecosystem to those at a molecular scale, including above ground and subsurface processes. The mesocosm facility will be used to bridge the gap between theoretical, laboratory, field, and model-based investigations at a range of scales. A sophisticated climate control system will allow a large, interdisciplinary, collaborative research team to examine the effects of temperature, water table, carbon dioxide (CO2) and ground level ozone (O3) variations on biophysical and ecophysiological processes. In particular, the mesocosms will be uniquely designed to study cold temperature processes, which remain poorly understood and understudied. The simulation of mid-continent winter will be achieved using conditioned (filtered, modified) outside air and soil freezing. In addition, fluctuating water tables, which strongly influence the chemistry, physics, and biology of northern ecosystems, will be studied. The instrumentation will also facilitate process investigations including microbial population dynamics and root demography, soil chemistry, greenhouse gas exchange, soil water, heat, and chemical transport, physiological responses of whole plants, symbiotic associations, ecosystem dynamics and land-atmosphere energy and mass exchange. Continuous flux measurements of CO2, O3, N2O, NH3, and CH4 at each mesocosm will allow for detailed environmental control studies.