| NSF Org: |
DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 5, 2019 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | September 7, 2022 |
| Award Number: | 1919904 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Robert Fleischmann
DBI Division of Biological Infrastructure BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences |
| Start Date: | October 1, 2019 |
| End Date: | September 30, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $131,324.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $131,324.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
500 W UNIVERSITY AVE EL PASO TX US 79968-8900 (915)747-5680 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
500 W. University Ave. El Paso TX US 79902-5816 |
| 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): |
Major Research Instrumentation, Instrumentation & Facilities |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): | |
| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.074 |
ABSTRACT
An award is made to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to acquire an Ultraportable High Precision CO2 Isotopic Analyzer. This specialized instrument is used to track the movement of carbon through air, soil, water, and plants based on the molecular fingerprints (isotope signatures) of CO2 molecules. This type of capability is essential for managing carbon in the face of rising atmospheric CO2. This instrument will be used to train the next generation of carbon cycling experts at UTEP, including both graduate and undergraduate students from the U.S.-Mexico borderland. Graduate students, in particular, will benefit from this training, as use of the instrument in their research will allow them to develop new knowledge about how carbon moves through and is stored in different ecosystems. The instrument will also be used for demonstrations at public events as well as in laboratory classes at UTEP, such as Plant Ecology, Soil Ecology, and a new course focused on carbon cycling. Building on existing isotopic analysis capabilities at UTEP, this instrument will enhance the partnership between biological and geological research teams working to solve environmental problems, including carbon management in farming and ranching contexts in the Southwest and at Arctic tundra sites. This award is supported by both the Division of Biological Infrastructure in the Directorate for Biological Sciences and the Division of Earth Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences.
The instrument will support a variety of projects in the UTEP Biological Sciences and Geological Sciences departments that focus on understanding carbon cycling in extreme environments including deserts and Arctic tundra. Extreme environments present enticing mysteries in the study of carbon cycling, and though increasingly recognized as major players in the global carbon cycle, are understudied. This instrument, which is able to identify carbon sources within ecosystems, will help UTEP scientists investigate the underlying mechanisms that drive local and global carbon cycles. In the desert, the instrument will help determine how plant leaves, plant roots, soil microbes, and soil carbonates drive the overall carbon balance in natural, managed, and agricultural systems. In the Arctic, the instrument will be used to investigate the extent to which changes in ecosystem respiration can be attributed to higher plant activity or increased soil decomposition. It will also be used to investigate carbon cycling at the aquatic-terrestrial interface, which will further understanding of how unprecedented Arctic warming could lead to rapid changes in carbon cycling. Through these projects, the instrument enhances UTEP's field research portfolio and creates opportunities for discovery in the areas of geochemistry, plant-soil interactions, carbon cycling, and global change.
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.
We acquired a portable carbon dioxide (CO2) isotopic analyzer to contribute to a variety of scientific training and research objectives at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Understanding the movements of carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas contributing to climate change, through air, water, and soil is critical for understanding how ecosystems function and for tracking and accounting for carbon budgets. Examining the different isotopes or ?chemical versions? of CO2 is a potent tool for seeing the ?fingerprint? of a given source of CO2. It also helps to assess when and where plants and microbes are active. This instrument allows us to examine these fingerprints in a variety of settings where the ecosystems are experiencing climate and land use changes, including a pecan orchard in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, a rangeland in New Mexico and other ecosystems in which our collaborative team works. The high-frequency CO2 isotopic measurements are contributing to a wide range of ecologically oriented projects. In addition to addressing these scientific questions, the high technical level needed to operate this instrument provides a valuable training tool, particularly at the graduate student level. Learning how to calibrate, operate, and mathematically analyze data from the instrument develops the technical capability of our workforce. Method development, including calibration, testing, and preparation of a field protocol for deployment of such a cutting-edge instrument was a big part of this project and is still ongoing. It will contribute to the science community who could utilize this instrument for future carbon studies in other ecosystems.
Last Modified: 01/20/2023
Modified by: Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi
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