This graduate student dissertation study is using genetic mutants of a small plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, to improve predictions of how quickly dead plant material decomposes in ecosystems. Globally, dead plant material stores vast quantities of carbon and other nutrients. As this material decomposes, the carbon is converted to CO2, a greenhouse gas, and released to the atmosphere where it contributes to global warming. Thus, decomposition is a critical process with global consequences.

In collaboration with her PhD advisor and other researchers, the student is also helping to refine the ?Guild-based Decomposition Model?. GDM is a theoretical model that predicts decomposition rates based on the chemical composition of dead plant material. In the past, it has been difficult to test the theory underlying this model (and others), because it has been technologically challenging to directly alter specific types of chemical compounds in plant material. However, the student has found a solution by using genetic mutants that differ in the production of lignin and cellulose, the two dominant chemical compounds in plants. She is decomposing dead material from these mutants in an Alaskan boreal forest, and she will compare her results to those predicted by the current version of GDM. She will then refine the model accordingly to improve its predictive power. Her work will advance predictions of climate change.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
0910054
Program Officer
Matthew Kane
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2009-09-01
Budget End
2011-11-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$15,000
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Irvine
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Irvine
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92697