Collaborative Research: MRA: On thin ice- implications of shorter winters for the future of freshwater phytoplankton phenology and function

合作研究：MRA：薄冰——较短冬季对淡水浮游植物物候和功能未来的影响

• 批准号: 2306896
• 负责人: Ana Morales-Williams
• 金额: $ 53.88万
• 依托单位: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-10-01 至 2028-09-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2306896&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; MRA; thin; ice

Lakes around the world face rapidly warming temperatures coupled with shorter winters. These have an impact on surface ice formation and coverage in winter and can impact growth of lake algae and their interactions with other aquatic organisms. Increased algal blooms threaten water quality, drinking water supply, and recreation, as well as energy flow through food webs. In this project, researchers will mimic climate-induced changing lake futures by studying U.S. lakes from north to south, and ranging from ice covered to ice free in winter months. Their research will examine algal growth and interactions on a year-round scale using field observations, experiments and high-frequency environmental sensors, and will employ predictive modeling to assess how changes in climate will affect lake ecosystem structure and function. Broader Impacts will be achieved through the vehicles of community science, training of undergraduate and graduate researchers, and public engagement. Workforce development initiatives will provide training for water treatment plant operators at drinking water reservoirs and high school students. By engaging youth and community scientists, these partners/participants will be trained to actively serve as stewards of water quality in their respective communities, empowering them to be knowledgeable and engaged in research related to climate impacts on lake ecosystems. To study the transition from ice covered to ice free winters, the overall objective of this project is to assess how changing ice cover impacts algae. There is an explicit need to understand how changing winter conditions influence algae, including seasonal succession, competitive outcomes, and the strength of the ecological response to prior ecosystem conditions (ecological memory). Studies on non-summer algal assemblages are rare. Connecting under-ice and ice-free periods is essential for understanding the impact of changing winter ice patterns on lake ecosystem dynamics. This objective will be accomplished via three specific aims: 1. Elucidate how varying winter conditions across a wide range of lakes affect algal communities (including blooms and cyanotoxins) during the winter relative to summer. 2. Determine how the ecological memory of preceding conditions affects current algal community structure and function. 3. Differentiate how ice cover, underwater light, and algae will respond as climate change scenarios shift from ice covered lakes towards a future with no surface ice formation.The working hypothesis is that the gradual loss of winter ice and snow cover will dramatically shape lake physical characteristics, which sets the template for algal species interactions and competitive outcomes. As a lake’s thermal regime shifts, there will be major changes to algal community interactions and competition, which will alter succession and bloom patterns. This work addresses foundational ecological questions related to community diversity and assembly, placed in the context of rapidly changing winter conditions. Research lakes include those within the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). This project will contribute to the education and training of the future scientific and technical workforce needed to pursue basic research on regional to continental scale biology, and will engage a diverse community of learners, educators and managers in regional to continental scale research and the use of NEON.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.

世界各地的湖泊面临着迅速变暖的气温加上较短的冬天。这些对冬季的表面冰的形成和覆盖有影响，并可能影响湖藻的生长及其与其他水生生物的相互作用。藻类大量繁殖的增加威胁到水质、饮用水供应和娱乐，以及通过食物网的能量流动。在这个项目中，研究人员将通过研究美国从北到南的湖泊来模拟气候引起的湖泊未来变化，从冬季的冰雪覆盖到无冰。他们的研究将利用实地观察、实验和高频环境传感器，在全年范围内研究藻类的生长和相互作用，并将采用预测建模来评估气候变化将如何影响湖泊生态系统的结构和功能。更广泛的影响将通过社区科学，本科生和研究生研究人员的培训，以及公众参与的车辆实现。劳动力发展倡议将为饮用水水库的水处理厂操作员和高中生提供培训。通过让青年和社区科学家参与进来，这些合作伙伴/参与者将接受培训，积极担任各自社区的水质管理员，使他们能够了解并参与与气候对湖泊生态系统影响有关的研究。为了研究从冰层覆盖到无冰冬季的过渡，该项目的总体目标是评估冰层变化如何影响藻类。有一个明确的需要，了解冬季条件的变化如何影响藻类，包括季节性演替，竞争的结果，以及对先前生态系统条件（生态记忆）的生态响应的强度。非夏季藻类组合的研究是罕见的。连接冰下和无冰期对于了解冬季冰模式变化对湖泊生态系统动态的影响至关重要。这一目标将通过三个具体目标来实现：1.阐明冬季相对于夏季，不同的冬季条件如何影响湖泊中的藻类群落（包括水华和蓝藻毒素）。 2.确定先前条件的生态记忆如何影响当前的藻类群落结构和功能。 3.随着气候变化情景从冰封的湖泊转向未来没有表面冰形成，冰层、水下光和藻类将如何应对。工作假设是冬季冰雪覆盖的逐渐减少将极大地塑造湖泊的物理特征，这为藻类物种的相互作用和竞争结果奠定了模板。随着湖泊的热状况发生变化，藻类群落的相互作用和竞争将发生重大变化，这将改变演替和水华模式。这项工作解决了与社区多样性和组装有关的基本生态问题，并将其置于快速变化的冬季条件下。研究湖泊包括国家生态观测网（氖）内的湖泊。该项目将有助于教育和培训未来从事区域至大陆规模生物学基础研究所需的科学和技术人员，并将吸引不同的学习者群体，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值进行评估，被认为值得支持和更广泛的影响审查标准。