Paving the way for a CO2-enrichment experiment in the Amazon: a proposal for expertise exchange

• Grant number: 12/51581-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2013
• End date: April 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Meteorology
• Agreement: UT - Battelle
• Principal Investigator: Humberto Ribeiro da Rocha
• Grantee: Humberto Ribeiro da Rocha
• Principal researcher abroad: Richard James Norby
• Institution abroad: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) , United States
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Paulo

Abstract

One of the top-priority questions in global environmental change Science today is to know the effects increasing atmospheric [002] can have on the physiological/ecological dynamics of tropical forest and its fluxes of greenhouse-gases in the context of climate change. However, so far no Free-Air CO2 Enrichment experiment has been implemented in a tropical forest. The scientific exchange between researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory - USA and Brazilian scientists at University of São Paulo - USP and São Paulo State University - UNESP comprised in this proposal aims at the elaboration of a sound proposal for implementation and operation of a long-term FACE experiment in the Amazon forest. The difficulties to overcome in the elaboration of such proposal are large (for example the identification of CO2 source to be used in the experiment). Nevertheless, on one hand the researchers from ORNL are long-familiarized with large-scale ecological manipulation experiments like FACE. On the other hand the researchers from São Paulo involved here have an extensive experience with studies in the Amazon, of both observational and modeling nature. Therefore we envisage the funds for exchange of expertise requested here will considerably contribute to increase the chances of success of such an ambitious though highly relevant scientific endeavor. (AU)