Collaborative Research: Advancing a comprehensive model of year-round ecosystem function in seasonally frozen lakes through networked science

冬季是北方升温最快的季节。对于世界上数以百万计的季节性冰冻湖泊来说，这种变暖意味着冰盖变短变薄，并改变冰上积雪的模式。由于冰雪会影响湖泊的许多基本物理、化学和生物特性，冬季条件的变化会破坏湖泊生态系统及其为人类提供的服务。直到最近，湖泊科学家对冬季的关注相对较少，这意味着我们对湖泊在冰雪覆盖下如何运作以及冬季条件如何影响一年中的其他时间知之甚少。这使得科学家们无法预测不断变化的冬季将如何影响湖泊或减轻负面影响。这项研究解决了这个“冬季知识差距”，并开发了一个预测性的了解冬季条件如何影响生态种群，社区和不同类型的湖泊的食物网。沿着核心项目团队对湖泊的深入研究，研究人员还从数十个机构招募研究人员，将采样范围扩大到许多其他湖泊。这种“团队科学”的方法将培训许多水生科学家专门的冬季采样方法，使其他科学家能够在他们的研究计划中包括冬季条件的研究。它将建立一个冬季耐寒水生研究人员网络，目标是在气候变化的情况下促进对全年生态系统功能的理解。该项目为多名研究生和本科生以及一名研究生提供了教育和培训机会。本研究结合了两种方法：1）由项目调查人员对12个湖泊的生态过程进行详细的季节性研究; 2）由合作者网络对至少60个其他湖泊进行研究。在第一部分的工作中，调查人员将重点放在12个湖泊上，这些湖泊的水质特征和冬季的严酷程度截然不同。这些湖泊正在安装连续记录温度、光线和氧气的传感器。研究人员还研究了全年的水，细菌，浮游植物和浮游动物，以确定浮游生物种群和群落如何在不同湖泊类型的季节中演变。利用稳定同位素和脂肪酸分析，研究人员正在评估食物网结构随季节变化的方式以及有机物质的生产和循环。在研究的第二部分，研究人员正在招募一个研究人员网络，从至少另外60个湖泊收集样本。这些合作者正在接受冬季研究方法的培训，并获得取样工具包和样品收集说明。他们的样本正在与来自12个湖泊的核心样本进行分析，以确保结果的一致性。co-PI和他们的网络之间的合作允许广泛参与数据的解释和关于冬季严酷程度与水质相互作用影响湖泊生态的方式的假设的测试。该奖项反映了NSF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。

Winter is the fastest warming season in the northern hemisphere. For millions of the world’s seasonally-frozen lakes, this warming means shorter and thinner ice cover and changing patterns of snow accumulation on the ice. Because ice and snow affect many fundamental physical, chemical, and biological properties of lakes, changes in winter conditions can disrupt lake ecosystems and the services they provide to humanity. Until recently, lake scientists paid relatively little attention to winter, meaning we know very little about how lakes work when covered by ice and snow and how winter conditions affect the rest of the year. This leaves scientists ill-prepared to predict how changing winters will impact lakes or to mitigate negative impacts. This study addresses this “winter knowledge gap” and develops a predictive understanding of how winter conditions affect the ecological populations, communities, and food webs of diverse types of lakes. Along with intensive studies of lakes by the core project team, the investigators are also recruiting researchers from dozens of institutions to expand sampling to many additional lakes. This ‘Team Science’ approach will train many aquatic scientists in specialized winter sampling methods, empowering other scientists to include studies of winter conditions in their research programs. It will develop a network of winter-hardy aquatic researchers with the goal of advancing understanding of year-round ecosystem function in the face of climate change. The project provides education and training opportunities for multiple graduate and undergraduate students and a postbaccalaureate researcher.This study combines two approaches: 1) detailed seasonal studies of ecological processes in 12 lakes by the project’s investigators; and 2) research across at least 60 other lakes by a network of collaborators. In the first part of the effort, the investigators are focusing on 12 lakes with contrasting water quality characteristics and winter severity. The lakes are being instrumented with continuously-recording temperature, light, and oxygen sensors. The investigators are also studying water, bacteria, phytoplankton, and zooplankton throughout the year to determine how plankton populations and communities evolve through seasons in different lake types. Using stable isotopes and fatty acid analysis, the investigators are assessing the way food web structure changes across seasons and the production and cycling of organic matter. For the second part of the study, the investigators are recruiting a network of researchers to collect samples from at least another 60 lakes. These collaborators are being trained in winter research methods and are provided with sampling kits and instructions for sample collection. Their samples are being analyzed with samples from the core set of 12 lakes, ensuring compatibility of results. Collaboration between the co-PIs and their network is allowing for broad participation in interpretation of data and testing of hypotheses about the way winter severity interacts with water quality to affect lake ecology.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.