It has long been hypothesized that interactions between biotic and abiotic processes at small scales affect the movement and fate of elements at large scales, yet, to date, this relationship has not been systematically explored in aquatic ecosystems. One of the major challenges of such work is to quantitatively integrate the biological and physicochemical controls at small scales (i.e., microbial communities) with those of larger scales (i.e., river networks), so that we can begin to address some of the unifying questions that characterize biocomplexity research.
Rivers in Yellowstone National Park are ideal systems in which to examine the interactions of biotic and abiotic complexity. The Upper Madison River drainage, for example, is strongly influenced by geothermal activity that produces sharp spatial gradients involving temperature, redox potential, major ions, and trace elements. These physicochemical features, in turn, drive changes in mocrobial and metazoan diversity and functions. Unlike hot springs, which have been intensively studied in recent years, streams and rivers in this unique geothermal landscape remain much less examined. Because geothermal inputs are spatially variable along these rivers, the inputs and reactions of elements (e.g., irons, phosphorus, carbon, nitrogen) are also expected to exhibit spatial variability that will affect the distribution and composition of biological communities.
The objectives of the proposed incubation activities are to: (1) develop new research interactions that will facilitate biocomplexity research along geothermal gradients in Yellowstone National Park; (2) develop a scientific database on the Upper Madison Basin; and (3) organize and sponsor two workshops for the project team and their students that will focus on mathematical modeling and linking biological community structure with ecosystem function, respectively.
