CAREER: 3DForests: Using Terrestrial Laser Scanning To Explore Forest Structure Changes Following Disturbance

该奖项全部或部分由2021年美国救援计划法案（公法117-2）资助。虽然火灾是美国西部的一个重要生态过程，但由于气候变化，历史上的灭火以及缺乏足够的燃料管理，野火在近几十年来有所增加。由于保护生命和财产的紧迫性，这项工作将使用最先进的技术（地面激光）来收集有关森林的信息，这将有助于为加州的森林健康管理和主动消防行动提供信息和支持。此外，与野火相关的研究结果将用于创建基于虚拟现实的活动，这些活动将用于提高STEM专业中代表性不足的少数民族的保留率和毕业率。这些新颖的数据驱动和可访问的教育产品也将在当地的自然保护区和西班牙语浸入式学校的4 - 6年级学生中展示，以使广大观众更好地了解森林和野火之间的相互作用。该项目的目标是：1）利用地面激光扫描（TLS）和手持移动的激光扫描估算林下结构参数，确定森林结构对过去野火强度的影响，并预测改变的森林结构如何影响未来的野火风险;和2）通过一个尺度模型参数化的TLS收集的生物量，测量的叶片性状和气候数据，将净初级生产力的时间变化与干扰联系起来。这项工作还旨在利用与野火有关的研究成果，为更多样化的学生群体扩大机会，其中许多人往往是代表性不足的少数民族或第一代大学生。这将通过以下方式实现：1）指导代表性不足的少数民族本科生和研究生创建一个虚拟的“实地考察”，重点是森林结构，以获得基于生态学课程的本科生研究经验和NSF资助的“虚拟领域”平台;和2）利用虚拟现实技术，将“实地考察”应用于当地自然保护区的公众宣传和西班牙语浸入式学校的4 - 6年级学生（VR）。收集到的数据将有助于对野火后生态系统变化进行重要表征，评估森林对累积干扰的敏感性，并提高生态科学的可预测性。此外，虚拟现实活动将扩大实地学习的参与，并为更多样化的学生群体提供更多机会，特别是在大流行时期。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).While fire is an important ecological process in the western United States, wildfire has increased over recent decades as a result of climate change, historical fire suppression, and lack of adequate fuels management. Due to the urgency to protect life and property, this work will use state-of-the-art technology (ground-based lasers) to collect information about forests that will help inform and support both forest health management and active fire operations in California. In addition, research findings related to wildfire will be used to create virtual reality-based activities that will be used to improve retention and graduation rates of underrepresented minorities in STEM majors at a primarily undergraduate, Hispanic Serving Institution. These novel data-driven and accessible educational products will also be presented at a local nature preserve and for 4th-6th graders at a Spanish-immersion school to allow broad audiences to better understand interactions between forests and wildfire.The goals of this project are to: 1) Use terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and handheld mobile laser scanning to estimate understory forest structure parameters, determine impacts of forest structure on past wildfire intensity, and predict how altered forest structure affects future wildfire risk; and 2) Link temporal changes in net primary productivity to disturbance via a scaling model parameterized with TLS-collected biomass, measured leaf traits and climate data. This work also aims to use research findings related to wildfire to expand opportunities for a more diverse group of students, many of whom are often underrepresented minorities or first-generation college students. This will be accomplished through: 1) Mentoring underrepresented minority undergraduate and graduate students to create a virtual "field trip" focused on forest structure for an ecology course-based undergraduate research experience and NSF-funded "The Virtual Field" platform; and 2) Adapting the “field trip” for public outreach at a local nature preserve and for 4th-6th graders at a Spanish-immersion school using virtual reality (VR). Data collected will enable crucial characterization of ecosystem changes post-wildfire and assessment of forest sensitivity to cumulative disturbances and advance the predictability of ecological science. In addition, VR activities will broaden participation in field learning and expand opportunities for a more diverse group of students, especially during pandemic times.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.