ONGOING RESEARCH IN CLAYOQUOT SOUND

A.B.A.S.S.
Arboreal Biodiversity Across Spatial Scales
 
Dr. Neville Winchester, University of Victoria
ZoË Lindo, University of Victoria

Introduction

Our recent research has clearly documented diversity patterns of arthropods and more specifically, oribatid mites in ancient temperate rainforests where local richness (alpha diversity) is higher on the ground and species turnover (beta diversity) is higher in the canopy. This project will investigate diversity patterns over multiple scales within and across ancient forest watersheds using a hierarchical analysis to increase our understanding of how alpha and beta diversity change across spatial scales (ie. tree crowns to watersheds).

Patterns of diversity sampled from 5 watersheds in Clayoquot Sound (450 samples, approx. 400,000 arthropod specimens) will be used to examine whether the observed patterns of species diversity differ from those expected by chance. Samples collected within a watershed will be used to address the effects of distance, source pool of colonizing species (canopy vs. ground), and suspended soil height (height from ground, 0-60 metres).

Methods and Proposed Approach

Our primary canopy access sites in Clayoquot Sound will be associated with pristine watersheds that have Sitka spruce stands on alluvial floodplains that are associated with the estuary of each coastal watershed. Watersheds have yet to be determined, however a preliminary sample trip on August 21, 2006 to the Sydney watershed was used to test all sampling methodologies and establish priorities for site selection. The Sydney watershed is our benchmark reference watershed and will be sampled in 2007 and 2008.

All canopy access, suspended soil sampling, and processing of samples have been tested and successfully used over the past 10 years in our previous temperate and tropical canopy projects.

phosphorous (p) cycling in marine systems
XANES spectroscopy to yeild composition & concentrations of p
 
DR. JAY BRANDES, SKIDAWAY OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE
DR. ELLERY INGALL, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
DR. CLAUDIA BENITEZ-NELSON, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Introduction

Ellery Ingall, Jay Brandes and Claudia Benitez-Nelson were recently funded by the National Science Foundation to explore the use of XANES spectroscopy to obtain compositional information at the microscale in natural materials. This research is a focused effort employing recently developed phosphorus (P) specific X-ray spectro-microscopic techniques along with traditional NMR and chemical methods to examine P compound-classes within sinking particles, sediments and porewaters from a range of oxic to anoxic environments.

Goals of the Research

Our overall goal is to relate the composition of particulate and dissolved P to remineralization and sequestration processes in marine particulates and sediments. These x-ray techniques require the use of synchrotron radiation sources (There are only 2 synchrotron in the US capable of P XANES). This study will yield maps of P composition and concentrations within particulates at scales relevant to microbially-mediated storage and degradation mechanisms. To our knowledge, this is the first study to develop XANES for the study of phosphorus in marine systems. Additionally, this is the first study to target patterns of P speciation across a wide range of environments and within particles and porewaters. Results from this research will not only lead to a better understanding of cycling of the vital nutrient element P but also demonstrate the potential of XANES spectroscopy for the analysis of natural samples.