This National Science Foundation (NSF) Polar Programs (CFDA 47.078) Project Grant award to Northern Arizona University (NAU) for $469,559 provides funding to assess the impact of increasing wildfire severity on the loss of permafrost carbon and carbon source-sink dynamics in boreal forest and Arctic tundra ecosystems. The research will integrate long-term field observations, novel radiocarbon dating methods, and Earth system modeling to understand how fire-triggered permafrost thaw could shift these high-latitude ecosystems from carbon sinks to carbon sources, with critical implications for climate change. As part of this effort, NAU will sponsor three Alaskan artists to engage the public on the impacts of wildfire through an art-science exhibit and evaluate the impacts of this science-art integration. The award period runs from August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2028.
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