Dr. Carrie Masiello
Human Influence on the Chemistry of our Environment
It is common knowledge that humans are changing the atmosphere
by burning fossil fuels. However, we also alter the global
environment by changing how land is used: converting forests
to crop ecosystems or pastures. How does the way humans
use the land affect the functioning of the Earth's climate
system? Ecosystems affect climate through the exchange of
gases (such as carbon dioxide and oxygen) with the atmosphere.
Our research team is studying the hypothesis that the chemical
composition of the organic matter in soils is sensitive
to ecosystem variables such as soil type, plant and microbial
communities, and human land-use. The Century Scholar would
assist our researchers with analyzing soils using well-established
methods, and developing new methods for accurately determining
the elemental composition (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and
nitrogen) of soil organic matter from ecosystems influenced
by different human land-use practices. This will ultimately
allow us to better understand the global changes that have
been observed in atmospheric carbon dioxide and oxygen levels.
Contact Information
|
