This project is designed to provide an understanding of the role that animals play in the cycling of nutrients in freshwater ecosystems. The project will utilize and synthesize data collected by the principal investigator over a 20-year period. Through a variety of ways, animals can affect the supply of nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) to plants. For example, all animals release nutrients as waste products, and some animals can move nutrients great distances via their movements. These nutrients then become available to plants, perhaps increasing plant growth. While the importance of animals has been demonstrated in many situations, there has not been a synthesis of the role of animals in nutrient cycling in freshwater ecosystems (lakes, ponds, streams and rivers). This project will utilize previously collected data to produce a series of scientific papers describing and analyzing the roles that freshwater animals play in nutrient cycling. In addition, it will generate two critical thinking exercises for undergraduate classes that will help students understand nutrient cycling concepts.
The broader impacts of this project are substantial and diverse. Nutrient cycling is one of the most important "ecosystem services" (processes occurring in nature that have economic value to humans); nutrient cycling sustains productivity, and hence the capacity of ecosystems to provide food, fiber or materials for human consumption. In addition, some ecosystems receive too many nutrients, which can lead to blooms of algae and subsequent deterioration of water quality. Because animals can affect the supply of nutrients to algae and plants, they can impact these ecosystem services and water quality problems. Thus, this synthesis will provide valuable information on the roles of animals in ecosystem services and water quality. In addition, the critical thinking exercises will provide undergraduate students with a hands-on, inquiry based approach to nutrient cycling and how it relates to these environmental issues. Nutrient cycling can be a difficult concept for students to grasp, and these exercises are designed to facilitate learning of this material, and to improve students' abilities to manipulate and analyze data.
Intellectual merit. The synthesis papers produced for this project are, and will, provide a comprehensive and synthetic understanding of the role that animals play in the cycling of nutrients in aquatic ecosystems. Through a variety of ways, animals can affect the supply of nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) to plants. For example, all animals release nutrients as waste products, and some animals can move nutrients great distances via their movements. These nutrients then become available to plants, perhaps increasing plant growth. While the importance of animals has been demonstrated in many situations, there has not been a synthesis of the role of animals in nutrient cycling in freshwater ecosystems (lakes, ponds, streams and rivers). This project utilizes previously collected data (including over 20 years of data collected by the PI) to produce a series of scientific papers describing and analyzing the roles that freshwater animals play in nutrient cycling. In addition, it is generating two critical thinking exercises for undergraduate classes that help students understand nutrient cycling concepts. Broader impacts. Nutrient cycling is one of the most important and valuable "ecosystem services" (processes occurring in nature that have economic value to humans). It sustains productivity, and hence the capacity of ecosystems to provide food, fiber or materials for human consumption. In addition, some ecosystems receive "too many" nutrients, which can lead to blooms of algae and subsequent deterioration of water quality. Because animals can affect the supply of nutrients to algae and plants, they can impact these ecosystem services and water quality problems. Thus, this synthesis will provide valuable information on the roles of animals in ecosystem services and water quality. In addition, the critical thinking exercises will provide undergraduate students with a hands-on, inquiry based approach to nutrient cycling and how it relates to these environmental issues. Nutrient cycling can be a difficult concept for students to grasp, and these exercises are designed to facilitate learning of this material, and to improve students’ abilities to manipulate and analyze data.
