RIG: Consequences of Drought-Induced Vegetation Change for Water Cycling in Desert Chaparral

该项目的目标是确定加州南部哪些植物物种最容易因干旱而死亡，以及它们的潜在消失如何影响最终可供人类使用的水资源。水分从植物蒸发到大气中是自然水循环的重要组成部分。然而，蒸发取决于天气，并可能受到干旱，洪水或热浪等极端天气事件的影响。该项目旨在了解气候变化引起的植被变化如何影响加州南部沙漠查帕拉尔生态系统蒸发的植物水分。为了了解植物和水之间的关系，将使用植物中水分的生理测量和数学建模相结合来预测植物在长时间内蒸发多少水。这将提供关于植物如何影响与水有关的过程以及哪些植物物种可能受到极端干旱影响的信息。该项目还为学生创造了机会，试图激发学生对独特的当地生态系统的兴趣，并使学生了解水的社会重要性。南加州人非常了解与水有关的服务，如淡水供应，防洪和娱乐。因此，该项目旨在激发当地学生的极大兴趣，并从种族和文化多样的学生群体中培养未来的科学家和自然资源管理领导人。

The goal of this project is to determine which plant species in southern California are most susceptible to mortality by drought and how their potential disappearance could affect how much water is ultimately available for use by humans. The evaporation of water from plants to the atmosphere is an important part of the natural water cycle. However, evaporation is dependent on weather and can be affected by extreme weather events, such as drought, floods, or heat waves. This project is aimed at understanding how possible changes in vegetation caused by climate change could affect the amount of plant water evaporated from desert chaparral ecosystems of southern California. To understand the relationship between plants and water, a combination of physiological measurements of water in plants and mathematical modeling to predict how much water plants evaporate over long periods of time will be used. This will provide information on how plants affect water-related processes, and which plant species are likely to be affected by extreme droughts. The project also creates opportunities for students, attempts to stimulate interest in unique local ecosystems, and will engage students in the societal importance of water. Southern Californians are well-aware of water-related services such as freshwater supply, flood protection, and recreation. Thus, the project is designed to generate considerable interest among local students and produce future scientists and leaders of natural resource management out of an ethnically and culturally diverse student body.