DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Photodegradation as an Abiotic Mechanism in the Decomposition of Surface Litter

分解是陆地生态系统中碳和营养物质再循环的主要过程，通常由微生物进行。光降解（化合物在阳光下的化学分解）可能在很大程度上促进暴露的表面垃圾的分解，例如草原或苔原。然而，在陆地生态系统中，很少有研究量化了光降解对总分解率的贡献，或调查了光降解可能影响碳和氮循环的机制。拟议的工作将使用一系列实验室实验，旨在区分光降解的直接和间接影响，并了解光降解如何与微生物活动相互作用，从而影响总体分解率。该项目的结果可能会被纳入分解模型，并将有重要的影响，了解在光降解的规模变化，在气候变化，大气成分和土地利用。

Decomposition is a primary process by which carbon and nutrients are re-cycled in terrestrial ecosystems, generally by microbes. Photodegradation, the chemical breakdown of compounds by sunlight, may contribute substantially to decomposition of surface litter where it is exposed, such as in grasslands or tundra. However, few studies in terrestrial ecosystems have quantified the contribution of photodegradation to overall decomposition rates or have investigated the mechanisms by which photodegradation may affect the cycling of carbon and nitrogen. The proposed work will use a series of laboratory experiments aimed at separating direct and indirect effects of photodegradation and understanding how photodegradation may interact with microbial activity to affect overall decomposition rates. Results of this project may be integrated into models of decomposition and will have important implications for understanding changes in the magnitude of photodegradation in response to changes in climate, atmospheric composition, and land use.