Postdoctoral Fellowship: EAR-PF: Soil Carbon Biogeochemistry Under a Changing Climate: Current and Future Alterations from Forest Fires

Fettrow博士的题为“气候变化下的土壤碳生物地球化学：森林火灾的当前和未来变化”的项目调查了森林火灾对森林碳循环的影响。森林可以抵御快速的气候变化和全球变暖，因为树木在光合作用过程中会从大气中去除二氧化碳(CO2)。这些碳中的一部分储存在地下土壤中，来自根的生长，碳从根和树叶的凋落物中“泄漏”出来。随着时间的推移，森林土壤中的碳已经成为最大的活跃碳库之一，但气候变化已经将这个碳库置于危险之中。在森林火灾期间，由于气候变化，森林火灾变得更加频繁和激烈，土壤中的一些碳在森林燃烧时被释放回大气。此外，森林火灾后，土壤的生物和化学会发生变化，从而改变森林的功能。该项目的意义在于，它将使人们能够更好地了解森林火灾是如何改变森林碳循环的，特别是在森林火灾随着气候变化变得更加普遍的情况下。这些发现将推动地球科学的发展，并可能导致改善森林管理和气候政策。此外，费特洛博士的职业发展计划的一部分是，通过指导该领域和实验室的本科生和研究生，尤其是来自代表性不足社区的学生和第一代学生，来帮助激励和培训下一代科学家。该项目的主要目标是：(1)确定森林火灾如何影响地下土壤碳和生物地球化学(即影响土壤碳循环的生物和地球化学反应)；(2)解决围绕森林火灾期间土壤碳损失量的不确定性(3)，调查森林火灾如何影响土壤及其碳储存能力。这些目标将通过在多个时间和空间尺度上进行综合实验室和实地实验来实现，使用基本的土壤、气体和水生物地球化学分析，并配以最先进的设施，如国家强磁场实验室。这些实验活动和研究成果将造福科学和社会。首先，这些结果将有助于改进预测全球碳反馈循环和循环的地球系统模型(ESM)，特别是在气候变化的情况下。这些信息还将增进对土壤生物地球化学与全球变化的基本理解。其次，研究结果将有助于土地管理者和政策制定者制定自然气候解决方案，并改进旨在保护和恢复我们宝贵森林的气候缓解政策。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Dr. Fettrow’s project entitled “Soil Carbon Biogeochemistry Under a Changing Climate: Current and Future Alterations from Forest Fires” investigates the impacts forest fires have on the forest carbon cycle. Forests protect against rapid climate change and global warming because trees remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. Some of this carbon is stored belowground in soil from root growth, carbon that “leaks” out of the roots and from leaf litter. Over time, carbon in forest soils has built up to be one of the largest active reservoirs of stored carbon, but climate change has put this carbon reservoir at risk. During a forest fire, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, some of the carbon in the soil is released back to the atmosphere as the forest burns. In addition, the biology and chemistry of soil changes after a forest fire, changing how forests function. The significance of this project is that it will allow for a better understanding of how the forest carbon cycle is changed by forest fires, particularly as forest fires become more common with climate change. These findings will advance Earth science and may lead to improved forest management and climate policy. In addition, part of Dr. Fettrow’s professional development plan is to help motivate and train the next generation of scientists by mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in the field and lab, particularly students from underrepresented communities and first-gen students. The main goals of the project are to (1) determine how forest fires affect belowground soil carbon and biogeochemistry (i.e., biological, and geochemical reactions affecting soil carbon cycling), (2) resolve uncertainty surrounding the magnitude of soil carbon loss during a forest fire (3) and investigate how forest fire affected soils and their carbon storage capacity is altered. These goals will be accomplished by conducting integrated laboratory and field experiments across multiple temporal and spatial scales, using basic soil, gas and water biogeochemical analyses paired with state-of-the-art facilities such as the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. These experimental activities and research findings will benefit both science and society. First, the results will help improve Earth System Models (ESMs) that predict global carbon feedback loops and cycles, particularly under a changing climate. This information will also improve fundamental understanding of soil biogeochemistry with global change. Second, findings will be useful for land managers and policy makers developing natural climate solution programs and improving climate mitigation policy aimed at protecting and restoring our valuable forests.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.