CNH: Integration of Human Choice into Models of Biogeochemical Cycling in Urban Ecosystems

尽管城市作为生物地球化学热点的重要性日益增加，但人们对影响单个家庭元素通量的因素知之甚少，尽管家庭的总消费可能对碳（C）、氮（N）和磷（P）等主要元素的通量产生重大影响，而这些元素对当地、区域和全球污染都有影响。 这个跨学科研究项目的总体目标是将人类行为与家庭中宏观元素（C、N 和 P）的流动结合起来。 研究人员将量化明尼阿波利斯-圣路易斯双城家庭的碳、氮和磷总通量。明尼苏达州的保罗和他们将寻求扩大对影响家庭消费选择和家庭宏观元素流动的因素的基本了解。 研究人员假设，元素通量变化很大且存在偏差，相对较少的家庭对总体通量的贡献不成比例。 另一个待检验的假设认为，通过家庭的元素通量大小可以通过日常消费选择的知识以及家庭基础设施的长期选择（例如房屋大小和草坪面积）来预测。 为了检验这些假设，将随机选择拉姆齐县 400 个自住、单一单元家庭，以涵盖一系列家庭特征。 将使用密集的邮件调查、景观清单和房主能源账单对这些家庭进行研究。 数据将输入之前开发的家庭通量计算器 (HFC) 模型，以生成 C、N 和 P 通量。调查数据还将用于将元素通量与与人类选择相关的因素（如态度、规范、感知控制和人口因素）联系起来。该项目预计将采用整合生物物理和社会研究方法的跨学科方法，将人类选择和生物物理特征整合到家庭生物地球化学模型中。 该项目将为博士后、研究生和本科生提供研究机会。 通过将氢氟碳化合物直接纳入课堂教育，学生将能够探索有关消费影响的假设。 此外，项目成果将用于帮助开发一种新的污染控制范式，该范式基于源头减少和信息反馈循环来指导适应性管理。 该项目得到了 NSF 竞赛奖项的支持，该竞赛专注于自然与人类系统耦合动力学。

Despite the growing importance of cities as biogeochemical hotspots, little is known about factors influencing elemental fluxes through individual households, even though the aggregate consumption by households likely has a substantial effect on fluxes of major elements like carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) that have implications for local, regional and global pollution. The overall goal of this interdisciplinary research project is to couple human behavior with flows of macroelements (C, N, and P) through households. The investigators will quantify total fluxes of C, N, and P through households in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and they will look to expand basic understanding of the factors that influence household choices regarding consumption and macroelement fluxes through households. The investigators hypothesize that element fluxes are highly variable and skewed, with relatively few households contributing disproportionately to overall fluxes. Another hypothesis to be tested posits that the magnitude of elemental fluxes through households can be predicted from knowledge of daily consumption choices along with long-term choices regarding household infrastructure, such as house size and lawn area. To test these hypotheses, 400 owner-occupied, single unit households in Ramsey County will be randomly selected to cover a range of household characteristics. These households will be studied using an intensive mail survey, a landscape inventory, and homeowner energy bills. Data will be entered into a previously developed Household Flux Calculator (HFC) model to generate fluxes of C, N, and P. Survey data will additionally be used to link element fluxes with factors related to human choices like attitudes, norms, perceived control, and demographic factors.This project is expected to integrate human choice and biophysical characteristics into a model of household biogeochemistry using a transdisciplinary approach that integrates biophysical and social research approaches. The project will provide research opportunities for post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduate students. By incorporating the HFC directly into classroom education, it will allow students to explore hypotheses regarding impacts of consumption. In addition, project outcomes will be used to help develop a new paradigm for pollution control, one based on source reduction and information feedback loops to guide adaptive management. This project is supported by an award resulting from the NSF competition focusing on the Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems.