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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the funding opportunity number for this grant?

The Funding Opportunity Number is 10HQPA0034.

Which agency is offering this grant?

This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of its National Research Program.

What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?

The purpose is to fund multidisciplinary environmental research focused on floodplain forests that remain hydrologically connected to nearby streams and rivers, and to strengthen the basic science needed to predict how elevated sedimentation in floodplains affects ecosystem services.

What ecosystem services are emphasized in this opportunity?

The opportunity highlights intact floodplains as natural buffers that can (1) improve downstream water quality by trapping sediment and associated nutrients, and (2) offset rising atmospheric CO2 through carbon storage and forest productivity.

Why is sedimentation a central research focus in this project?

Floodplains are depositional zones that accumulate material transported from upstream human activities. Elevated sedimentation can increase sediment export and alter where and how sediment is deposited across a river system, with potential effects on forest productivity, nutrient dynamics, carbon sequestration, and other biogeochemical processes.

What geographic area is the research expected to focus on?

The work is geographically anchored in South Carolina, with a clear emphasis on the Congaree River and its floodplain in and around Congaree National Park.

Are findings expected to be useful beyond the Congaree River area?

Yes. While the study is centered on Congaree National Park, the findings are intended to be relevant to forested riparian wetlands across the southeastern United States.

What is the primary scientific question the project is meant to address?

The project is meant to improve prediction of how elevated floodplain sedimentation affects ecosystem services, especially through impacts on forest productivity, species composition, nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) dynamics, carbon sequestration, and broader biogeochemical processes.

What kind of field and laboratory work is the recipient expected to perform?

The recipient institution is expected to conduct field and lab work to quantify and interpret net aboveground primary productivity across a sedimentation gradient within Congaree National Park, including collecting, processing, and analyzing vegetation and litter samples and tracking forest structure and composition.

What is the core productivity metric being measured?

The project is built around estimating aboveground net primary productivity (NPP) as a combined measure of litterfall and stemwood growth, adjusted for losses due to branch and stem mortality.

How is litterfall supposed to be measured?

Litterfall is measured using three randomly placed litter traps per zone. Each trap is 0.25 m2 and constructed with 1 mm mesh fiberglass screen bottoms. Traps are designed to remain functional during flooding by mounting them on styrofoam to prevent inundation.

How often are litter collections expected to occur?

Collections are expected monthly or every other month depending on season.

How should collected litter be processed?

Collected litter is sorted into leaves, reproductive material, and small branches, then dried and weighed.

How is annual litterfall used in the productivity estimate?

The annual total litterfall is treated as the primary estimate of leaf biomass production and is a main component of aboveground productivity.

How is tree growth and biomass change measured for this project?

All trees in each plot are remeasured for diameter at breast height (DBH) at the end of each growing season. Biomass (stem, branches, bark) is then estimated from DBH using general allometric equations.

Does the design include measuring smaller stems and understory vegetation?

Yes. Overstory and understory vegetation are inventoried, and individuals at least 1 meter tall but less than 10 cm DBH are identified to species and measured within a 5 m x 5 m subplot, with biomass estimated using appropriate allometric relationships.

What are the plot requirements described in the opportunity?

Within each sampling zone, the awardee will establish fifteen circular plots of 0.01 hectares each and inventory overstory and understory vegetation, including species composition and DBH.

What is meant by a "sedimentation gradient" in the context of this project?

The project is designed to quantify productivity across sites that differ in sedimentation intensity, so that past and current aboveground productivity can be explicitly examined in relation to sediment deposition.

Is there an expectation to evaluate species-specific patterns?

Yes. The opportunity calls for an explicit examination of how different tree species respond to, or contribute to, productivity and biomass under varying sedimentation conditions.

What statistical approach is specified for comparing sites over time?

The opportunity specifies that differences in production among sites along the sedimentation gradient should be evaluated statistically using repeated-measures ANOVA.

What type of award is this (grant, contract, cooperative agreement)?

This is a discretionary award made as a cooperative agreement.

What program framework governs eligibility for this cooperative agreement?

The cooperative agreement is made under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, specifically the Piedmont South Atlantic CESU.

Who is eligible to apply for this opportunity?

Only institutions that are official participating partners in the Piedmont South Atlantic CESU are eligible to apply.

How many awards did the agency anticipate making?

The agency anticipated making one award.

What is the estimated total funding amount?

The estimated total funding amount is $109,995.

Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. The opportunity states there is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The CFDA listing is 15.808 (USGS Research and Data Collection).

What were the posting date and closing date for applications?

The posting date was January 26, 2010, and the closing date was February 5, 2010.

Is this opportunity still active?

No. The opportunity was archived on March 7, 2010.

What experience and capacity does the opportunity say applicants should have?

Applicants are expected to have extensive experience measuring primary productivity and species composition in floodplain wetland ecosystems, as well as sufficient laboratory instrumentation, field equipment, and staffing to carry out sustained sampling, processing, and analysis.

What is the expected overall deliverable from the funded work?

The expected deliverable is an interpretable dataset and analysis that links sedimentation intensity to forest productivity, composition, and ecosystem functions that influence nutrient trapping and carbon storage in the Congaree floodplain system.

Which nutrients are specifically mentioned in relation to floodplain nutrient dynamics?

The opportunity specifically mentions nitrogen and phosphorus.

How does the opportunity describe the role of floodplains in carbon dynamics?

It describes floodplains as helping offset rising atmospheric CO2 through carbon storage and forest productivity, and it emphasizes carbon sequestration as one of the ecosystem functions potentially influenced by sedimentation.