Collaborative Research: Cold-season gas exchange of arctic plants - resolving winter carbon and water balances of Alaskan arctic tundra

Investigators from the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa and Florida International University have received funding to investigate physiological processes of arctic tundra vegetation during the winter. The study will increase our understanding of physiological processes of arctic tundra vegetation under snow during the cold season and increase our knowledge of how these processes contribute to the carbon cycling and climate change. The project will investigate cold season plant physiology, carbon acquisition under snow, carbon turnover, and sources of water for the plants during the cold season, mortality, and respiration rate sensitivity to predicted changes in temperature. The results are expected to provide new insights into plant physiology and carbon dynamics of two tundra ecosystems during the cold season. Funding Source: Arctic Natural Sciences (ANS) Sponsor: University of Alabama Tuscaloosa: 801 University Blvd. Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 205/348-5152