DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Application of Phytolith Analysis to Infer Vegetation and Disturbance Regime Changes Over the Past 200 Years.

论文研究：应用植硅体分析推断过去 200 年来的植被和干扰状况变化。

• 批准号: 0710280
• 负责人: Ronald Ryel
• 金额: $ 0.99万
• 依托单位: Utah State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-06-01 至 2008-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0710280&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Application; Phytolith; Analysis

Historical ecology is a field of study that seeks to describe changes in ecosystems over time by synthesizing information from historical records (i.e., the human archive) and biological data. Methods used in historical ecology cover a wide range of time scales; however, biological evidence for the last 200 years is limited and new approaches are needed. This research seeks to expand the use of biological data for inferring vegetation changes in the last 200 years by combining the human archive with soil phytolith analysis. Phytoliths are microscopic fossils of plant cells that are deposited into soils when plants decay. This research will use phytoliths to characterize plant community changes in western rangelands and document the frequency of fires that occurred within the past 200 years. These new techniques will benefit land managers and researchers working in sagebrush steppe and pinyon-juniper woodlands, two widespread and highly degraded rangeland types in the West, by providing historical information on vegetation change as related to land use and climate change. An understanding of historical conditions helps guide management decisions and restoration efforts. In addition, this research will contribute significantly to the scientific field of historical ecology.

历史生态学是一个研究领域，旨在通过综合历史记录（即，人类档案）和生物数据。 历史生态学中使用的方法涵盖了广泛的时间尺度;然而，过去200年的生物学证据是有限的，需要新的方法。这项研究旨在扩大使用生物数据推断植被变化，在过去的200年，结合人类档案和土壤植硅体分析。植硅石是植物细胞的微观化石，当植物腐烂时沉积到土壤中。这项研究将使用植硅体来描述西部牧场植物群落的变化，并记录过去200年来发生火灾的频率。这些新技术提供了与土地使用和气候变化有关的植被变化的历史资料，将使在西部两种广泛分布和高度退化的牧场类型-山艾树草原和松树杜松林地-工作的土地管理人员和研究人员受益。 了解历史条件有助于指导管理决策和恢复工作。此外，这项研究将对历史生态学的科学领域做出重大贡献。