Forest-Atmosphere Fluxes in a Subalpine Ecosystem

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The subalpine forest ecosystem is a critical natural resource to urban and suburban centers in the western United States. This ecosystem is dominant in mountain regions and provides goods and services such as water, recreation and timber. It is also a critical component of the continental sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. These forests have become increasingly stressed in recent decades due to regional climate warming, outbreaks of insect epidemics such as the mountain pine beetle, and exposure to pollutants such as ozone and nitrogen oxides from nearby population centers. The research proposed would continue a ten year program of monitoring a subalpine forest west of the Denver metropolitan corridor to assess growth, water budgets, and the potential for continued carbon absorption. It has become apparent that this forest is susceptible to absorbing less carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over time and that it is growing at slower rates due to warming and associated reduced snowpacks. Furthermore, there have been signs of incipient outbreak of the mountain pine beetle. Thus, the forest is at the cusp of exhibiting important and major responses to environmental change. This research includes measurements of carbon dioxide, water and energy exchange between the forest located near Nederland, Colorado, and the atmosphere over the next five years to assess its response to these stresses. In addition to conducting research, this proposal will have broader impacts to the scientific community through its continuation as a training facility for individual graduate student and post-doctoral student projects, continuation of a summer course for graduate students from across the world at the University of Colorado Mountain Research Station, and continuation as a primary data resource for global carbon budget modeling.