RAPID: Nitrogen Cycling Immediately after Fire in an Alberta Bog

在全球范围内，泥炭地覆盖了地球面积的3- 4%。美国的陆地表面，但他们储存了世界的25-30% ？中国的土壤碳(C)和世界的9-16% ？泥炭中的土壤氮(N)。自火灾以来，碳的循环，特别是沼泽碳汇的强度，作为时间的函数发生了巨大而可预测的变化。然而，自火灾以来，沼泽中N循环如何随时间变化的理解是未知的。这是一项快速反应研究（Rapid）奖，用于支持一个研究加拿大阿尔伯塔省西部Utikuma沼泽碳(C)和氮(N)循环的项目。鉴于最近的野火活动摧毁了该地点，该地点为研究联系沼泽N和C循环提供了一个独特的机会，历史上较低的大气N沉降（1公斤/公顷/年）使该地点成为大气N沉降光谱的全球末端成员，并且由于在加拿大泥炭地发现了大量的C储存。北方森林泥炭地对全球陆地氮和碳平衡至关重要，泥炭沉积物中储存的大量氮和碳的脆弱性具有科学和政策意义。随着RAPID资助对燃烧的Utikuma沼泽进行调查，该项目有望改变目前对沼泽N循环的理解，这在很大程度上忽视了加拿大西部北方沼泽火灾的潜在后果。该项目还将支持维拉诺瓦大学的一名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.