CZNet Coordinating HubCongratulations to the 2024 CZ synthesis groups that will begin their work in FY2025 supported by the Critical Zone Network Hub. Hosted by the John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, each brings collaborative interdisciplinary teams together to address topics aimed at a better understanding of the critical zone.
Posted: December 21, 2024
David Costello (Kent State University), Elizabeth Herndon (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), Angela Peace (Texas Tech University), Travis Schmidt (USGS Wy-Mt WSC) will lead, "Defining subsidy–stress gradients for metals and relevance for US surface waters."
Summary:
Many metals serve as both essential nutrients and potent toxicants, meaning they can constrain biology when their availability in the environment is either too low (i.e., subsidy) or too high (i.e., stress). Currently, research on biological response to metals is bifurcated between ecologists and physiologists who study metal limitation and ecotoxicologists who study metal toxicity. However, metals in surface waters can vary greatly both spatially and temporally, and it is possible that individuals or populations could be exposed to both metal-limiting and toxic conditions. We propose a working group of ecologists, physiologists, ecotoxicologists, geochemists, and applied mathematicians that will generate a unified model describing the biological role of metals from subsidy to stress. Furthermore, we will use this model in combination with a synthesis of metal bioavailability in rivers and streams to explore spatiotemporal, taxonomic, and intra-metal variability in subsidy–stress gradients.
John Mallard (Oregon State University), Margaret Zimmer (University of Wisconsin Madison), Erin Seybold (Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas), Kendra Kaiser (University of Idaho) will lead, "Critical zone as a mediator of hydroclimate-ecosystem asynchrony."
Summary: Most regions across the continental United States are experiencing shifts in hydroclimate, such as snow transitioning to rain and changes in streamflow regimes, driven by rising air temperatures. These shifts are altering the timing and synchrony of hydroclimatic inputs (e.g., precipitation) and hydrologic outputs (e.g., streamflow), impacting water resources and increasing the likelihood of compounded natural hazards like wildfires and extreme precipitation. Further, the shifting timing of water and material export from river basins coupled with rising air temperatures has repercussions for the biogeochemistry of terrestrial and aquatic systems.
In response, our team proposes to investigate how the structure of the critical zone mediates the synchrony between hydroclimatic inputs and ecological, hydrologic, and biogeochemical processes. Specifically, we aim to determine how CZ characteristics influence the timing and coupling of these processes and how these relationships may change under future climate scenarios. Our research will use large-scale datasets to quantify synchrony, develop metrics for CZ structure, and analyze historical and future trends in synchrony across diverse CZ structures and hydroclimatic regimes. The findings will improve predictions of water availability and ecosystem responses, offering vital insights for water resource management and climate adaptation.