The Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research Program 2011-2016: Tipping Points in High-Elevation Ecosystems in Response to Changes in Climate and Atmospheric Deposition

尼沃特岭长期生态研究计划2011-2016：高海拔生态系统响应气候和大气沉降变化的临界点

• 批准号: 1027341
• 负责人: Katharine Suding
• 金额: $ 588万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-02-01 至 2018-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1027341&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Niwot; Ridge; Long; Term; Ecological

The Niwot (NWT) LTER project was initiated in 1980 and since then has provided experimental and observational research designed to understand the dynamics of high-elevation alpine ecosystems in North America. The project has a history of research that has illuminated the responses of organisms and ecosystems to climate and various atmospheric inputs over the range of habitats that typify mountainous regions. This project will continue that long-term line of research and will expand it to address: the quantity and quality of organic carbon deposition; the role of plant-soil feedbacks and environmental change in community dynamics that may include threshold effects or tipping points; the potential of biotic disturbances, such an species invasions and infectious diseases, to cause ecosystems to tip to new states and dynamics; and, development of methods and collaborations to anticipate such ecosystem shifts and to improve understanding of the social impacts of these and other perturbations to high-elevation ecosystems. The research integrates ecological, hydrologic, geomorphic, atmospheric, and social perspectives and research techniques to understand high-elevation ecosystems and provide knowledge to manage them effectively in changing environmental and social contexts. This project contributes to understanding of the structure, function, and dynamics of a high-elevation ecosystem and includes development of techniques for modeling, forecasting, and better understanding such ecosystems in general. It assembles and integrates valuable long-term data sets on climate, hydrology, biology, ecology, geomorphic processes, and other elements of high-elevation ecosystems and the larger environment in which they are embedded. The project has broad societal value through its contributions to improved understanding of alpine ecosystems and their management. Its broader values also include extensive research-based training, educational program development that includes a children's book series and K-12 teacher training, and public outreach.

尼沃特（NWT）LTER项目于1980年启动，从那时起，提供了旨在了解北美高海拔高山生态系统动态的实验和观测研究。 该项目的研究历史阐明了生物体和生态系统对气候的反应以及山区典型生境范围内的各种大气输入。 该项目将继续这一长期研究方向，并将扩大研究范围，以解决：有机碳沉积的数量和质量;植物-土壤反馈和环境变化在群落动态中的作用，其中可能包括阈值效应或临界点;生物干扰，如物种入侵和传染病，导致生态系统转向新的状态和动态的可能性;制定方法和开展合作，以预测这种生态系统的变化，并更好地了解这些和其他扰动对高海拔生态系统的社会影响。 该研究整合了生态，水文，地貌，大气和社会观点和研究技术，以了解高海拔生态系统，并提供知识，以在不断变化的环境和社会背景下有效地管理它们。 该项目有助于了解高海拔生态系统的结构，功能和动态，包括开发建模，预测和更好地了解此类生态系统的技术。它汇集和整合了关于气候、水文、生物、生态、地貌过程和高海拔生态系统的其他要素以及它们所处的更大环境的宝贵的长期数据集。该项目具有广泛的社会价值，有助于增进对高山生态系统及其管理的了解。其更广泛的价值还包括广泛的研究为基础的培训，教育计划的发展，包括儿童图书系列和K-12教师培训，以及公共宣传。