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