Linking the Atmosphere and Terrestrial biosphere carbon and water cycles using oxygen ISotopes

Objective

Quantifying terrestrial carbon storage and predicting the sensitivity of ecosystems to global climate change relies on the ability to separately investigate photosynthesis and respiration. The oxygen (18O/16O) isotope ratios of CO2 and water can substantially advance our understanding of how carbon and water cycle through the terrestrial biosphere. This is because a large isotopic disequilibrium often exists between the oxygen isotope composition of CO2 exchanged by leaves and soils with the atmosphere making it a powerful independent tool for quantifying and understanding variability in the CO2 gross fluxes of the terrestrial biosphere. The aim of LATIS is to improve our understanding of C18OO fluxes between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere. We will achieve this by: 1) elucidating the role of soil biology on the oxygen isotope composition of the net soil CO2 flux, 2) incorporating up-to-date theoretical models of C18OO exchange from foliage and soils into the unique soil-vegetation-atmosphere transfer model, MuSICA-iso and, 3) developing and testing new theory to mechanistically interpret the oxygen isotope signals of CO2 exchanged between tree stems and the atmosphere and how they relate to tree physiology. LATIS is a multi-disciplinary project utilising state-of-the-art field measurements observing the continuous fluctuation of branch, stem and soil isofluxes. These observations will be used to validate the novel models developed in LATIS. This innovative and ambitious approach will result in: 1) an improved understanding of the oxygen isotope CO2 exchange between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere, 2) the development of a state-of-the-art soil-vegetation-atmosphere water and CO2 isotope exchange model and, 3) a deeper understanding of oxygen isotope signals involved during the transport of water and carbon within plants and how these processes are preserved in wood cellulose.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

• natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences meteorology biosphera

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

• Anhydrase
• Atmosphere
• Biosphere
• Carbon
• Carbonic
• Climate
• Ecosystems
• Isofluxes
• Isotopes
• Modelling
• Oxygen
• Phloem
• Photosynthesis
• Respiration
• SVAT
• Sugars
• Terrestrial
• Transfer
• Turbulent
• Water
• Xylem

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

• FP7-PEOPLE - Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

• FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008 - Marie Curie Action: "Intra-European Fellowships for Career Development"

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)

Coordinator