NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2020: Defining lineage functional types to improve earth system model predictions via inclusion of phylogeny and physiology

2020 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金：定义谱系功能类型，通过纳入系统发育和生理学来改进地球系统模型预测

• 批准号: 2010784
• 负责人: William Hammond
• 金额: $ 13.8万
• 依托单位: Hammond, William
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-06-01 至 2023-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2010784&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

Life on Earth relies on forests. Providing more than just timber to humans, forests play an important role in the water and carbon balance of the planet. Forests, covering nearly a third of the planet’s continents, support more biodiversity on land than any other type of ecosystem. However, global forests have experienced wide-spread die-off in recent decades, largely in response to drought and increasing temperatures. Due to their tremendous economic, social, and ecological value—identifying where and when forests are threatened by global change remains a top priority for science. Data collected during the research, will be used to improve state-of-the-art models called the Earth System Models. By improving Earth System Models, this project will increase the ability to predict how forests will fare in future climate conditions. To increase the broader impacts of the work, the fellow will incorporate the research into teaching and workshops and share results with forest managers and other stakeholders. This project will sample over 30 conifer species in the Klamath Mountains ecoregion of SW Oregon/NW California. The fellow will collect branch material from each species in the field and return to the laboratory for paired physiological-spectral measurements. Combining advanced imaging techniques (hyperspectral, thermal-infrared, chlorophyll fluorescence) with plant ecophysiology measurements (gas exchange, water content, vulnerability to embolism), this research will investigate spectral and physiological trait aggregation at various depths of conifer phylogenies. This work will result in the development of lineage functional types (LFTs), where evolutionary relatedness will be included in the functional diversity of conifers for improving models of the Earth System. The fellow will compare predictions of Earth System Models using existing plant functional types (based on form and biome), with the newly developed LFTs at different aggregation levels. During the project, the fellow will receive training in new areas, including Earth System Modeling and conducting phylogenetic analyses. Through annual outreach seminars at the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, this project will inform foresters, land managers, and citizens of advances made during the research. Additionally, this research will include hands-on undergraduate training in methods of plant ecophysiology, as portions of the project will be embedded in courses as research experiences for the next generation of plant scientists.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.

地球上的生命依赖于森林。森林不仅为人类提供木材，还在地球的水和碳平衡中发挥着重要作用。森林覆盖了地球上近三分之一的大陆，比任何其他类型的生态系统支持更多的陆地生物多样性。然而，近几十年来，全球森林经历了广泛的死亡，主要是由于干旱和气温上升。由于其巨大的经济、社会和生态价值，确定森林何时何地受到全球变化的威胁仍然是科学的首要任务。研究期间收集的数据将用于改进被称为地球系统模型的最先进模型。通过改进地球系统模型，该项目将提高预测森林在未来气候条件下表现如何的能力。为了扩大这项工作的影响，该研究员将把研究纳入教学和研讨会，并与森林管理人员和其他利益攸关方分享成果。该项目将对俄勒冈州西南部/加利福尼亚州西北部克拉马斯山脉生态区的30多种针叶树种进行采样。这位研究员将收集田间每个物种的树枝材料，并返回实验室进行配对的生理光谱测量。这项研究将先进的成像技术(高光谱、热红外、叶绿素荧光)与植物生态生理测量(气体交换、水分含量、栓塞性)相结合，研究针叶树系统发育不同深度的光谱和生理特征聚集。这项工作将导致谱系功能类型(LFT)的发展，其中进化关联将被包括在针叶树的功能多样性中，以改进地球系统的模型。这位研究员将比较使用现有植物功能类型(基于形态和生物群)的地球系统模型的预测，以及新开发的不同聚合级别的LFT。在该项目期间，该研究员将接受新领域的培训，包括地球系统建模和进行系统发育分析。通过在美国林业局太平洋西北研究站举行的年度外展研讨会，该项目将向林农、土地管理人员和公民通报研究期间取得的进展。此外，这项研究将包括植物生态生理学方法的实践本科生培训，因为该项目的一部分将作为下一代植物科学家的研究经验嵌入课程中。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。