Project Grant 2237366

This five-year project grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, totaling $499,120, will assess how human activities have altered floodplain organic carbon stocks across the contiguous United States. Funded under the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences program (CFDA 47.075), the grantee—the Regents of the University of Colorado—will conduct extensive fieldwork comparing carbon storage in modified and unmodified floodplains. The project will determine if publicly available geospatial datasets can accurately estimate floodplain carbon storage by comparing them to field-based estimates. It will also quantify current floodplain carbon storage levels and potential storage if human modifications like levees, dams, and land use change were reduced. Finally, the grantee will develop science course modules for secondary and post-secondary students and disseminate outreach materials through non-profit organizations to communicate findings to policymakers and land managers. The project builds a science of floodplain carbon storage to inform floodplain management decisions and maximize storage potential.