Collaborative Research: ETBC--Exploring Forest Ecosystem Response to Water Availability and the Impact on Biogeochemical and Water Cycles

这项研究的目的是确定和量化可以作为云核的气溶胶的生物成因与通过改变降水模式对产生更多气溶胶的植被过程的反馈之间的联系。该方法结合了实验，现场测量和实验室调查。 每一个代表了整个周期的一个关键组成部分：1）调查的重要来源的生物挥发性有机化合物沿着一个广泛的样带在美国西南部的网站; 2)对生物气溶胶粒子进行大气调查，将在其中一个地点进行，包括对粒子进行DNA测序以确定其来源的有趣想法; 3）两项实地研究，以操纵水和调查对植被的影响，一个涉及在个别黄松树和他们的挥发性有机化合物排放量的调查和另一个单独的干旱（但在附近）一组图施加不同的水分制度，以量化水分对土壤/凋落物挥发性有机化合物排放的影响; 4）生物冰核和云凝结核的研究。 这四项调查将在涉及一个模型的第五项活动中联系在一起：自然界气体和气溶胶排放模型（MEGAN）：这项工作的主要影响之一将通过改进地面-大气耦合模型来实现，该模型可从国家大气研究中心（NCAR）网站上向更广泛的科学界提供，并且能够支持涉及植物-云相互作用的未来研究。 该项目还将支持NCAR和科罗拉多大学的科学举措的多样性，让至少六名代表性不足的本科生参与研究项目。 为了将项目的影响扩大到公共部门和K-12社区，将开发基于网络的教育材料，解释气候变化对森林生态系统的影响，并将包括来自马尼图森林观测站的实时数据。 最终，研究结果将导致新的战略，用于评估区域气候变化对美国西部生态系统的影响，并通过认识生态系统在放大或抑制进一步气候变化方面的作用来管理这些影响。

The study aims to identify and quantify linkages between the biogenesis of aerosols that can function as cloud nuclei and the feedback through altered precipitation patterns on vegetation processes that generate more aerosols. The approach combines experiments, field measurements and laboratory investigations. Each represents a key component of the overall cycle: 1) surveys of important sources of biogenic volatile organic compounds along a broad transect of sites in the Southwestern U.S.; 2) atmospheric surveys of biological aerosol particles, which will take place at one of the sites and include the interesting idea of DNA sequencing of particles to identify their sources; 3) two field studies to manipulate water and investigate impacts on vegetation, one involving imposition of drought in individual ponderosa pine trees and an investigation of their VOC emissions and the other on a separate (but nearby) set of plots to impose different moisture regimes to quantify the impact of moisture on soil/litter VOC emissions; 4) studies of biogenic ice nuclei and cloud condensation nuclei. These four investigations will be linked together in a fifth activity involving a model: Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN).One of the principal broader impacts of this work will occur through the improvement of a coupled surface-atmosphere model that is available to the broader scientific community from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) web site, and is capable of supporting future studies involving plant-cloud interactions. The project will also support diversity in science initiatives at NCAR and the University of Colorado by involving at least six underrepresented-group undergraduate students in the research project. To extend the impact of project into the public sector and the K-12 community, web-based educational materials will be developed that will explain the impact of climate change on the forest ecosystem, and will include real-time data from the Manitou Forest Observatory. Ultimately, the results will lead to new strategies for assessing the impact of regional climate change on ecosystems in the Western U.S. and managing those impacts through recognition of the role ecosystems play in amplifying or dampening further climate change.