Collaborative Research on Topological Relationships at Alpine Treeline

高山林线拓扑关系的合作研究

• 批准号: 9111852
• 负责人: Stephen Walsh
• 金额: $ 3.14万
• 依托单位: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1991
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1991-08-15 至 1993-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9111852&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Topological; Relationships; Alpine

Concerns about prospects for changing climatic conditions across the globe have given new impetus to inquiries that would identify zones where the impacts of such changes can be readily monitored and analyzed. One such set of zones are alpine treeline ecotones, where montane forests gradually give way to barren slopes or alpine tundra. Previous studies have shown these areas to be locales where even minor climatic changes can induce profound changes in vegetation patterns. This collaborative research project will conduct intensive analyses of patterns of treeline species and will explore relationships among various factors that affect the number and location of species. Research will focus on sites in Glacier National Park of Montana. Data will be gathered from satellite images and field observations of climatic variables and soil and bedrock conditions. Data from digital elevation models and tree rings also will be used to construct and test statistical and path models that represent how treeline distributions respond to interactions among different variables over time. This collaborative project will provide new data and models that enhance knowledge about interactions among different factors in alpine treeline zones, both at the study site and in many other mountainous environments. This project may provide new metrics for identifying the impacts of changing climatic conditions, and it also will explore new methods for monitoring and evaluating the use of remote sensed data and geographic information systems in vegetation modelling.

对全球气候条件变化前景的担忧为调查提供了新的动力，这些调查将确定可以轻松监测和分析此类变化影响的区域。 其中一组区域是高山林线生态交错带，其中山地森林逐渐被贫瘠的山坡或高山苔原所取代。 先前的研究表明，这些地区即使是微小的气候变化也会引起植被格局的深刻变化。 该合作研究项目将对林线物种的模式进行深入分析，并将探索影响物种数量和位置的各种因素之间的关系。 研究将集中在蒙大拿州冰川国家公园的地点。 数据将从卫星图像以及气候变量以及土壤和基岩条件的实地观测中收集。 来自数字高程模型和树木年轮的数据还将用于构建和测试统计和路径模型，这些模型表示林线分布如何响应不同变量之间随时间的相互作用。 该合作项目将提供新的数据和模型，以增强对研究地点和许多其他山区环境中高山林线区域不同因素之间相互作用的了解。 该项目可以为识别气候条件变化的影响提供新的指标，还将探索监测和评估植被建模中遥感数据和地理信息系统使用的新方法。