RUI: Collaborative Research: Nitrogen fixers in a western river network: constraints and consequences

RUI：合作研究：西部河网中的固氮剂：限制因素和后果

• 批准号: 0950016
• 负责人: Jill Welter
• 金额: $ 13.5万
• 依托单位: St. Catherine University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-05-01 至 2012-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0950016&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Collaborative; Research; Nitrogen; fixers

Biological nitrogen fixation is the process through which organisms convert nitrogen gas in the atmosphere to a form that can be used in other biological processes. Because biologically available nitrogen often limits plant growth, nitrogen fixation is a critical process that can influence ecosystem productivity, species composition, and food web interactions. The importance of nitrogen fixation has been studied in many terrestrial ecosystems, however this process has been relatively little studied in streams, which have often been thought to be limited by the availability of phosphorus rather than nitrogen. Topography, stream flow, and species composition and interactions will be examined as potential factors that limit nitrogen fixation in stream networks in the western United States; high resolution digital elevation data will be tested as a source of topographic information for these analyses. The results of this work, in combination with parallel efforts linking light and hydraulic regimes to digital topographic models, will facilitate the development of predictive maps that place the controls and consequences of biological nitrogen fixation into the physical and rapidly changing environmental context of river networks. Research opportunities and training will be provided to science and science education undergraduate students at the lead liberal arts institution, a women's college, by combining the liberal arts learning environment with access to the philosophies and lab facilities of large research groups. The opportunity to work with an interdisciplinary team of scientists will provide a diverse group of women first-hand experience in field ecology and the scientific process, encouraging many to pursue professional opportunities in science and science education.

生物固氮是生物体将大气中的氮气转化为可用于其他生物过程的形式的过程。由于生物可利用的氮往往限制植物的生长，固氮是一个关键的过程，可以影响生态系统的生产力、物种组成和食物网相互作用。固氮的重要性已经在许多陆地生态系统中进行了研究，但在溪流中对这一过程的研究相对较少，人们往往认为溪流受到磷而不是氮的有效性的限制。地形、水流、物种组成和相互作用将被视为限制美国西部河流网络固氮的潜在因素；高分辨率数字高程数据将作为这些分析的地形信息来源进行测试。这项工作的结果，再加上将光和水力系统与数字地形模型联系起来的平行努力，将有助于开发预测性地图，将生物固氮的控制和后果纳入河网物理和快速变化的环境背景中。将通过将文科学习环境与接触大型研究小组的哲学和实验室设施相结合，向领先的文科学院--一所女子学院--的科学和科学教育本科生提供研究机会和培训。与跨学科的科学家团队合作的机会将为不同群体的女性提供田野生态和科学过程方面的第一手经验，鼓励许多人在科学和科学教育领域追求专业机会。