Response of a Temperate Grassland Ecosystem to Climate      Change:  Importance of Biotic Interactions and Feedbacks
{'Code': '08010208', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'DEB', 'LongName': 'Division Of Environmental Biology'}}
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Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been increasing since               the industrial revolution.  There is agreement among general                    circulation models of the atmosphere that elevated CO.2 will                    cause increased temperatures.  Predicted effects for                            precipitation are much less certain, but changes in the total and               seasonal distribution of precipitation seem likely.                                  The effects of temperature and precipitation on grassland                  ecosystems have been studied extensively, and there is                          considerable information about the short.term response of                       individual plants to elevated CO.2.  However, ecosystem level                   responses to climate change are hard to predict because of biotic               interactions and feedbacks: (1) effects of elevated CO.2 may                    interact with effects of altered temperature and moisture, (2)                  plants may undergo physiological changes in response to long.term               exposure to elevated CO.2, (3) changes in the quantity and                      quality of primary production may affect decomposition and                      mineralization, which in turn affect nutrient limitation.                       This research will determine the dynamics of the response of                    shortgrass steppe over several growing seasons to elevated CO.2                 and altered climate (different combinations of temperature and                  water).  Experiments will be carried out in the field and at the                Duke University Phytotron, using large intact soil cores to                     preserve natural relationships among plants, microbes, fauna and                soil.  The system level effects of climate change will be                       examined in relation to primary production, decomposition, soil                 organic matter, and the soil detrital food web.                                      Research of this nature is essential to the resolution and                 management of pressing modern problems of CO.2 increase and                     global warming.  The products of this project should be of                      significant interest to basic scientists as well as resource                    managers and political decision makers.  The research team is                   excellent.  Institutional facilities are first.rate and the use                 of the Duke phytotron facility is completely appropriate.
[{'FirstName': 'James', 'LastName': 'Detling', 'EmailAddress': 'jimd@nrel.colostate.edu', 'StartDate': '05/01/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Co-Principal Investigator'}, {'FirstName': 'Timothy', 'LastName': 'Kittel', 'EmailAddress': 'kittel@cgd.ucar.edu', 'StartDate': '05/01/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Co-Principal Investigator'}, {'FirstName': 'H. William', 'LastName': 'Hunt', 'EmailAddress': 'billh@nrel.colostate.edu', 'StartDate': '05/01/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}, {'FirstName': 'Edward', 'LastName': 'Elliott', 'EmailAddress': 'eeliott@nsf.gov', 'StartDate': '05/01/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Co-Principal Investigator'}, {'FirstName': 'David', 'LastName': 'Walter', 'EmailAddress': 'dew@ualberta.ca', 'StartDate': '05/01/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Co-Principal Investigator'}]
{'Name': 'Colorado State University', 'CityName': 'Fort Collins', 'ZipCode': '805232002', 'PhoneNumber': '9704916355', 'StreetAddress': '601 S Howes St', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Colorado', 'StateCode': 'CO'}
[{'Code': '1128', 'Text': 'Population & Community Ecology'}, {'Code': '1181', 'Text': 'ECOSYSTEM STUDIES'}, {'Code': '9145', 'Text': 'SPECIAL PROGRAMS-RESERVE'}]
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8818269.xml'}