Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Ecosystem Indicators of Productivity of Lithic-Mulched Fields

博士论文改进补助金：石质覆盖田生产力的生态系统指标

• 批准号: 1836626
• 负责人: Ronald Towner
• 金额: $ 2.29万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-08-15 至 2019-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1836626&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Improvement; Grant; Ecosystem

This project investigates Pre-Columbian agricultural fields which relied on runoff irrigation technologies unique to the ancient southwestern United States. Understanding how runoff irrigation and water management influenced vegetative productivity is critical to understanding the widespread occurrence of this technology in certain parts of the region and has implications for understanding how humans have shaped contemporary ecosystems. In addition to contributing to a scientific understanding of the function and persistence of runoff irrigation technology, this research addresses questions about the benefits for the application of traditional farming practices in the modern day. Because these features developed in a water limited environments, and are known only through archaeological research, facts regarding their character and function contribute information important to agriculture in present day drylands and have implications for water diversion and conservation. Finally, the project will contribute to undergraduate student training in field and laboratory techniques in he fields of archaeology and environmental science. The relative productivity of ancient runoff irrigated fields will be measured at scales ranging from centuries to single years in northern New Mexico. Particular focus will be given to fields that were mulched with pebbles and cobbles. Fields of this type are particularly abundant, and the technology was apparently well developed in this area. Soil and vegetation characteristics have been documented for other dryland field types in the Southwest, but few comparable studies have been conducted on rock-mulched fields. The study will rectify this knowledge gap and generate data that will allow comparison across the Southwest. Year-to-year changes in the width of growth rings for trees established on fields will be measured to determine how water conserving features may buffer trees from periodic droughts. Relative levels of organic material in soils, which are derived from plant matter, track how water conserving features alter plant productivity over the last few centuries. Together, soil chemistry and tree-rings will help answer questions about how ancient agricultural investments continue to effect contemporary ecosystem productivity, and the role this infrastructure played in supporting the large communities of northern New Mexico from 1300 A.D. until Spanish contact in the 1600s.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个项目调查了前哥伦布时期依靠径流灌溉技术的农业领域，这些技术是古代美国西南部独有的。了解径流灌溉和水管理如何影响植物生产力对于理解该技术在该地区某些地区的广泛应用至关重要，并对理解人类如何塑造当代生态系统具有重要意义。除了有助于对径流灌溉技术的功能和持久性的科学理解外，本研究还解决了传统农业实践在现代应用中的益处问题。由于这些特征是在水资源有限的环境中形成的，并且只有通过考古研究才知道，因此有关它们的特征和功能的事实为当今旱地的农业提供了重要的信息，并对水资源的转移和保护产生了影响。最后，该项目将有助于本科生在考古和环境科学领域的实地和实验室技术培训。在新墨西哥北部，古代径流灌溉农田的相对生产力将以几个世纪到一年的尺度进行测量。特别关注的是那些用鹅卵石和鹅卵石覆盖的田地。这种类型的油田特别丰富，该地区的技术显然很发达。西南部其他旱地类型的土壤和植被特征已经被记录下来，但很少有对岩石覆盖的田地进行类似的研究。这项研究将弥补这一知识差距，并产生数据，以便在西南地区进行比较。将测量在田间种植的树木生长年轮宽度的逐年变化，以确定节水特征如何缓冲树木免受周期性干旱的影响。土壤中来自植物物质的有机物质的相对水平，追踪了过去几个世纪以来保水特征是如何改变植物生产力的。土壤化学和树木年轮将有助于回答古代农业投资如何继续影响当代生态系统生产力的问题，以及从公元1300年到17世纪西班牙人接触新墨西哥北部的大型社区，这些基础设施在支持这些社区方面发挥的作用。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。