EAGER: Exploring Advanced Solid-state NMR as a Tool to Better Understand Changes in Litter Carbon Chemistry Caused by Decomposition

森林凋落物在全球碳循环和森林生态系统养分循环中起着重要作用。我们仍然不清楚凋落物的长期分解模式，部分原因是很难获得精确和准确的凋落物碳化学。传统的测定凋落物化学成分的方法，如湿化学技术，对样品进行破坏性测量，缺乏特异性，在某些情况下会产生错误的结果。固体核磁共振是一种潜在的方法，它可以无损地测量样品并精确地阐明化学结构，被认为是研究凋落物和腐烂凋落物复杂结构的最佳工具。我们的团队已经开发了几种新的先进的固态核磁共振技术来系统地阐明复杂有机物的结构，然而，这些技术还没有被用来研究分解过程中凋落物化学的变化。该项目将使用这些新的、系统的、先进的核磁共振来调查长期站点间实验小组(LIDET)不同物种和地点的凋落物化学成分的可能变化范围。这个项目是老道明大学和俄勒冈州立大学的合作项目。它将培训一名女性研究生应用、改进和开发先进的固态核磁共振技术用于生态系统研究。该项目还将为招收和留住人数不足的学生提供机会，包括非洲裔美国人和妇女，这些学生构成了老多米尼恩大学的一大部分学生。

Forest litter plays important roles in global carbon cycling and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystem. We are still not clear about the long-term decomposition patterns of litter, in part because it is difficult to acquire precise and accurate litter carbon chemistry. Traditional methods to determine litter chemistry, such as wet chemical techniques, measure samples destructively, lack specificity, and in some cases produce erroneous results. One potential approach is solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which can measure samples nondestructively and elucidate chemical structures precisely and is regarded as the best tool to investigate the complex structures of litter and decomposed litter. Several new advanced solid-state NMR techniques for systematically elucidating the structures of complex organic matter have been developed by our team, however, they have not been used to examine changes in litter chemistry during decomposition. This project will employ these new, systematic, advanced NMR to investigate the possible range in variations of litter chemical compositions of different species and sites from the Long-term Intersite Experiment Team (LIDET). This project is a joint effort between Old Dominion University and Oregon State University. It will train a female graduate student in applying, improving and developing advanced solid-state NMR techniques for ecosystem study. The project will also provide opportunities for recruiting and retaining underrepresented students including African Americans and women which constitute a large body of students at Old Dominion University.