CGRER annually awards eight to ten seed grants of up to $15,000 each. These grants assist researchers to commence projects relating to environmental change, with the prospect that larger-scale funding will subsequently be found to allow their continuation. Grant applications are solicited from individuals in the physical, natural, and social sciences and related areas at public and private institutions throughout the state. Since the first round of awards in January, 1992, 25 grants (summarized below) have been awarded.

Global change inevitably brings to mind climatic change. Thus the preponderance of grants concerning changing climates and atmospheric trace gases is no surprise. L Daniels (Microbiology, U of I) examined the production of methane - a major green house gas - in tropical agricultural systems and then related methane production levels to the use of various fertilizers.

R VALENTINE (Civil and Environmental Engineering, U of I) looked at the sunlight-induced degradation of dissolved organic material, and the resulting rates of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide production. L LICHT (Civil and Environmental Engineering, U of I) measured the emission of greenhouse gasses from the burning of biomass fuels (such as corn and wood chips) as alternative fuels, and evaluated their impact on global warming relative to fossil fuels.

J SCHNOOR (Civil and Environmental Engineering, U of I) devised a policy-oriented model to test the effects of reforestation and energy conservation on carbon dioxide concentrations (and hence on global warming). With Y YAN (same affiliation), he is coupling and cross-checking computer models dealing with greenhouse gasses, thus improving predictions of trace gas characteristics during global warming. G CARMICHAEL (Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, U of I) considered how climate change on a global scale would affect trace gas cycles in the eastern United States and resulting changes in air pollutants, ultraviolet light penetration, an temperature. E TAKLE (Atmospheric Science and Agronomy, ISU) and I MEARNS (National Center for Atmospheric Research) have modeled future temperature variables for the Midwest given present carbon dioxide, and have improved the resolution of their model by relating temperature to the earth's surface characteristics.

J FIX and S SPANGLER (Physics and Astronomy, U of I) investigated a radio-astronomial technique for measuring ozone concentrations accurately at all levels of the atmosphere.

Climate also includes an evaluation of the earth's water cycle. W KRAJEWSKI (Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research, U of I) has helped develop more accurate techniques for quantifying moisture, first by evaluating the accuracy of satellite-based large-scale remote sensing of soil moisture (which is an important indicator of more general climatic conditions), then by working on a method of estimating rainfall on the open ocean through recording underwater noise created by the rain. T SMITH (Mechanical Engineering, U of I) also improved understanding of remote satellite sensing of rainfall by investigating the efforts of various cloud types and rainfall patterns on the radiant energy signal received by the satellite. And K GEORGAKAKOS (Iowa Institute of Hydraulic Research, U of I) attempted to better understand the regional variability of links between soil moisture and climate (specifically air temperature and pressure), over time, through investigating 30 years of data on these traits collected in the Des Moines River watershed.

What might be the direct human response to climatic change G BUETTNER (General Medicine, U of I) is using sophisticated technologies (electronic paramagnetic resonance) to detect and identify free radicals and catalytic iron in the skin, substances that hypothetically are induced by the sun's ultraviolet radiation and cause skin cancer - one health concern related to ozone depletion. E PLUTZER (Political Science, ISU) has applied a cultural theory of risk perception and political division to citizen groups in the European Economic Community, thereby theoretically developing techniques for mediating environmental disputes. And J CURRY-ROPER (Geography, Central College) is studying the community-wide world views of nine rural Iowa social groups, in order to better understand to range of possible human responses to environmental change.

S HENDRIX, R CRUDEN, and L RIGNEY are examining how the reduction of native plant populations - the prairie phlox in particular - to isolated remnants impacts genetic diversity, fitness, and the ability to withstand further environmental stresses such as changing climate. And G MALANSON and M ARMSTRONG (Geography, U of I) have improved the precision of computer simulation models for predicting the response of important tree species of eastern North Amoerica's fragmented forests to changes in climate - an important potential result of global warming.

The reponse of agricultural species and practices has not been overlooked. S TIM, R KANWAR (Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, ISU) and R JOLLY (Economics, ISU) are considering the ramifications of climatic change on crop production, farm profits, and hydrology specifically in Iowa. And D WARREN (Center for Indigenous Knowledge, ISU) is documenting how farmers in India have already responded to rapidly changing environments (such as deforested hillsides and saline soils) through developing innovative alternative food production systems. Examination of past climates and environments can help us understand present trends and future possibilities. L GONZALEZ and M REAGAN (Geology, U of I) determined that analysis of stalagmites can be used to determine shifts in climate (such as periods of high precipitation) over the past 10,000 years. R BAKER (Geology, U of I) and D HORTON (Biology, U of I) have studied both ecosystems and climates of the past 10,000 years, in particular searching the southern boundaries of the prairie province for fossiliferous deposits that would allow more detailed investigations. W GREEN (Office of the State Archaeologist, U of I) is considering whether studies of wood-charcoal remains from archaeological sites can elucidate prehistoric environmental changes in the same prairie province, such as prairie expansion, changes in forest composition, and the effects anthropogenic fire. J ENLOE (Anthropology, U of I) is studying prehistoric human remains from home, in northern Europe, where he is searching ancient campsites for signs of prehistoric hunters' behaviors that allowed occupation of new lands during times of gross environmental change.

CGRER also promotes training in the broad interdisciplinary aspects of global change. Along these lines, B WESTON (Law, U of I) has interpreted and clarified the 1992 mutilateral Convention on Biological Diversity. His project will help establish an ongoing Law, Science, and Global Environmental Policy Project within the University of Iowa's law and engineering colleges.