Doctoral Dissertation Research: Floodplain Carbon Storage in Mountain Rivers

更好地了解地质、河流过程、洪泛区沉积物和影响山地景观碳储存的河流生态系统之间的联系，对土地利用和环境变化具有影响。 这个博士论文研究项目将调查淡水生态系统的自然能力，在未管理的河流，有效地过滤溶解的有机碳含量。 对非管理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认识，将对从地表沃茨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储存在高地河流与低地环境中的新信息，以及山区河流的自然过程如何促进有机碳的长期储存和封存。 这项研究的重点淡水系统的可持续性有重要的影响，全球水资源管理人员，因为他们制定未来的水分配的区域计划。 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，该奖项还将为有前途的学生提供支持，使其能够建立强大的独立研究事业。山地地区碳储存的研究至关重要，因为这些地区受到全球环境和土地利用变化的影响，导致河流网络系统发生变化，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）碳在洪泛区水库中储存多久？(2)突发性极端扰动在周转时间中的作用是什么？(3)在海拔2，300米的水文气候边界之上和之下，周转时间是否有系统地变化？(4)当生物驱动力被移除，多线通道变形为单线平面形态时，谷底的碳储存是如何变化的？ 学生将使用原位取样，实地调查，现有的地图和海拔数据，加上实验室分析，纵向确定有机碳在沿着在科罗拉多落基山脉的源头流24个研究地点。 这些分析将对影响碳保留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.