Arctic Field Projects
Project Title: BE/CBC: Biocomplexity Associated with the Response of Tundra Carbon Balance to Warming and Drying Across Multiple Spatial and Temporal Scales (Award# 0421588)
PI: Oechel, Walter C (oechel@sunstroke.sdsu.edu)
Phone: (619) 594.6613
Institute/Department: San Diego State University, Department of Biology
IPY Project? NO
Funding Agency: US\Federal\NSF\OD\OPP\ARC\ARCSS
Program Manager: Dr. Neil Swanberg (nswanber@nsf.gov)
Discipline(s): | Biology |
Science Summary:
This research examines how biological and physical processes interact to control carbon uptake, storage and release in Arctic tundra ecosystems and how the self-organizing nature of these interactions varies across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Approximately 25% of the world's soil organic carbon reservoir is stored at high northern latitudes in permafrost and seasonally-thawed soils in the Arctic, a region that is currently undergoing unprecedented warming and drying, as well as dramatic changes in human land use. Understanding how changes in annual and inter-annual ecosystem productivity interact and potentially offset the balance and stability of the Arctic soil carbon reservoir is of utmost importance to global climate change science. If there is a net loss of soil carbon to the atmosphere in the form of greenhouse gases (namely CO2 and CH4), greenhouse warming could be enhanced. This non-linear, potentially positive feedback response could very quickly cause Arctic terrestrial ecosystems to function in a manner not known to us from the late Holocene and with globally significant implications. The activities in this research benefit from a foundation and wealth of international and national carbon cycle research undertaken in northern Alaska and other Arctic regions over the past three decades. The group will initiate a comprehensive study involving an integrated framework of multi-scale aircraft and satellite remote sensing, micrometeorological and CO2 and CH4 flux measurements and hydro-ecological process model simulations over a 350km North-South transect spanning the dominant Arctic topographic and land cover units of northern Alaska. The study region encompasses many long-term measurement sites that have been in place for 5 to 10 years. They will expand these observations to include an extensive soil moisture manipulation involving a 60 hectare tundra flooding/draining experiment near Barrow Alaska on the Arctic Coastal Plain. The objective of this study is to quantify linkages between soil moisture and carbon uptake, storage and release over multiple spatial (microbial to landscape) and temporal (minutes to decades) scales. Only by increasing the spatial extent of our experimental manipulations and the duration of our observational time series can we better understand and predict the effect of scale on the complex coupling within Arctic ecosystems; namely, how small scale processes participate as components of higher scale phenomenon and how higher scale phenomenon constrain the former lower scale processes. This knowledge will improve our understanding of the current behavior and potential response of arctic tundra to global change, resulting in better predictions of feedbacks to climate and the global carbon cycle.
Logistics Summary:
This collaborative, multidisciplinary project will examine the spatial and temporal variability of the interaction of biological and physical processes in their control of carbon flux in Arctic tundra ecosystems. The researchers will complete an integrated framework of measurements over a 350km north south transect representative of Arctic Alaska’s topography and land cover and linking many long-term measurement sites at Barrow, Atqasuk, and Ivotuk. In addition, the team will undertake an extensive soil moisture manipulation experiment covering 60 hectares within the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO). Fieldwork will include the following: * Using the San Diego State University (SDSU) flux aircraft, an existing aerial observation/photography program between Barrow and Atqasuk will be revisited and expanded to Ivotuk. * A chartered helicopter will be used to place temporary flux towers for validating airborne measurements by the flux aircraft. It will also be used for aerial photography. * The water table within a naturally occurring drained lake basin will be manipulated to provide three levels; a control, an enhanced soil moisture level, and a reduced soil moisture level. * Three eddy covariance towers will be established downwind of the manipulation levels to assess carbon balance and to provide validation for aircraft and satellite remote sensing. * An air sampling system running from each tower will be will be used to measure methane flux over the study area. * An automated tram system across the manipulation area will conduct unattended surface optical and thermal property measurements and will provide validation for aircraft and satellite remote sensing. * Scale chambers will provide plot-level flux measurements near each flooding treatment. * Smaller-scale grid systems will be established at 50-m intervals to provide a foundation for active layer measurements and vegetation/soil moisture monitoring. * The grid system and all instrumentation, plots, and remote sensing ground control points will be georeferenced. For 2009, the PIs were granted a one-year extension to complete a final year of measurements in the manipulation area. Using an irrigation system that draws water from Cake Eater Lake, a crew will work with researchers to maintain desired water levels in three zones: flooded, control, and dry. The team will use the existing zone and water level configuration. David Lipson, a co-PI on this grant, will collaborate closely with the team. His work is documented separately under 0808604. In 2007, PolarTREC teacher Rob Wilder (0632401RW) will join the team and in 2008, PolarTREC teacher Elizabeth Eubanks (0632401EE) will join the team.
For 2005-2008, BASC and CPS will coordinate infrastructure and science support services. BASC will provide access to its logistics infrastructure in the form of Barrow and Atqasuk user days, lab, storage, and office space, vehicles, field clothing and communications gear. In addition, BASC will coordinate charter flights from Barrow to Atqasuk, as well as provide Barrow hangar space and Barrow and Atqasuk aircraft fuel for the SDSU flux aircraft. BASC will also design and install an extension to their wireless backbone to provide coverage for the manipulation area. CPS will assist with development and installation of the hydrology manipulation and with bringing power to the manipulation site, with construction, installation, and maintenance of boardwalks and trails, the tram system, and supports for methane flux measurements, with installation of control shelters at the site, and with provision of a communications tower. In addition, CPS will provide helicopter support for placement of temporary towers, fixed wing flights from Barrow to Ivotuk, and field camp support at Ivotuk. CPS will coordinate closely with BASC and Ukpeagvik Inupiat Corporation (UIC) to install CPS-purchased and CPS-manufactured infrastructure components. For 2009, CPS will work with BTS Professional Services (BTSPS) and other local organizations to provide manipulation operations, lodging, meals, lab space, equipment, vehicles, and safety gear. BTSPS has engaged the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium to provide on the ground support in Barrow. The researchers have also been granted a final year of helicopter support in the Barrow area.
| Season | Field Site | Date In | Date Out | #People |
| 2005 | Alaska - Barrow | 03 / 01 / 2005 | 08 / 31 / 2005 | 14 |
| 2006 | Alaska - Barrow | 05 / 27 / 2006 | 11 / 15 / 2006 | 8 |
| 2007 | Alaska - Barrow | 05 / 01 / 2007 | 09 / 30 / 2007 | 2 |
| 2008 | Alaska - Barrow | 05 / 01 / 2008 | 09 / 30 / 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | Alaska - Barrow | 05 / 01 / 2009 | 09 / 30 / 2009 | 7 |
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