Multiscale Research on the Effects of Anthropogenic Disturbance on Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics: Major Research Instrumentation for Enhancing Research and Research Training

博士们已获得一笔赠款。Morris, McConnaughay， Gehring和Frase在布拉德利大学获得了支持C和N动力学综合研究所需的仪器，包括受控环境生长室，光合作用和土壤呼吸设备以及营养自动分析仪。所要求的设备将用于本系的个人项目、跨系合作项目以及本科生和研究生的综合研究训练。该仪器将支持正在进行的合作研究工作，以检查在恢复的草原生态系统中改变的C和N动态对本地和入侵植物的影响。具体的项目将在受控制的环境条件下，在二氧化碳和氮沉降增加的室中，检查实地和实验室的植物生长特征。土壤养分动态，包括碳和氮的周转，将利用实验室矿化率与植物生长特性的测量相结合来评估。除了回答有关恢复生态学和干扰后生态系统变化的基本问题外，该仪器还将作为个人研究人员向各自实验室的本科生介绍综合大型项目的工具。

A grant has been awarded to Drs. Morris, McConnaughay, Gehring and Frase at Bradley University to acquire instrumentation needed to support integrated studies of C and N dynamics including controlled environment growth chambers, photosynthesis and soil respiration equipment and a nutrient auto-analyzer. The equipment requested will be used within the department for individual projects, interdepartmental collaborative projects and integrated research-training of undergraduate and graduate students.The instrumentation will support on-going collaborative research efforts to examine the effects of altered C and N dynamics on native and invasive plants in restored prairie ecosystems. Specific projects will examine plant growth characteristics in the field and in the laboratory under controlled environmental conditions in chambers subjected to elevated CO2 and N deposition. Soil nutrient dynamics, including C and N turnover, will be evaluated using laboratory mineralization rates in tandem with measurements of plant growth characteristics. In addition to answering fundamental questions about restoration ecology and ecosystem change following disturbance, the instrumentation will be used as a tool by individual researchers to introduce undergraduates in their respective laboratories to integrated large-scale projects.