POWRE: Initiation of a Trace Gas Research Program at Biosphere 2 Center

科学界最近将注意力集中在碳和氮循环上，认识到对这些元素的生物地球化学基础知识的空白正在阻碍做出重要决策的能力。虽然主要关注的是二氧化碳，但人们普遍认为，其他微量气体，特别是CH4和N2O，也是温室效应中的重要参与者。这项工作的目标是利用生物圈2号设施研究二氧化碳升高对CH4和N2O生产和消费的影响。生物圈2号包围了复杂程度和环境条件各不相同的受控“中尺度”，为研究介于实验室和野外之间的中等规模的自然过程提供了机会。这项研究将是利用生物圈2号更好地了解调节大气和陆地生物圈之间二氧化碳、水、甲烷、N2O、O2、异戊二烯和其他微量气体交换的过程的更大合作的一部分。拟议工作的性质是探索性的，将导致设计以程序为基础的研究，从而最大限度地利用生物圈2号设施。经过一年的基础设施开发和数据收集，为生物圈2系统确定了基线。拟议的工作旨在解决以下两个问题：1)二氧化碳升高对生物圈2中与热带雨林和林业土壤的CH4和N2O交换有什么影响；2)二氧化碳升高对湿地的CH4通量有什么影响？后续工作将导致以过程为基础的研究，并扩大研究方案，将氮氧化物和稳定同位素工作包括在内。该奖项的一个关键方面是支持两个讲习班，将一个跨学科专家小组带到生物圈2号，就实验设计提供建议并启动合作。生物圈2号内的工作将建立在未来实地和实验室研究的基础上，并为其提供支持。这项关于生物圈2号内微量气体通量相互依赖关系的探索性工作将作为国际生物圈发展新的陆地营养循环研究重点的第一阶段。这笔POWRE资金将帮助国际生物圈在未来几年从行政管理过渡到研究和教学/课程开发的结合，并重建将维持国际生物圈长期职业生涯的学术基础。

The scientific community has recently turned focused attention to the carbon and nitrogen cycles, with the recognition that gaps in the basic knowledge of the biogeochemistry of these elements is impeding ability to make important policy decisions. While the main focus has been on CO2, it is widely acknowledged that other trace gases, particularly CH4 and N2O, are significant players in the greenhouse story. The goal of this work is to study the effects of elevated CO2 on the production and consumption of CH4 and N2O using the Biosphere 2 facility. Biosphere 2 encloses controlled 'mesocosms' of varying complexity and environmental conditions, offering a chance to study natural processes at an intermediate scale between the laboratory and the field. This study will be carried out as part of a larger collaboration to use Biosphere 2 to better understand the processes that regulate the exchange of CO2, H2O, CH4, N2O, O2, isoprene and other trace gases between the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere. The nature of the proposed work is exploratory, and will result in the design of process-based studies that make optimal use of the Biosphere 2 facility. It follows on a year of infrastructure development and data gathering to determine a baseline for the Biosphere 2 system.The proposed work is designed to address the following two questions: 1) What is the effect of elevated CO2 on CH4 and N2O exchange with rainforest and forestry soils in Biosphere 2; and 2) What is the effect of elevated CO2 on CH4 flux from wetlands? Follow-up work will result in process-based studies and the expansion of the research program to include NOx and stable isotope work. A key aspect of this award is the support of two workshops to bring a team of interdisciplinary experts to Biosphere 2 to advise on experimental design and initiate collaborations. Work inside Biosphere 2 will build on and support future field and laboratory studies. This exploratory work on the interdependencies of trace gas fluxes inside Biosphere 2 will serve as the first phase in the PI's development of a new research emphasis in terrestrial nutrient cycling.This POWRE funding will help the PI transition from administration to a combination of research and teaching/curriculum development for the next several years, and reestablish the scholarship that will sustain the PI's longer-term career.