Multi-scale Integration

• Introduction to the Panel - Michael Hamilton

• Multi-Scale Sampling - Greg Pottie

• Scaling Challenges in Ecology - Michael Hamilton

• Microclimate and Ecophysiology Sensing - Eric Graham

• Microbial and Root Ecology - Michael Allen

• NIMS Multi-Scale Experiments - William Kaiser

Scaling Challenges in Ecology

Center for Embedded Network Sensing (CENS)

Habitat Sensing Applications Group

Michael Hamilton

University of California

James San Jacinto Mountains Reserve

Distributed Environmental Sensing

"Nothing tends so much to the advancement of knowledge as the application of a new instrument.”

– Sir Humphry Davy, early exponent of the scientific method, scientist, inventor.

Developments in sensor array technologies are providing significant new tools for understanding fundamental ecosystem processes

Implementing CENS technology in ecological and ecosystem research

• Long-term ecological research: monitoring ecosystem processes

• Global change studies: carbon cycles and biogeochemical fluxes; forest structure; coastal food web structure

• Ecophysiological research: modeling physiological processes and their control by microclimate

• Organismal ecology: phenology; acoustical and video monitoring of animal behavior and activities; marine phytoplankton dynamics

• Environmental education

Cyber-informatics and ecology: scaling issues are fundamental

Detecting global change at multiple spatial and temporal scales

Large networked arrays of environmental sensors can provide early warnings of subtle environmental changes

Understanding the spatial and temporal patterns

in the dynamics of terrestrial carbon cyclesLow spatial and temporal density of eddy covariance measurements

limit our understanding of canopy-level CO2 fluxes

CENS technologies will contribute to many national and international programs investigating environmental gas fluxes

Understanding how microclimate controls ecophysiological processes

Microclimate parameters are fundamental elements of ecophysiological models

Microclimate

Understanding dynamic forest light environments

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of sun flecks in forest understories control fundamental regeneration and soil processes

The dynamic pattern The dynamic pattern and significance of and significance of spatial heterogeneity in spatial heterogeneity in understory light understory light remains practically remains practically unexploredunexplored

Understanding soil processes and related components of biotic activity

Nutrientpulse

Soil sensor arrays linked to above-ground sensor networks– Soil sensors that withstand physically and chemically harsh conditions– Sensors capable of recognizing phases in air/water/soil mixtures.– Microsensors that can monitor nutrient pulses– Microsensors to monitor soil CO2 fluxes

Sensor networks

to monitor CO2 flux

Linking Terrain Analysis to Sensor Networks

30m Digital Elevation Model Slope/ Aspect Models Flow Direction Model

Soil Moisture Model

The evolving role of the James Reserve and CENS: Field Laboratory for Experiments, Test Beds, and Deployments

• Overlapping Platforms– NIMS, CMS, ESS,

AMARSS

• Diversity of Networking approaches and deployed systems

• Data Management and Visualization– Web-based GUI– GIS

• Building towards a multi-scale experiments laboratory

Future (near) Directions:National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)

NEON Conceptual ObservatoryNEON Conceptual Observatory

Federal Research SiteFederal Research SiteNatural History CollectionNatural History Collection

Field StationField Station

UniversityUniversityResearch FacilityResearch Facility

NatureNatureConservancyConservancyPreservePreserve

USDAUSDAResearch StationResearch Station

National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge

National ParkNational Park

UniversityUniversity

Long Term Ecological Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) SiteResearch (LTER) Site

Conceptual schematic of a NEON network showing notional sites on map of U.S. and statewide network of possible research sites.

Core Site

NEON Themes

Biodiversity and Ecosystem

FunctionHydroecology

Biogeochemical Cycles Infectious Diseases

Climate Change Invasive Species

Emerging Issues Land Use

Regional NEON Planning Regions

CENS collaborations with other environmental

research groups: ongoing and futureNEON PlanningNSF - CLEANER, ITR, Biocomplexity: IDEAWind River Canopy Crane Research FacilitySevilleta Long-term Ecological Research Stn.OTS - La Selva Biological Station, Costa RicaUCB Gump Research Station, MooreaGordon and Betty Moore FoundationLA County Sanitation DistrictUS Geological Survey

Potential future collaborations:additional LTER sitesAmeriflux and Fluxnet sites UC NRS and OBFS stationsGlobal Ocean Observing SystemEcology of Harmful Algal BloomsMonitoring and Event Response for

Harmful Algal Blooms