Soil microbial respiration rate:Dimensions of Biodiversity - Genetic, Phylogenetic, Functional, and Remotely Sensed Diversity

Novel remote sensing methods for monitoring the Earth's biodiversity will be applied to experimental manipulations of plant diversity - allowing scientists to examine the linkages between plant biodiversity, soil microbe diversity and ecosystem function at multiple scales of spatial resolution. Specifically, we propose to link remotely sensed optical diversity to plant functional, phylogenetic and genotypic diversity aboveground and to net primary production (NPP), and soil properties and microbial processes belowground, as a basis for predicting ecosystem processes with remote sensing. Our central hypothesis is that i) biodiversity (genotypic, functional and phylogenetic diversity) at one trophic level (plants) drives genetic and functional diversity in other trophic levels (soil microbes) with consequences for ecosystem function and ii) that such diversity can be detected remotely at multiple scales of spatial resolution.
We propose to test this hypotheses within the long-term prairie biodiversity experiment (e120 Big Bio), the newly established Forest and Biodiversity (e271 FAB 1) experiment, and the Biodiversity of Willows and Poplars (e277 BiWaP) experiment. We will measure optical properties of these plots at the leaf level, 1 m above the plant canopy and from aircraft. Leaf level sampling and percent cover estimates will be non-destructive. Biomass sampling in Big Bio will follow standard protocol for the long-term experiment. Biomass estimates in FAB and BiWaP will use non-destructive methods. Below ground sampling in BigBio will be taken within the clip strip for biomass harvest.
The proposed research involves researchers at the University of Minnesota, the University of Alberta, the University of Nebraska Lincoln, the University of Wisconsin, and Appalachian State University.

本研究将用于地球生物多样性监测的新型遥感（Remote Sensing）方法应用于植物多样性操控实验，使科研人员得以在多空间分辨率尺度下，探究植物生物多样性、土壤微生物多样性与生态系统功能之间的内在关联。
具体而言，本研究拟将遥感获取的光学多样性与地上部分的植物功能多样性、系统发育多样性及基因型多样性，以及净初级生产力（NPP）、地下土壤属性与微生物过程相联系，以此作为依托遥感手段预测生态系统过程的理论基础。
我们的核心假说包含两点：其一，某一营养级（植物）的生物多样性（基因型、功能与系统发育多样性）会驱动其他营养级（土壤微生物）的遗传与功能多样性，并对生态系统功能产生影响；其二，此类多样性可在多空间分辨率尺度下通过遥感手段被探测识别。
本研究拟在三个长期实验平台验证上述假说：长期草原生物多样性实验（e120 Big Bio）、新建森林与生物多样性（e271 FAB 1）实验，以及柳杨生物多样性（e277 BiWaP）实验。
我们将分别在叶片尺度、植物冠层上方1米处以及航空平台上，对这些样地的光学特性开展测量。叶片尺度采样与盖度估算均采用非破坏性方法。Big Bio的生物量采样将遵循该长期实验的标准操作规程。FAB与BiWaP的生物量估算则采用非破坏性手段。Big Bio的地下采样将在用于生物量收获的样条带内进行。
本研究的参与单位包括明尼苏达大学、阿尔伯塔大学、内布拉斯加大学林肯分校、威斯康星大学以及阿巴拉契亚州立大学。