DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Plant species and functional trait effects on methane and nitrous oxide fluxes from a North Carolina restored wetland

这项工作将研究湿地植物物种、土壤化学反应和温室气体排放之间的关系。甲烷和一氧化二氮等温室气体正在将越来越多的辐射困在大气中，使全球变暖。湿地是甲烷和一氧化二氮的重要来源，这些甲烷和一氧化二氮是在潮湿的土壤中发生化学反应产生的。这样的过程会被植物的物理存在和化学特征所改变。植物物种具有一套不同的特征，这些特征会影响植物所处的环境，从而可能对温室气体排放产生物种特有的影响。最有可能影响温室气体排放的特征是那些影响湿地土壤中碳、氮和氧的化学转化的特征。这项工作将对北卡罗来纳州达勒姆湿地恢复地点10种草本植物的单物种地块的甲烷和一氧化二氮排放与土壤条件和植物特征进行比较。湿地恢复项目通常是为了改善水文和水质而进行的，但它们也可以增加温室气体的产生。这项研究将确定有助于实现恢复目标的植物物种和植物特征，同时将温室气体排放降至最低。随着气候和湿地破坏与恢复速率的变化，了解不同植物种类在湿地温室气体动态变化中的作用，将有助于预测温室气体通量和管理湿地生态系统功能。

This work will examine relationships between wetland plant species, soil chemical reactions, and greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide are trapping increasing levels of radiation within the atmosphere, warming the globe. Wetlands are large sources of both methane and nitrous oxide, which are produced by chemical reactions in wet soil. Such processes are altered by the physical presence and chemical signatures of plants. Plant species possess different suites of traits that influence the environment plants inhabit, leading to possible species-specific effects on greenhouse gas emissions. The traits most likely to affect greenhouse gas emissions are those traits that shape chemical transformations of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen in wetland soils. This work will compare methane and nitrous oxide emissions with soil conditions and plant traits in single-species plots of 10 herbaceous plant species at a wetland restoration site in Durham, NC.Wetland restoration projects are typically conducted to improve hydrology and water quality, yet they can also increase greenhouse gas production. This research will identify plant species and plant traits that help achieve restoration goals while minimizing emissions of greenhouse gases. As the climate and rates of wetland destruction and restoration change, understanding the roles of different plant species in wetland greenhouse gas dynamics will help to predict greenhouse gas fluxes and manage wetland ecosystem functions.