Collaborative Research: Using the ITEX-AON network to document and understand terrestrial ecosystem change in the Arctic

该项目的总体目标是了解不同景观类型的苔原生态系统变化，并对整个北极的变化进行现实的预测。国际苔原实验（ITEX）-北极观测网（AON）的力量建立在综合和比较使用标准化采样协议的站点结果的能力之上。具体而言，该项目将（1）维护阿拉斯加图利克湖、伊纳瓦伊特溪、乌特恰格维克（巴罗）和阿特卡苏克附近的ITEX-AON站点的数据流;（2）领导两个新的ITEX网络综合项目，重点关注土壤碳和phenocam图像;（3）提高科学素养;（4）扩大阿拉斯加北方社区的公民科学机会。该项目将维持一系列大型且公开的数据流，记录整个北极地区发生的生态系统变化，并将与公民科学家合作，扩大网络的监测范围以及这项工作对阿拉斯加北坡社区的社会相关性。ITEX网络成立于1990年，旨在记录和了解北极变暖的生态影响。由美国牵头的ITEX项目利用自动采样在更大的空间区域扩大了监测工作，于2009年组成了北极观测站网络。ITEX-AON目前包括传统的ITEX测量（物候、覆盖、碳通量和养分循环），以及phenocams、自动移动的传感器平台（MISP）和1990年代建立的1平方公里ARCSS（北极系统科学）网格的中等比例尺航空图像。在项目的这一阶段，将继续收集核心数据集，并将增加新的数据集，以确定和了解变化和反馈的模式。具体而言，ITEX-AON将扩大其植被功能特征的收集，以更好地了解生态系统的反应和预测未来的变化。ITEX-AON还将进一步扩大自动化测量，将地块水平变化（手动或手持设备采样）与景观水平观测（由phenocams或无人机采样）和高分辨率区域图像（由飞机或卫星采样）联系起来。ITEX-AON的新阶段将包括两项综合工作：（1）检查整个ITEX网络的土壤碳动态，以及（2）使用phenocam和高分辨率卫星图像进行多尺度物候分析，以确定整个北极地区季节性绿化趋势的精细尺度时空模式。博士后的指导，研究生和本科生的培训是这个项目的主要影响。该项目将继续为工程和软件开发提供一个试验平台，并将在ITEX网络和更广泛的科学界之间自由共享，并将扩大旨在提高科学素养的外联活动。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

The overarching goal of the project is to understand tundra ecosystem change across landscape types and enable realistic forecasts of change across the Arctic. The power of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX)- Arctic Observatory Network (AON) is founded on a capacity to synthesize and compare results across sites that use standardized sampling protocols. Specifically, this project will (1) maintain the data-streams at ITEX-AON sites in Alaska near Toolik Lake, Imnavait Creek, Utqiagvik (Barrow), and Atqasuk; (2) lead two new ITEX network syntheses focused on soil carbon and phenocam imagery; (3) increase scientific literacy; and, (4) expand citizen science opportunities across communities in northern Alaska. The project will sustain an array of large and publicly available data-streams documenting ecosystem change occurring across the Arctic and will team up with citizen scientists to expand the monitoring footprint of the network and the societal relevance of this work to communities across the North Slope of Alaska. The ITEX network was chartered in 1990 to document and understand the ecological impacts of a warming Arctic. The US-led ITEX projects expanded their monitoring efforts across a larger spatial area with the use of automated sampling to form an Arctic Observatory Network (AON) in 2009. The ITEX-AON currently includes traditional ITEX measurements (phenology, cover, carbon flux and nutrient cycling), as well as phenocams, automated mobile sensor platforms (MISP) and mid-scale aerial imagery of 1 km2 ARCSS (Arctic System Science) grids established in the 1990s. In this phase of the project, collection of core data sets will be sustained and new data sets will be added with the aim of identifying and understanding patterns of change and feedbacks. Specifically, ITEX-AON will expand its collection of vegetation functional traits to better understand ecosystem response and predict future change. ITEX-AON will also further expand automated measurements to link plot level change (sampled by hand or with hand-held equipment) with landscape level observations (sampled by phenocams or drones) and high resolution regional imagery (sampled by aircraft or satellite). The new phase of ITEX-AON will include two synthesis efforts: (1) an examination of soil carbon dynamics across the ITEX network, and (2) a multi-scale phenological analysis using phenocam and high resolution satellite imagery to determine fine-scale spatiotemporal patterns of seasonal greening trends across the Arctic. Mentoring of postdocs, and training of graduate and undergraduate students are some of the primary broader impacts of this project. The project will continue to provide a test bed for engineering and software development that will be shared freely among the ITEX network and broader science community and will expand outreach activities aimed at improving science literacy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.