Biocomplexity of Hydrologically-Controlled Vegetation Dynamics: Quantitative Comparative Analysis-Everglades&Cerrado Ecosystems under Soil Moisture&Nutrient Spatiotemporal

0322051 Miralles-Wilhelm环境中的生物复杂性综合研究和教育拟议项目的重点是发展一个时空定量框架，以研究共存的植被物种和水文循环之间的相互作用，以及这些相互作用如何从较小的尺度聚集起来，例如，时间：降雨事件;空间：个体植物，更大的尺度，例如，时间：季节性/多季节性;空间：生态系统尺度。在过去的2-3年里，在分析相互作用的水文生态系统过程的时间动力学方面取得了重大进展。这项研究旨在通过将这些过程和相互作用的空间变异性，回答“在哪里？“相关问题除了“什么时候？”相关问题。拟议的研究方法是基于一个系统级的随机建模和现场实验的框架，已被使用的PI聚合发生在几个空间和时间尺度的物理，化学和生物过程，量化地球化学库存和通量，以及提供其不确定性的估计。将通过在大沼泽地（佛罗里达）和塞拉多（巴西）生态系统进行拟议的实地实验测试来验证这一生态水文模型。这种比较生态系统的方法提供了量化和区分一般和特定网站的生态水文interactions.This建议是在迈阿密大学（UM，美国），美国地质调查局（USGS），巴西利亚大学（UNB，巴西），和布宜诺斯艾利斯大学（IFEVA/乌巴，阿根廷）的研究人员之间的共同努力。拟议项目的教育计划侧重于培养新一代生态系统科学家和从业人员，他们将获得：（i）适用于生态系统分析、评估和决策的强大的跨学科科学技能;（ii）在处理不同生态系统方面融入多样性（干旱、平均和潮湿）和地理/文化环境;（iii）接触环境道德，由于本文提出的研究和教育活动旨在提高我们对水文和植被之间相互作用的理解，生态系统的可持续管理。

0322051Miralles-WilhelmThis Biocomplexity in the Environment integrated research and education proposed project focuses on the development of a spatiotemporal quantitative framework to study the interactions between coexisting vegetation species and the hydrologic cycle, and how these interactions aggregate from smaller scales, e.g., temporal: rainfall event; spatial: individual plants, to larger scales, e.g., temporal: seasonal/multiseasonal; spatial: ecosystem scale. Over the past 2-3 years, there has been significant progress on analyzing the temporal dynamics of interacting hydrologic-ecosystem processes. This research intends to advance these efforts by incorporating spatial variability of these processes and interactions, a key to answering the "where?" related questions in addition to the "when?" related questions. The proposed research methodology is based on a systems-level stochastic modeling and field experimental framework that has been used by the PIs to aggregate physical, chemical and biological processes occurring at several spatial and temporal scales, quantifying biogeochemical stocks and fluxes as well as providing estimates of their uncertainty. Validation of this eco-hydrological model will be accomplished through proposed field experimental tests in the Everglades (Florida) and Cerrado (Brazil) ecosystems. This comparative ecosystem approach offers the benefit of quantifying and differentiating between general and site-specific eco-hydrological interactions.This proposal is a joint effort between investigators at the University of Miami (UM, USA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Universidade de Brasilia (UNB, Brazil), and the University of Buenos Aires (IFEVA/UBA, Argentina). The educational plan of the proposed project focuses on preparing a new generation of ecosystem scientists and practitioners who will acquire: (i) strong interdisciplinary science skills applicable to ecosystem analysis, assessment and decision making; (ii) immersion in diversity in terms of treating different ecosystems (dry, average and humid) and in terms of geographical/cultural settings; (iii) exposure to environmental ethics, as the research and education activities proposed herein seek to improve our understanding of the interactions between hydrology and vegetation as a key to sustainable management of ecosystems.