QEIB: Collaborative Research: Erosional Removal and Redistribution of Soil Organic Carbon at Upland Ecosystems

该项目测试和探索的假设是，在高地生态系统的土壤侵蚀构成了一个可测量的和重要的大气二氧化碳汇。这一假设正在以前使用宇宙成因同位素测量确定土壤侵蚀率的流域进行检验。在每个现场，研究人员将挖掘大量土壤剖面，测量其总碳储量，计算景观凸部的碳损失率，并使用扩散建模方法计算凹部（凹部）的碳储量。其他辅助土壤有机质特性（C：N比，N含量和N同位素组成）预测系统地改变与侵蚀，将被测量，以进一步测试和证实我们的假设。这项工作将解决土壤在全球碳收支中的作用的最大不确定性之一。这是与Heimsath（0128995）的合作提案。

This project tests and explores the hypothesis that soil erosion in upland ecosystems constitutes a measurable and significant sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The hypothesis is being tested in watersheds where soil erosion rates have been previously determined using cosmogenic isotope measurements. At each field site, the researchers will excavate numerous soil profiles, measure their total carbon storage, calculate rates of carbon loss from convex portions of the landscape, and calculate storage in concave areas (hollows), using a diffusion modeling approach. Other ancillary soil organic matter properties (C:N ratio, N content, and N isotope composition) predicted to change systematically with erosion, will be measured to further test and confirm our hypothesis. The work will address one of the great uncertainties about the role of soils in the global carbon budget.This is a collaborative proposal with Heimsath (0128995).