The National Science Foundation Division of Environmental Biology awarded The University of Chicago $685,751 on November 1, 2026, under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) for collaborative research on savanna pyrogenic carbon dynamics.
The research applies a novel biogeochemical approach to study environmental factors controlling pyrogenic carbon (PYC) production and preservation in savanna ecosystems. The team will examine distinct savanna sites in the United States and South Africa, comparing labile, semi-labile, and stable pools of PYC in tropical and temperate savannas. Research objectives include quantifying factors influencing PYC accumulation patterns and analyzing processes controlling PYC turnover. The work will leverage a long-term monitoring network in Kruger National Park, South Africa, and spatially sample soils across fire, vegetation, and soil gradients. Findings will inform practical guidelines enabling fire managers to incorporate long-term carbon storage into conservation and restoration objectives for prescribed burns.
Performance is based at Chicago, Illinois. The period of performance runs from November 1, 2026, through October 31, 2029.