Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-122-2022 (submitted: 05/20/2022, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
Controls on Soil Carbon Storage: A Cross LTER Comparison
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Amanda C. Spivak | ||
| Home Institution: | University of Georgia | ||
| Award Information: | NSF Mid-Career Advancement | ||
| Mailing Address: | Marine Science Rm. 164 | Phone Number: | (706) 542-5709 |
| Marine Sciences | E-mail Address: | aspivak@uga.edu | |
| Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 | |||
| Co-investigators: | |||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
Salt marshes provide ecosystem services to coastal communities. One of the most valuable services is buffering communities from damage due to rising sea levels and increasingly frequent and more intense coastal storms. Marshes provide this service by building soils and growing vertically in the tidal frame. Soils are mostly made of minerals delivered by rivers and organic matter from marsh grasses. Structures such as dams trap riverine particles and reduce mineral inputs to marshes. This places additional importance on efficient burial and long-term preservation of organic matter in maintaining marsh elevation. This research examines the small-scale mechanisms controlling soil organic matter preservation. Complementary laboratory and field experiments will test how 3 preservation mechanisms (oxygen availability, mineral protection, root exudate priming) operate under controlled and natural conditions, respectively. Results will shed new light on unexplained spatial variability in soil carbon stocks and may inform models predicting salt marsh survival with sea-level rise.
Where will the project be located?
GCE 6
How will you provide GPS coordinates for study sites?
I will provide a provisional map and arrange with my sponsor to collect and register GPS coordinates
What are the expected start and end dates of the project?
Start Date: 05/31/2022 End Date: 06/03/2022
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
3 people; 1 time; 4 cores (10cm diameter x 50 cm deep)
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
none
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
no
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
4 holes (10 cm diameter x 50 cm deep) that will naturally infill
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
No. This is a one time sampling.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
Likely < 1 week.
