Cells to ecosystems: fossil xylem is the missing link in reconstructing water use by plants, forests, and global vegetation in deep time

细胞到生态系统：木质部化石是重建植物、森林和全球植被深层用水的缺失环节

• 批准号: 2323169
• 负责人: Daniel Peppe
• 金额: $ 60万
• 依托单位: Baylor University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-04-01 至 2027-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2323169&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Cells; ecosystems; fossil; xylem; missing

Plant communities respond to climate change by moving and changing, but current predictions lack mechanistic connections between plant function and environmental change. Plant community responses are observed repeatedly in the fossil record, and could help predict future changes by measuring traits from plant fossils. Much effort has focused on the ways that leaves respond to and record environmental conditions. However, leaves depend on long-lived organs, such as stems, to enable plant function. This study will establish a new database dedicated to plant stem traits from fossil xylem to understand plant community responses to major intervals of ancient climate change. More broadly, this project will prepare a new generation of Earth scientists for this highly interdisciplinary work and expand participation in research through training and mentoring targeted towards underrepresented groups in paleontology through the creation of a paleontology and ecosystem modeling short course. This project is focused on assessing water transport in the xylem of Paleozoic and Mesozoic plants as an adaptation that influenced survivorship across two major intervals of climate change: the Late Paleozoic Ice Age of the Carboniferous-Permian (~300 million years ago [Ma]) and the hothouse climate of the Triassic-Jurassic (~200 Ma). This project will focus on three specific aims: (1) establish a unified xylem fossil functional anatomy database to facilitate (2) prediction of hydraulic traits for extinct taxa and (3) integration of fossil-observed leaf and xylem traits to predict whole-plant function using a modified ecosystem process model (Paleo-BGC). Investigators will use this approach to assess extinct plant water stress and ecosystem function through periods of extreme global climate change and test the hypothesis that coordination of leaf and stem water transport traits distinguished taxa as casualties, survivors, and thrivers during floral collapse and recovery during both global cooling and warming events. This project prioritizes training a new generation of interdisciplinary Earth scientists through training and mentoring opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral scholars. Additionally, a short course for underrepresented and early career scientists focused on linking paleobotany, plant physiology, and climate change will be created. Pre- and post-course summative evaluations will be applied with an aim to improve future course iterations’ delivery of climate-change-focused interdisciplinary geoscience to the target audience.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.

植物群落通过移动和变化来应对气候变化，但是当前的预测缺乏植物功能与环境变化之间的机械联系。在化石记录中反复观察到植物群落的反应，并可以通过测量植物化石的特征来帮助预测未来的变化。很多努力集中在离开的方式和记录环境条件的方式上。但是，叶子取决于长寿命器官，例如步骤，以实现植物功能。这项研究将建立一个新的数据库，该数据库专门针对化石木质部的植物干性特征，以了解植物群落的反应，以对古代气候变化的主要间隔做出反应。更广泛地说，该项目将为新一代的地球科学家准备这项高度跨学科的工作，并通过针对古生物学中代表不足的群体的培训和心理来扩大研究的参与，这是通过创建古生物学和生态系统建模短期课程的。该项目的重点是评估古生代和中生代植物中的木质部的水运输，这是一种适应性的适应性，影响了气候变化的两个主要时间间隔：石炭纪 - 珀米亚人（约3亿年前[MA]）的古生代冰河时代晚期的冰河时代和三重点气候的hothouse气候。该项目将重点介绍三个具体目标：（1）建立一个统一的Xylem化石功能解剖学数据库，以促进（2）预测氢化性状的灭绝分类单元和（3）（3）（3）化石斑点叶片和木质部特性整合，以使用修改的生态系统工艺模型（Paleo-BGC）预测全植物功能。研究人员将使用这种方法通过极端的全球气候变化来评估植物水应力和生态系统功能，并测试以下假设：在全球冷却和加热事件期间，在花卉崩溃和恢复期间，在花卉崩溃和恢复期间，叶子和茎水的配位将分类单元分类为伤亡，生存和线索。该项目优先考虑培训新一代的跨学科地球科学家，通过为本科，研究生和博士后的培训机会和心理机会。此外，将创建一门短期代表性和早期职业科学家的简短课程，重点是联系古生物植物，植物生理学和气候变化。课前和后的总结性评估将用于改善未来的课程迭代迭代的以气候变化为中心的跨学科地球科学向目标受众提供。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准来通过评估来通过评估来支持的。