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

合作研究：通过网络科学推进季节性冰冻湖泊全年生态系统功能的综合模型

• 批准号: 2306889
• 负责人: Steven Sadro
• 金额: $ 36.36万
• 依托单位: University of California-Davis
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-11-01 至 2027-10-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2306889&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Advancing; comprehensive; model

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.

冬季是北半球变暖最快的季节。对于世界上数以百万计的季节性冻结的湖泊来说，这种变暖意味着冰盖变短变薄，并改变了冰上积雪的模式。由于冰雪影响湖泊的许多基本物理、化学和生物特性，冬季条件的变化可能会扰乱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被冰雪覆盖时是如何工作的，以及冬季条件如何影响一年中的其他时间知之甚少。这使得科学家们在预测冬季变化将如何影响湖泊或减轻负面影响方面准备不足。这项研究解决了这一“冬季知识鸿沟”，并对冬季条件如何影响不同类型湖泊的生态种群、群落和食物网进行了预测性的理解。除了核心项目团队对湖泊的密集研究外，调查人员还从数十个机构招募研究人员，将采样扩大到更多的湖泊。这种“团队科学”方法将对许多水生科学家进行专门的冬季采样方法培训，使其他科学家能够将冬季条件研究纳入他们的研究计划。它将发展一个耐冬水生研究人员网络，目标是促进对面对气候变化的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毕业后的研究人员提供教育和培训机会。这项研究结合了两种方法：1)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。在这项工作的第一部分，调查人员将重点放在12个水质特征和冬季严酷程度截然不同的湖泊上。这些湖泊正在使用连续记录温度、光线和氧气传感器的仪器。调查人员还研究了全年的水、细菌、浮游植物和浮游动物，以确定不同湖泊类型的浮游生物种群和群落是如何随着季节的演变而演变的。使用稳定同位素和脂肪酸分析，研究人员正在评估食物网状结构随季节变化的方式，以及有机物的生产和循环。在这项研究的第二部分，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方面的培训，并获得了采样工具包和样本采集说明。他们的样本正在与12个湖泊的核心样本进行分析，以确保结果的兼容性。合作PIs及其网络之间的合作允许广泛参与解释数据和测试关于冬季严酷程度与水质相互作用影响湖泊生态的假设。这一奖项反映了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。