| NSF Org: |
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | May 1, 2018 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 13, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1749849 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Enriqueta Barrera
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | June 1, 2018 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2019 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $487,222.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $112,143.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2019 = $0.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1500 HORNING RD KENT OH US 44242-0001 (330)672-2070 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Kent OH US 44242-0001 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES, XC-Crosscutting Activities Pro, Geobiology & Low-Temp Geochem |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001920DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002021DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002122DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01002223DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
Soils contain large quantities of organic matter that both improve soil health and regulate atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by storing carbon (C). Metals such as manganese (Mn) can influence how much organic C is stored in soils by impacting plant growth and by helping to either stabilize or degrade organic compounds in the soil. This research will explore how Mn cycling between soils and plants influences storage of organic C in terrestrial ecosystems. This project will also create a network of educational opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students as well as K-12 educators and students. The educational objectives are to improve science literacy, integrate research with education, and broaden participation in geosciences by distributing earth science activities to regional K-12 educators through the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (CMNH). This project will also provide training for multiple graduate and undergraduate students who will be integral participants in both the research and educational components of the project.
Manganese is a biologically important and redox-active trace metal that may exert a poorly recognized control on carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems; however, the mechanisms by which Mn increases or decreases long-term carbon storage remains unclear. Although substantial research has been devoted to understanding how iron and aluminum oxides stabilize organic carbon, there is a scarcity of similar information regarding Mn oxides. Added to this knowledge gap are uncertainties related to how soil geochemistry regulates plant uptake of Mn, and how elevated foliar Mn impacts carbon loss and transformation during litter decomposition. The overarching hypothesis of this research is that vegetation regulates the geochemistry of manganese in terrestrial systems with secondary effects on organic carbon storage in soils. The implication of this hypothesis is that Mn is an unrecognized but significant regulator of the global C cycle. This research will integrate studies across multiple scales to explore three major components of manganese biogeochemistry and associated impacts on carbon cycling in the critical zone: (1) geochemical controls on rates of Mn cycling by forest vegetation; (2) influence of elevated foliar Mn on the quantity and chemical composition of organic C released during litter decomposition; (3) influence of Mn oxides on the storage or transformation of organic matter. Results will be integrated into a quantitative framework describing Mn-C interactions in plant-soil systems and lay the groundwork for future exploration of manganese biogeochemistry and coupled metal-organic interactions.
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.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Soils contain large quantities of organic matter that both improve soil health and regulate atmospheric carbon dioxide levels by storing carbon (C). Metals such as manganese (Mn) can influence how much organic C is stored in soils by influencing plant growth and by helping to either stabilize or degrade organic compounds in the soil. In this project, we explored how Mn cycling between soils and plants influenced carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems, modeled with red oak trees in a greenhouse experiment. Manganese uptake by the red oaks varied according to the solubility of Mn in soil minerals. The red oaks had a limited capacity to control Mn uptake, and plants with high levels of foliar Mn grew less and stored less carbon. Furthermore, excess Mn in soil solution drove shifts in microbial communities that live in the soil and associate with plant roots. These results indicate that geochemical rather than biological factors primarily regulate Mn uptake by plants, with associated impacts on plant growth and carbon storage. Results were used to inform a quantitative model describing Mn-C interactions in plant-soil systems, which will lay the groundwork for future exploration of manganese biogeochemistry and coupled metal-organic interactions. Our educational objective in this project was to improve science literacy, integrate research with education, and broaden participation in geosciences by creating and distributing earth science activities. Here, students developed activities on water quality and other critical earth science topics which were refined into distributable products through collaboration with education professionals. This project also provided technical scientific training for multiple graduate and undergraduate students who were integral participants in both the research and educational components of the project.
Last Modified: 03/27/2020
Modified by: Elizabeth M Herndon
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