CAREER: A Multiscale Study of Heavy Particle Transport in Sparse Canopies

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

Particle Dispersion in Plant Canopies is an innovative and comprehensive project designed to integrate research and education at the university level and to extend the learning to outreach at local area high schools in Salt Lake City. It is designed to peak student interest in scientific research while they participate in lab activities focused on key hypotheses regarding atmospheric transport of particles through and above plant canopies with applications to atmospheric scalar transport and plant pathology in agricultural and natural ecosystems. The project is well founded in learning theory and integrates the disciplines of meteorology, biology, physics, engineering and mathematics. It is part of the long-range career plan of the PI, is aligned with the University's mission, and meets College and Departmental goals. Particle transport through the atmosphere plays an important role in many ecosystems. Significant portions of these ecosystems interface with the atmosphere through plant canopies. Understanding the transport through these canopies, between canopies and the overlying atmosphere, and between disconnected canopies is critical to understanding how these ecosystems function, and how to manage any positive or negative effects. The research objectives of the project are designed to investigate these issues and are critical towards developing improved models for net ecosystem fluxes and to prevent the spread of airborne pathogens that cause plant diseases. The educational objectives address the NSF priority of encouraging more women and minorities to enroll in academic courses preparatory to STEM-related careers. An extensive evaluation plan is included that will track participating students' attitude toward STEM careers in high school and follow course enrollment in STEM courses for three years. Likewise, student tracking will occur at the undergraduate level, as enrollment data is available from each of the Utah high schools that feed into the University of Utah. Intellectual Merit The intellectual merit of the project comes from the use of different approaches to develop a new comprehensive understanding of the impact of canopy geometry on flow dynamics and particle transport across a wide range of spatial scales. This understanding will lead to new models that can account for momentum transport and particle dispersion in and above plant canopies facilitating the asking and answering of questions related to how canopy geometry affects ecosystem functioning and services, how ecosystems are connected across landscapes, food production, the economic security of agricultural producers, and general heavy particle dispersion. Existing models for the dispersion and deposition of heavy particles to and from plant canopies fail to include the effect of horizontal heterogeneity (e.g., non-vegetated space between plants and land-cover transitions) on flow dynamics. The PI's goal is to develop improved models that can capture the effect of horizontal heterogeneity over a wide range of spatial scales to benefit natural and agricultural systems. Broader Impacts Through direct collaboration with biologists, this project will contain a strong interdisciplinary component giving graduate students unique experience working outside their core discipline and promoting interaction between engineering, atmospheric science and biology. These interdisciplinary benefits will extend to undergraduate students and to the high school level in Utah. The active (hands-on) laboratory experiences will be designed to promote teaching, training, and learning at all of these levels, and to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups. While the goal is to engage the students, a critical component of this program will be the involvement and training of high school teachers and their effect upon STEM enrollment. Results of the project will be disseminated broadly through the project's web site and conference attendance at high school and college science education conferences. Society in general will benefit from research leading to better management of natural resources and crop production.