IN PRIOR WORK, WE HAVE FOUND THAT THE POOL SIZE OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER EXHIBITS NON-LINEAR, THRESHOLD BEHAVIOR IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATIC FORCING. WE NOW HAVE AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO TEST THESE FUNDAMENTAL HYPOTHESES UNDERLYING THE FUNCTION OF DRYLAND WHEAT AGRO-ECOSYSTEMS BY LINKING A POWERFUL CLIMATE GRADIENT FIELD EXPERIMENT IN THE COLUMBIA GORGE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, TO UNRAVEL THE MECHANISMS WHEREBY CHANGES IN WATER FLUX WILL ALTER THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF C STABILIZATION IN SOIL ON AGROECOSYSTEMS THAT OCCUR ON CONTINENTAL FLOOD/LOESS DEPOSITS. THE GORGE IS A GLOBALLY UNIQUE GEOLOGIC FEATURE IDEALLY SUITED TO ADDRESS CARBON-WATER INTERACTIONS AND EXTEND OUR PRIOR WORK AND UNDERSTANDING ON VOLCANIC ASH SOILS TO THOSE FORMING ON SILICA-RICH CONTINENTAL GLACIAL FLOOD/LOESS DEPOSITS, MORE RESISTANT TO WEATHERING. WE CAN EVALUATE SOIL PROPERTIES AND AGROECOSYSTEM FUNCTION ON THE SAME GEOLOGIC SURFACES WHOSE CLIMATE RANGES FROM EXTREMELY WET (2500 MM/YR) TO QUITE DRY (400 MM/YR)WHILE THE RANGE IN TEMPERATURE IS NARROW (14-17° MAT). RELEVANCE TO RFP: THIS SEED PROPOSAL SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES SUSTAINABLE AGROECOSYSTEMS: FUNCTIONS, PROCESSES AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY CODE - A1401 BY IMPLEMENTING FOUNDATIONAL (FUNDAMENTAL) RESEARCH TO ADVANCE SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF PROCESSES AND INTERACTIONS BETWEEN WATER AND CARBON. OUTCOMES: THE RESULTS FROM THIS SEED PROPOSAL, FOCUSED ON CARBON-WATER INTERACTIONS, WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP SEVERAL FOLLOW ON FULL-LENGTH RESEARCH PROPOSALS (SUBMITTED TO THIS BNRE CALL AND USDA-NIFA-AFRI-006304 WATER FOR FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS) WHICH SEEK TO TAILOR WATER, NUTRIENT, CARBON EFFICIENCIES AND IMPROVE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES WITHIN MANAGED PLANT PRODUCTION AGROECOSYSTEMS DEPENDING ON THE UNDERLYING CARBON-WATER INTERACTIONS.

Washington State University, Pullman WA

Investigators