RAPID: Nitrogen Cycling Immediately after Fire in an Alberta Bog

在全球范围内，泥炭地覆盖了地球表面的3%-4%-S，但它们储存了世界的25%-30%-S土壤碳(C)和世界的9%-16%-S土壤氮(N)。C的循环，特别是沼泽C汇的强度，在火灾后作为时间的函数发生了戏剧性的和可预测的变化。然而，自火灾以来，对沼泽中N循环如何随时间变化的了解尚不清楚。这是一个快速反应研究(RAPID)奖，旨在支持加拿大阿尔伯塔省西部乌蒂库马沼泽碳(C)和氮(N)循环研究项目。鉴于最近摧毁该地点的野火活动、历史上最低的大气N沉降(1公斤/公顷/年)，以及加拿大泥炭地发现的大量碳储量，该地点是研究沼泽N和C循环的独特机会。北方森林的泥炭地对全球陆地N和C平衡至关重要，泥炭沉积物中储存的大量N和C的脆弱性具有科学和政策意义。随着快速资金在被烧毁的Utikuma沼泽启动调查，该项目预计将改变目前对沼泽N自行车的理解，这种理解在很大程度上忽略了加拿大西部北方沼泽火灾的潜在影响。该项目还将支持维拉诺瓦大学的一名理科硕士学生和一名本科生实验室/现场助理。

Globally, peatlands cover 3-4 % of the Earth?s land surface, yet they store 25-30% of the world?s soil carbon (C) and 9-16% of the world?s soil nitrogen (N) in peat. The cycling of C, and in particular the strength of the bog C sink, changes dramatically and predictably as a function of time since fire. However, understanding of how N cycling changes in bogs as a function of time since fire is unknown. This is a Rapid Response Research (RAPID) award to support a project to study carbon (C) and nitrogen (N)cycling at Utikuma Bog, in western Alberta Canada. The site represents an unique opportunity for research on linked bog N and C cycling in light of the recent wildfire activity which decimated the site, the historically low atmospheric N deposition (1 kg/ha/yr), which anchors the site as a global end-member in the spectrum of atmospheric N deposition, and because of the large stores of C found in Canadian peatlands. Peatlands of the boreal forest are vital to global terrestrial N and C balances, and the vulnerability of the large amounts of N and C stored in peat deposits has both science and policy implications. With RAPID funding to initiate investigations at the burned Utikuma Bog, this project is expected to transform current understanding of bog N cycling, which has largely ignored the potential ramifications of fire in boreal bogs of western Canada. The project will also support one M.S. student at Villanova University and one undergraduate lab/field assistant.