RAPID: Fires in coastal California: Watershed and ecological responses to an acute environmental disturbance

RAPID：加利福尼亚沿海火灾：流域和对严重环境扰动的生态反应

• 批准号: 0952599
• 负责人: John Melack
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Barbara
• 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: 2010-06-01 至 2012-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0952599&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; Fires; coastal; California; Watershed

Three major fires occurred in the foothills and mountains above the greater Santa Barbara area in 2008 and 2009, all within watersheds with on-going, multiyear measurements. Because high rainfall is expected during the El Nino conditions forecasted for 2009-2010, burned ecosystems will show their greatest responses this year and afford an excellent opportunity to examine the effects of fire on terrestrial and stream ecosystems. Measurements will be made of short-term changes in burned and unburned watersheds, comparing the influence of fires on a variety of ecological and environmental responses including: stream discharge and the export of sediment and nutrients, soil movement and landslides, re-growth of vegetation at the watershed-scale using high resolution remote sensing and at the transect-scale by direct measurements of re-sprouting plants, and stream biota and ecosystem processes. Modeling will permit prediction of flooding, soil movements, and stream water quality across a range of climatic conditions during post-fire periods. This information will be of value to natural resource managers and public safety officials. Participation in public meetings will further disseminate the findings. In addition, three graduate and four undergraduate students will gain invaluable experience in watershed ecology, hydrology and management.

2008年和2009年，大圣巴巴拉地区上方的山麓和山区发生了三起重大火灾，所有这些火灾都发生在流域内，并进行了多年的测量。 由于预计在2009-2010年厄尔尼诺现象期间将有大量降雨，被烧毁的生态系统将在今年表现出最大的反应，并提供了一个极好的机会来研究火灾对陆地和河流生态系统的影响。将对燃烧过的和未燃烧过的流域的短期变化进行测量，比较火灾对各种生态和环境反应的影响，包括：河流流量以及沉积物和营养物的输出、土壤移动和滑坡、使用高分辨率遥感在流域尺度上和通过直接测量重新发芽的植物在横断面尺度上的植被重新生长，以及河流生物群和生态系统过程。 建模将允许预测洪水，土壤运动，以及在火灾后时期的一系列气候条件下的河流水质。这些信息将对自然资源管理人员和公共安全官员有价值。参加公开会议将进一步传播调查结果。 此外，三名研究生和四名本科生将获得流域生态，水文和管理方面的宝贵经验。