Disturbance Interactions, Management, and Implications for Future Carbon Sequestration

自然干扰是影响生态系统碳平衡的主要因素，因为它们破坏了碳储量，增加了大气排放。预计北美西部森林受到的干扰在频率、范围、强度和种类上都将增加。然而，关于干扰对碳固存的影响，仍然存在一些基本问题。该项目的目标是提高对多种干扰对森林碳固存的影响的认识。测量的树木再生和碳含量、地理信息系统和模型将用于检查碳封存的多重相互作用干扰的结果。森林生长模型将用于估算整个景观和各种管理和干扰情景下的生物量积累和碳固存。干旱、虫害和火灾等级联的大规模干扰将相互作用，塑造未来的森林景观，从而影响碳平衡。森林管理活动也将影响和受干扰的影响。这项研究建立在科罗拉多州北部土壤和再生数据库的基础上，该数据库显示了干扰相互作用导致森林恢复阈值的证据。拟议的项目将为管理方案提供有价值的见解。这项工作的一个重要组成部分将致力于支持两名博士生和几名本科生的参与。通过科罗拉多科学、数学和工程多元化倡议，将尽一切努力从代表性不足的少数群体中招收研究生和本科生。研究活动将纳入生态教育，使用案例研究作为体验式学习工具。这项工作也将用于科罗拉多大学景观生态学课程的跨学科决策课程的学生。在整个项目期间，将与落基山区的美国林务局办事处保持对话，并在项目的最后一年为资源管理人员举办讲习班。

Natural disturbances are major factors affecting the carbon balance of ecosystems because they disrupt carbon stocks and increase atmospheric emissions. Disturbances of forests in western North America are expected to increase in frequency, extent, intensity and variety. However, fundamental questions remain about the effects of disturbance on carbon sequestration. The goal of this project is to improve understanding of the consequences of multiple disturbances on carbon sequestration in forests. Measured tree regeneration and carbon contents, geographic information systems, and modeling will be used to examine the outcomes of multiple interacting disturbances for carbon sequestration. A forest growth model will be used to estimate biomass accumulation and evaluate carbon sequestration across the landscape and under a variety of management and disturbance scenarios. Cascading large-scale disturbances such as drought, insect infestations, and fire will interact to shape future forest landscapes and consequently carbon balances. Forest management activities will also influence and be influenced by disturbances. This research builds on a database of soils and regeneration in northern Colorado that shows evidence of thresholds in forest recovery resulting from disturbance interactions. The proposed project will lend valuable insights into management options. A significant component of this work will be devoted to the support of two Doctoral students and the participation of several undergraduates. Every effort will be made to recruit graduate and undergraduate students from underrepresented minority groups through the Colorado Diversity Initiative in Science, Math, and Engineering. Research activities will be integrated into ecological education using case studies as experiential learning tools. This work will also be used in University of Colorado Landscape Ecology courses for students in interdisciplinary decision making curricula. Dialog with U.S. Forest Service offices in the Rocky Mountain Region will be maintained throughout this project, with a workshop conducted for resource managers in the final year of the project.