DOE-NSF Workshop: Coordinated Approaches to Address Long-Term Issues in Global Change Experiments, to be held on August 13-14, 2009, at the Hyatt in Bethesda, MD

生态系统对全球变化的响应受到土壤碳动态、物种替代、群落结构变化、生态系统氮资本积累以及初级和次级演替等长期过程的强烈调节。科学家们已经开发了各种互补的方法来解决这些长期问题。每种方法都有其优点、挑战和局限性。本次研讨会将探讨应对这一挑战的现有方法和活动的广度。这些方法包括时空研究；沿自然温度和降水梯度的研究；而仿真建模往往与复杂的数据仿真方法相结合。制定协调一致的方法来解决全球变化研究中的长期问题至关重要。必须考虑的重要主题包括：1)关键研究问题；2)适当的研究方法，包括实验和所需的基础设施；3)特别适合研究长期现象的数据分析技术。与会者将回顾现有的关于气候变化影响的长期研究工作，就关键的长期问题进行头脑风暴，审查长期实验的有效性，并制定协调一致的方法来调查长期过程。本次研讨会对于促进正在进行的科学讨论和开发任何未来的实验方法或设计，以解决与全球变化有关的长期过程至关重要。

Ecosystem responses to global change are strongly regulated by long-term processes such as soil carbon dynamics, species replacement, shifts in community structure, accrual of nitrogen capital in ecosystems, and primary and secondary succession. Scientists have developed a variety of complementary approaches to address these long-term issues. Each approach has its benefits, challenges, and limitations. This workshop will explore the breadth of existing approaches and activities to addressing this challenge. These approaches include space-for-time studies; studies along natural gradients of temperature and precipitation; and simulation modeling often combined with sophisticated data simulation approaches among others. It is critical to develop coordinated approaches to address long-term issues in global change research. Important topics that must be considered include: 1) key research questions; 2) appropriate research approaches including experiments and the required infrastructure; and 3) data analysis techniques especially suited for the study of long-term phenomena. The workshop participants will review extant long-term research efforts on climate change impacts, brainstorm on key long-term issues, examine effectiveness of long-term experiments, and develop coordinated approaches to investigate long-term processes. This workshop is vital to foster the ongoing scientific discussion and development of any future experimental approaches or designs for addressing the long-term processes associated with global change.