US-Costa Rica Dissertation: Biological processes influencing nutrient limitation in a tropical wet forest

这一奖项授予佛罗里达大学的Michelle Mack博士，以支持研究生Silvia Alvarez-Clare在哥斯达黎加的地球大学森林保护区进行博士论文研究。在哥斯达黎加，阿尔瓦雷斯-克莱尔将由地球大学的里卡多·鲁索博士指导。Alvarez-Clare女士的研究将集中在影响热带潮湿森林养分限制的生物过程。具体地说，拟议的研究将(1)直接测试氮、磷或N和P的组合是否限制了低地多样性热带湿润森林的树木生物量生产和凋落物分解；(2)调查植物群落作为一个整体如何影响植物-土壤-微生物-反馈，从而影响养分限制；以及(3)探索养分有效性增加缓解或加强不同森林中养分限制的机制，使植物和微生物群落适应低养分浓度。这一潜在的变革性研究将提供关于热带森林生产力和养分循环的迫切需要的信息，特别是树种组成和人口统计阶段如何影响生态系统养分动态。此外，这项研究将为未来有关热带森林资源的政策和管理决策提供科学基线。

This award to Dr. Michelle Mack at the University of Florida supports graduate student Silvia Alvarez-Clare to conduct doctoral dissertation research at EARTH University Forest Reserve in Costa Rica. Ms. Alvarez-Clare will be supervised in Costa Rica by Dr. Ricardo Russo from EARTH University. Ms. Alvarez-Clare's investigation will focus on the biological processes influencing nutrient limitation in a tropical wet forest. Specifically, the proposed study will (1) directly test if nitrogen, phosphorus, or a combination of N and P, limit tree biomass production and litterfall decomposition in a lowland diverse tropical wet forest; (2) investigate how the plant community as a whole influences plant-soil-microbial-feedbacks and thereby nutrient limitation; and (3) explore the mechanisms by which an increase in nutrient availability mitigates or reinforces nutrient limitation in a diverse forest with plant and microbial communities adapted to low nutrient concentrations. This potentially transformative research will supply much needed information on tropical forest productivity and nutrient cycling, specifically how tree species composition and demographic stages influence ecosystem nutrient dynamics. Additionally, the research will provide a scientific baseline for future policy and management decisions regarding tropical forest resources.