Upgrade of Weighing Lysimeter Facility for Studying Ecosystem and Vadose Zone Dynamics in Arid Environments

0744310 TullerThis提案寻求资金，以升级在亚利桑那大学的称重蒸渗仪设施。该设施旨在测量植物的水分吸收和溶质运输，并将教学，研究和推广。目前配置的设施（建于20世纪90年代初）有三个45，000公斤的蒸渗仪，其称重精度为± 200克。由于长期使用，该系统目前需要修复腐蚀损坏，重新校准和升级，以提供数据记录和现代传感器功能。升级后的系统将允许对干旱环境中的土壤水文地质过程进行研究，这些环境包括美国西南部的相当大的地区。该设施将用于在中尺度上研究生态系统和土壤水文过程的耦合。将与沙漠研究所的研究人员合作，对干旱环境中水资源的可持续性进行评估。将在不同的沙漠环境（例如Majove与Sonoran沙漠）中评估植被和水文对不同降水模式的反应。该设施将与亚利桑那大学的大规模研究对接？生物圈2号将有助于预测景观过程。升级将包括维修，仪器化实时蒸渗仪数据流，产生一个网络资源，这将创建一个教学环境观测站（IEO），并为干旱环境中耦合土壤水文和生态系统过程的合作研究奠定基础。资金将与PI的启动资金共享。土壤、水环境科学系将提供一名兼职技术人员。西南沙漠的水资源问题带来了巨大的社会影响。干旱地区的抽水率大大超过敏感含水层的补给率。教育和推广将通过创建一个可供本科生和研究生通过研究工作，并通过在土壤环境科学，水文学，生态学，自然资源和工程课程IEO促进。独立评价办公室也将提供给公众和环境利益攸关方。

0744310TullerThis proposal seeks funding to upgrade the Weighing Lysimeter Facility at the University of Arizona. The facility is designed to measure plant water uptake and solute transport and will teaching, research and outreach. The currently-configured facility (built in the early 1990s) has three 45,000 kg lysimeters which can be weighed with an accuracy of ±200g. Due to long use, the system is currently in need of repair for corrosion damage, recalibration and upgrades to provide data logging and modern sensor capabilities. The upgraded system will allow research on soil hydrogeologic processes in arid environments which comprise a considerable area of the US southwest. The facility will be used to study the coupled ecosystem and soil hydrological processes - at the mesoscale. The sustainability of water resources in arid environments will be evaluated in collaboration with researchers at the Desert Research Institute (DRI). Vegetation and hydrologic responses to varying precipitation patters will be evaluated in different desert environments (e.g. Majove vs. Sonoran desert). The facility will interface with large-scale studies at the University of Arizona?s Biosphere 2 which will be instrumental in predicting landscape processes. The upgrade will consist of repairs, instrumenting real-time lysimeter data streams, producing a web resource which will create an Instructional Environmental Observatory (IEO), and create a foundation for collaborative research on coupled soil hydrological and ecosystem processes in arid environments. Funding will be shared with PIs' startup monies. A part-time technician will be provided by the Department of Soil, Water & Environmental Science. Water issues in the desert southwest carry tremendous societal impacts. Pumping rates in arid regions vastly exceed recharge rates for sensitive aquifers. Education and outreach will be fostered through the creation of an IEO accessible by undergraduate and graduate students through research efforts and through courses in Soil & Environmental Sciences, Hydrology, Ecology, Natural Resources, and Engineering. The IEO will also be made available to the public and environment stakeholders.***