Collaborative Research: EPSCoR RII Track 2 Oklahoma and Kansas: A cyberCommons for Ecological Forecasting

EPS-0919466，俄克拉荷马大学诺曼校区，Paul Risser，链接到EPS-0919443(堪萨斯大学研究中心)合作研究：EPSCoR RII Track 2俄克拉荷马州和堪萨斯州：生态预测的网络共享空间四所大学(堪萨斯大学(堪萨斯大学)、俄克拉何马大学(OU)、堪萨斯州立大学(KSU)和俄克拉荷马州立大学(OSU))在两个EPSCoR州，堪萨斯州和俄克拉何马州，联合起来创建一个网络共享空间，一个强大的集成网络环境，用于跨复杂环境现象的知识发现和教育。CyberCommons将整合两个框架--数据、模型、分析和叙述的科学框架，以及硬件、软件、协作环境和集成环境的网络基础设施框架。两个科学问题是理解和预测中原生态系统的基础，这两个问题是本项目的主要重点：(1)自然和人为的土地利用/土地覆盖和气候变化对生物地球化学循环和生态系统功能有什么影响？反过来，这些驱动因素和后果之间的反馈是什么？以及(2)自然和人为的土地利用/土地覆盖和气候变化对生物多样性的影响是什么？其组成、格局和动态？反过来，生物多样性的这些变化如何影响动植物疾病和入侵物种的传播，以及这些现象如何影响生态系统的结构、功能和服务？这四所大学的科学家独立开发了研究专业知识、基于网络的数据门户、网络应用程序以及处理生态驱动因素和后果的模型。在很大程度上，CI工具是沿着生态和生物数据、模型、分析和叙事情景的单一、独立的管道推进这项研究。CyberCommons被认为能够实现跨这些管道的统一、协作的研究，改变生态复杂性的建模和合成。它将以S财团在生态观测、数据同化和分发、数学建模和CI架构方面的现有专业知识和能力为基础并将其统一起来。有效地，网络社区将创建一个新的研究和教育社区，在促进点对点协作和新的教育学方面超越地理、学科和机构的界限。更广泛的影响。建议建立网络社区，以加强两个州在生态、生物多样性和传播与信息科学方面的优势。研究人员计划通过一个新的CI/科学框架来增强这些优势和研究竞争力，实现对复杂环境现象的跨域调查。预计网络社区提出的知识发现将对中原草原生态系统的管理和可持续性产生直接和长期的适用性。利用为网络社区开发的门户网站、资源和工具，俄克拉荷马州和科罗拉多州许多机构的教师和学生将有机会亲身探索生态预报科学。这种外展工作将惠及日益增长的少数群体人口，有助于在不同的机构推进课程，并改善对该区域经济至关重要的领域的劳动力教育和培训。参与大学的新课程内容将有助于为下一代研究人员在传播与信息环境和虚拟协作中工作做好准备。通过利用现有的服务于两个州的年轻女性、黑人和美洲原住民的成功项目，网络社区将促进在科学、工程和生态预测学科中传统上代表性较低的群体参与科学和职业生涯。

EPS-0919466, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus, Paul Risser, linked to EPS-0919443 (University of Kansas Center for Research Inc)Collaborative Research: EPSCoR RII Track 2 Oklahoma and Kansas:A cyberCommons for Ecological ForecastingFour universities (Kansas University (KU), Oklahoma University (OU), Kansas State University (KSU), and Oklahoma State University (OSU)) in two EPSCoR states, Kansas and Oklahoma, are united to create a cyberCommons, a powerful, integrated cyber environment for knowledge discovery and education across complex environmental phenomena. The cyberCommons will integrate two frameworks?the science framework of data, models, analytics and narratives, and the cyberinfrastructure framework of hardware, software, collaboration environment and integration environment. Two scientific questions underlie the understanding and forecasting of ecological systems in the Central Plains, which are in the main focus of this project: (1) What are the impacts of changes in land-use/land-cover and climate, both natural and anthropogenic, on biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem function? In turn, what are the feedbacks among these drivers and consequences? and (2) What are the impacts of changes in land-use/land-cover and climate, both natural and anthropogenic, on biodiversity?its composition, patterns and dynamics? In turn, how do these changes in biodiversity affect the spread of plant and animal diseases and invasive species, and how do these phenomena influence ecosystem structure, function and services?Intellectual Merit. Scientists at the four universities have independently developed research expertise, web-based data portals, web applications, and models dealing with the ecological drivers and consequences. CI tools are, for the most part, advancing this research along single, independent pipelines of ecological and biotic data, models, analytics and narrative scenarios. The cyberCommons is thought to enable unified, collaborative research across these pipelines, transforming the modeling and synthesis of ecological complexity. It will build on and unite the consortium?s existing expertise and capabilities in ecological observation, data assimilation and distribution, mathematical modeling, and CI architectures. Effectively, the cyberCommons will create a new research and educational community that transcends geographic, disciplinary and institutional boundaries in promoting peer-to-peer collaboration and new pedagogy. Broader Impacts. The cyberCommons is proposed to build upon strengths in the two states in the ecological, biodiversity and CI sciences. The researchers plan to enhance these strengths and research competitiveness through a new CI/science framework by enabling cross-domain investigation of complex environmental phenomena. The knowledge discovery advanced by the cyberCommons is expected to have immediate and long-term applicability to the management and sustainability of grassland ecosystems on the Central Plains. Using web portals, resources and tools developed for the cyberCommons, teachers and students at a wide range of institutions in OK and KS will have new opportunities for hands-on exploration of the science of ecological forecasting. Such outreach efforts will reach the growing population of minorities, help advance the curriculum at a diverse range of institutions, and improve workforce education and training in areas of vital importance to the economy of the region. New curricular content at the participating universities will help prepare the next generation of researchers to work in CI environments and virtual collaborations. By leveraging existing successful programs that serve young women, blacks, and Native Americans in both states, the cyberCommons will foster engagement in science and careers among groups traditionally underrepresented in science, engineering and eco-forecasting disciplines.