CRUI: Biogeochemical and Ecological Processes Within a Reservoir Littoral Zone

本提案提出了一个计划，以提高本科生在默里州立大学的研究经验。该提案的研究重点是水库生态系统的跨学科研究，是生物科学系、化学系和地球科学系的初级和高级教员之间的合作成果。具体来说，教师导师和本科生参与者将对人为引起的水波动对肯塔基湖（一个大型东南水库）沿岸生态系统的影响进行研究。利用综合、协作观察和中观实验，我们将确定这种波动如何影响生物组织三个层次的生态系统功能。由于对水库的生态系统研究很少，这项研究将为全球普遍存在的水生系统提供重要的新数据。此外，这项研究每年将培养10名优秀本科生，为他们进入研究生院和科学事业做好准备。它还将通过引入新的跨学科课程和系列研讨会来改善默里州立大学的课程发展。该提案建立在默里州立大学水库研究中心之前对本科生研究和教育的努力基础上，并利用了一个新的温室/Mesocosm设施，该设施最近由美国国家科学基金会授予默里州立大学。

This proposal presents a plan for enhancing the undergraduate research experience at Murray State University. The research focus of the proposal is interdisciplinary studies of reservoir ecosystems and is a collaborative effort between junior and senior faculty from the departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Geosciences. Specifically, faculty mentors and undergraduate participants will conduct research on the effects of human-induced water fluctuations on the littoral zone ecosystem of Kentucky Lake, a large southeastern reservoir. Using integrated, collaborative observations and mesocosm experiments, we will determine how such fluctuation influences ecosystem function across three levels of biological organization. Because only sparse ecosystem research has been conducted on reservoirs, this study will provide important new data on an aquatic system that is ubiquitous worldwide. Furthermore, this study will lead to the training of ten outstanding undergraduates per year, preparing them for graduate school and scientific careers. It will also lead to improved curricular development at Murray State through the introduction of a new interdisciplinary course and workshop series. This proposal builds upon previous efforts in undergraduate research and education through Murray State's Center for Reservoir Research, and utilizes a new Glasshouse/Mesocosm facility, which was recently awarded to Murray State by the NSF.