NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011

-这一行动资助了NSF 2011财年生物学博士后研究奖学金，生物学与数学和物理科学的交叉。该奖学金支持在东道主实验室为生物学、数学和地球化学交叉学科的研究员制定研究和培训计划。Kerri Crawford奖学金的研究和培训计划的标题是“初级演替生态系统中的植物多样性和土壤发展”。该奖学金的主办机构是圣路易斯的华盛顿大学、印第安纳大学-普渡大学印第安纳波利斯分校和印第安纳大学布鲁明顿大学，赞助科学家是Jonathan Chase博士、Pierre-Andre Jacinthe博士和James Bever.土壤提供对生态系统功能至关重要的服务。例如，植物的生长是由土壤养分调节的，土壤隔离了大量的大气二氧化碳。土壤的化学和物理结构决定了其履行这些功能的能力。因此，了解影响土壤特性的因素有助于保护土壤服务。植物及其相关微生物通过改变养分循环、土壤稳定性和土壤有机质的数量来影响土壤性质。在初级演替生态系统中，例如密歇根湖沿岸的沙丘--这项研究正在进行，土壤发育尚未发生。这为测试哪些因素影响土壤发育提供了一个独特的机会。此外，这个实验系统允许直接检查土壤沿时间序列的发展，其中不同年龄的生态系统沿空间梯度被保存。在这个项目中，植物和微生物如何影响土壤发育的实验测试与沿时间序列的观测研究相结合，有助于我们了解影响土壤功能的因素。培训目标包括数学建模和了解土壤在从大气中封存二氧化碳方面的作用。更广泛的影响直接适用于五大湖沙丘的恢复和保护，这是一个极度濒危的生态系统。外展和教育活动包括为本科生提供从事跨学科环境研究的机会。

---This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011, Intersections of Biology with Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow at the intersection of biology with mathematics and geochemistry. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Kerri Crawford is "Plant diversity and soil development in a primary successional ecosystem." The host institutions for this fellowship are the Washington University in St. Louis, Indiana University- Purdue University Indianapolis, and Indiana University Bloomington, and sponsoring scientists are Drs. Jonathan Chase, Pierre-Andre Jacinthe, and James Bever.Soils provide services that are critical to ecosystem functioning. For example, plant growth is mediated by soil nutrients, and soils sequester a large amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The chemical and physical structure of soil determines its ability to fulfill these functions. Therefore, understanding what factors influence soil properties provides insights into preserving soil services. Plants and their associated microbes influence soil properties by altering nutrient cycling, soil stability, and the amount of soil organic matter. In primary successional ecosystems, such as the sand dunes along Lake Michigan - where this research is taking place, soil development has not yet occurred. This provides a unique opportunity to test what factors influence soil development. Furthermore, this experimental system allows for direct examination of soil development through time along chronosequences, where ecosystems of different ages are preserved along a spatial gradient. In this project, experimental tests of how plants and microbes influence soil development are being paired with observational studies along chronosequences, contributing to our understanding of the factors that influence soil functioning. The training objectives include mathematical modeling and gaining knowledge of the role of soils in sequestration of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The broader impacts are directly applicable to restoration and conservation of the Great Lakes sand dunes, a critically endangered ecosystem. Outreach and educational activities include opportunities for undergraduates to engage in interdisciplinary environmental research.