Collaborative Research: Sensitivity of Regional Climate Due to Land-cover Changes in the Eastern United States Since 1650

合作研究：1650 年以来美国东部土地覆盖变化对区域气候的敏感性

• 批准号: 1219645
• 负责人: Lixin Lu
• 金额: $ 39.06万
• 依托单位: Colorado State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-08-15 至 2016-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1219645&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Sensitivity; Regional; Climate

This project uses model simulations to study the effect of land use and land cover change on the climate of the eastern US since the mid-1600s. The project is based on a new dataset, the "Reconstructed Historical Land Cover and Biophysical Parameter" dataset, which uses 36 land-cover categories to describe landcover over the eastern US (east of the 97W meridian, which runs through Kansas) for four representative years: 1650, 1850, 1920, and 1992. The period from 1650 to 1920 saw extensive deforestation and conversion to cropland, which was followed by partial reforestation from 1920 to 1992, all of which is captured in the historical land cover dataset. The change from forest to grassland or cropland can affect climate in several ways. For example, the higher albedo of crops and grasses, which are lighter in color than forests and thus reflects back more incident sunlight, could cause a reduction in surface temperature. The historical land cover dataset also documents a reduction in wetlands, which could be consequential for rainfall. Simulations using a land-atmosphere regional climate model are used to assess the impact of the different land surface conditions on climatic conditions (primarily temperature and rainfall) in the eastern US climate.Research on the climatic effects of land use and land cover change is of societal as well as scientific interest, as it can help us to identify human-induced climate changes which are likely to require strategies for adaptation and mitigation. In addition to the societal value of its research findings, the project will have educational broader impacts through the outreach activities of the principal investigators at local middle and high scools. The project will also support a graduate student, thereby providing education and traning for the next generation of the scientific workforce in this research area.

该项目利用模型模拟来研究自 1600 年代中期以来土地利用和土地覆盖变化对美国东部气候的影响。 该项目基于一个新的数据集，即“重建的历史土地覆盖和生物物理参数”数据集，该数据集使用 36 个土地覆盖类别来描述美国东部（贯穿堪萨斯州的 97W 子午线以东）四个代表性年份的土地覆盖：1650 年、1850 年、1920 年和 1992 年。从 1650 年到 1920 年期间，发生了大范围的森林砍伐和转变为农田，随后是部分 1920 年至 1992 年的重新造林，所有这些都记录在历史土地覆盖数据集中。 从森林到草原或农田的变化可以通过多种方式影响气候。例如，农作物和草的反照率较高，它们的颜色比森林浅，因此反射回更多的入射阳光，可能会导致地表温度降低。 历史土地覆盖数据集还记录了湿地的减少，这可能会导致降雨。 使用陆地-大气区域气候模型进行模拟，用于评估不同地表条件对美国东部气候条件（主要是温度和降雨）的影响。对土地利用和土地覆盖变化的气候影响的研究具有社会和科学意义，因为它可以帮助我们识别人类引起的气候变化，这些变化可能需要适应和缓解策略。 除了研究成果的社会价值外，该项目还将通过主要研究人员在当地中学和高中的外展活动产生更广泛的教育影响。 该项目还将支持一名研究生，从而为该研究领域的下一代科学劳动力提供教育和培训。