Doctoral Dissertation Research: Floodplain Carbon Storage in Mountain Rivers

更好地了解影响山地景观碳储存的地质、河流过程、洪泛平原沉积物和河流生态系统之间的联系，对土地利用和环境变化具有重要意义。这项博士论文研究项目将调查未受管理的河流中淡水生态系统有效过滤溶解有机碳含量的自然能力。对未受管理的河流中淡水生态系统有效过滤溶解有机碳含量的自然能力的新见解，将对从地表水中获取饮用水的社会和社区具有重要价值。博士生将提供有关有机碳如何在高地河流环境和低地环境中储存的新信息，以及山区河流的自然过程如何促进有机碳的长期储存和固定条件。这项研究的重点是淡水系统的可持续性，这对全球水资源管理者在制定未来水资源分配的区域计划时具有重要影响。学生将与自然资源办公室和政府机构密切合作，为土地资源和野生动物管理提供信息。作为博士论文研究改进奖，该奖项还将提供支持，使有前途的学生能够建立强大的独立研究生涯。山地地区的碳储存研究至关重要，因为这些地区受到环境和土地利用变化的全球影响，这些变化导致河网系统的变化，从而影响地表水质量和供应。该项目将解决四个核心问题：(1)碳在泛滥平原水库中储存多长时间？(2)间歇性极端扰动在周转时间中起什么作用？(3)周转时间在海拔2,300米的水文气候边界上下是否存在系统性变化？(4)当生物驱动因素被移除，多线程河道变形为单线平坦时，谷底的碳储量如何变化？学生将使用现场采样、实地调查、现有地图和高程数据，并结合实验室分析，纵向确定科罗拉多州落基山脉源头溪流沿线的24个研究地点的有机碳。这些分析将对影响碳保持和微生物处理的较大河流网络的河流复杂性机制进行定量评估。

A better understanding of the linkages between geology, river processes, floodplain sediment, and river ecosystems that influence carbon storage in mountainous landscapes has implications for land use and environmental change. This doctoral dissertation research project will investigate the natural ability of freshwater ecosystems in unmanaged rivers to effectively filter dissolved organic carbon content. New insights into the natural ability of freshwater ecosystems in unmanaged rivers to effectively filter dissolved organic carbon content will be valuable to society and communities that source their drinking water from surface waters. The doctoral student will provide new information regarding of how organic carbon is stored in upland fluvial versus lowland environments and how natural processes in mountainous rivers facilitate conditions for long-term storage and sequestration of organic carbon. The sustainability of freshwater systems focus of this study has important implications for water resource managers globally as they develop regional plans for future water allocations. The student will work closely with natural resource offices and government agencies to inform land resources and wildlife management. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.Research on carbon storage in montane regions is critically important because these regions are globally impacted by environmental and land use modifications causing changes to river network systems and consequently affecting surface water quality and supply. This project will address four core questions: (1) How long is carbon stored in floodplain reservoirs? (2) What is the role of episodic extreme disturbances in turnover time? (3) Does turnover time vary systematically above and below the hydroclimatic boundary of 2,300-m elevation? (4) How does carbon storage in valley bottoms change when biotic drivers are removed and multithread channels metamorphose to a single-thread planform? The student will use in situ sampling, field survey, and existent map and elevation data coupled with laboratory analysis to longitudinally determine organic carbon at 24 study sites along the headwater streams in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The analyses will provide a quantitative assessment of the mechanisms of fluvial complexity of larger river networks that influence carbon retention and microbial processing.