Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory

南塞拉利昂临界区观测站(SSCZO)正在研究山地土壤和风土层性质如何随着地质时间的推移而发展，并与较短期的气候变异性和生态系统行为相互作用。这种理解被用来预测环境变化，包括人类干扰、火灾、虫害和气候变化对水资源、物质流动和森林健康的影响。我们正在开发低成本、精确的测量系统，并使用测量来推动先进的地球系统建模以进行预测。我们与区域利益攸关方密切合作，并利用我们的结果来评估资源管理者可用于加强对森林、水和其他生态系统服务的管理的选择，以应对环境变化。SSCZO也是一个社区平台，用于研究临界区(CZ)过程，无论是在当地还是作为CZO更广泛的国家网络的一部分。它位于一个陡峭的海拔地带，那里的降雨量从主要的降雨到主要的降雪，生态系统从橡树大草原生物群到亚高山森林。CZ属性和过程中的空间梯度允许用空间代替时间，使SSCZO成为研究CZ如何对干扰做出反应以及水循环如何驱动CZ过程的优秀自然实验室。SSCZO研究涉及来自6个校区的核心SSCZO团队，以及来自其他机构的合作者和合作者，他们在研究中使用SSCZO数据和其他资源。SSCZO资源包括4个重点地点，跨越3000米的海拔范围，具有气候、风土层特性、土壤、植被和物质循环的梯度。测量密集而详细，包括4个通量塔、气象站、土壤蒸渗仪、地下水井，以及1000多个连续的积雪深度、土壤水分、径流、水质和树液流量传感器。SSCZO为研究这一对社会至关重要的景观提供了一个平台，但人们对其对气候变暖的潜在反应知之甚少。气候变化和土地利用做法的双重威胁，对CZ服务在美国西部半干旱地区的可持续性提出了根本性的问题，该地区的许多服务严重依赖季节性积雪覆盖的山脉。内华达山脉提供生态系统服务，从水到生物多样性，覆盖了加州的很大一部分人口，因此也就是整个国家的人口。SSCZO与联邦、州和地方资源管理机构的伙伴关系表明，决策者对使用研究成果和SSCZO技术来提高预测能力感兴趣。SSCZO将提供数据和课程，以增强数千名初中生、几名本科生和公众的科学体验。

The Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (SSCZO) is investigating how mountain soil and regolith properties develop over geologic time, and interact with shorter-term climate variability and ecosystem behavior. This understanding is used to predict how environmental change, including human disturbances, fire, pests and changes in climate influence water resources, material flows and forest health. We are pioneering low-cost, accurate measurement systems and use of the measurements to drive advanced earth systems modeling for predictions. We work closely with regional stakeholders and use our results to assess options available to resource managers to enhance management of forests, water and other ecosystem services, given environmental change.The SSCZO is also a community platform for research on critical-zone (CZ) processes, both locally and as part of the broader CZO national network. It lies along a steep elevation transect where precipitation grades from dominantly rain to dominantly snow and ecosystems range from oak savannah biomes to subalpine forests. Spatial gradients in CZ properties and processes permit substitution of space for time, making the SSCZO an excellent natural laboratory for studying how the CZ responds to disturbance and how the water cycle drives CZ processes. SSCZO research involves a core SSCZO team from 6 campuses, plus collaborators and cooperators from other institutions who use SSCZO data and other resources in their research. SSCZO resources include 4 focal sites spanning a 3000-meter elevation range with gradients in climate, regolith properties, soils, vegetation and material cycles. Measurements are intensive and detailed, including 4 flux towers, meteorological stations, soil lysimeters, groundwater wells, and over 1000 continuous sensors for snow depth, soil moisture, streamflow, water quality and sap flow.The SSCZO provides a platform for research in a landscape with vital importance to society, yet poorly understood in its potential response to climate warming. The twin threats of a changing climate and land-use practices raise fundamental questions about the sustainability of CZ services in the semi-arid U.S. West, which depends heavily on seasonally snow-covered mountains for many of these services. The Sierra Nevada provides ecosystem services, ranging from water to biodiversity, to a large fraction of California's and thus the nation's population. SSCZO partnerships with federal, state, and local resource-management agencies show the interest that decision makers have in using both research results and SSCZO technology to improve predictive capabilities. SSCZO will provide data and lessons to enhance the science experience of thousands of middle- and high-school students, several undergraduate students and the public.