REU Site: Ecohydrology of Tropical Montane Forests -- Diversity in Science, Interdisciplinary Breadth, and Global Awareness

这个REU网站将支持每年8名学生，从2年制社区学院招募，参加为期10周的国际研究经验。与会者将描述水，气候和生物多样性的梯度在中部哥斯达黎加热带山地森林的分水岭的指导下，得克萨斯州农工大学教师从农业和生命科学，土木工程和地球科学学院，以及教师和学生在哥斯达黎加的机构。学生利用从低地雨林到高海拔云雾林的自然气候梯度来表征影响径流生成的陆地-大气相互作用和过程。该计划旨在提供生物物理过程，水资源管理和人类影响之间的相互作用的跨领域理解，在区域到全球范围内。活动提供第一手的国际研究经验，培养学习型社区，展示科学多样性的重要性，为学生提供文化体验，并提高对森林，水和人之间相互联系的认识。 提高来自不同背景的学生参与的招聘策略包括访问目标学校，使网站对广泛的申请人更具吸引力，在申请过程中提供资源和帮助，以及打破参与海外留学计划的障碍。评估小组将研究这些指导经验如何鼓励学生了解科学研究过程，发展个人研究兴趣，并欣赏他们与教师的指导经验。预期的成果包括在领先的研究期刊，研究会议上的演讲，并进行研究，以评估国际现场experiences.Recent证据表明，预计的陆地和海洋温度上升将导致减少云量和改变降水制度在中美洲的成功师生联合出版物。对低地雨林的砍伐可以进一步减少云和雾，这会加剧干旱，改变森林结构，减少对下游用户旱季供水至关重要的溪流流量。REU学生将通过文化交流和服务学习项目观察来自山区的水如何影响山谷中的农业和社会，这些项目为他们提供全球能力，包括在多元化和全球化社会中有效生活和工作的能力，并阐明多元化和全球视角的价值。

This REU site will support eight students per year, recruited from 2-year community colleges, to participate in a 10-week international research experience. The participants will characterize the gradient of water, climate, and biodiversity in the watershed of a tropical montane forest in central Costa Rica under the guidance of Texas A&M University faculty from the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Civil Engineering, and Geosciences, alongside faculty and students at institutions in Costa Rica. Students utilize natural climate gradients from lowland rainforests to high-elevation cloud forests to characterize land-atmosphere interactions and processes that impact streamflow generation. The program is designed to provide crosscutting understanding of the interactions among biophysical processes, water management, and human impacts in a regional-to-global context. Activities provide a firsthand international research experience, foster a learning community, demonstrate the foundational importance of diversity in science, provide students with a cultural experience, and increase awareness of the interconnection between forests, water and people. Recruitment strategies to enhance participation of students from diverse backgrounds include visiting target schools, making the website more attractive to a wide range of applicants, providing resources and assistance in the application process, and breaking down barriers to participate in study abroad programs. The assessment team will examine how those mentoring experiences encourage students to understand the scientific research process, develop individual research interests, and appreciate their mentoring experiences with faculty members. The expected outcomes include joint faculty-student publications in leading research journals, research conference presentations, and studies to assess the success of international field experiences.Recent evidence suggests that projected temperature increases over land and sea will lead to decreased cloud cover and altered precipitation regimes in Central America. Deforestation of lowland rainforest can further reduce cloud and mist, which amplifies drought, alters forest structure, and reduces stream flows crucial for dry-season water supplies to downstream users. REU students will observe how water from the mountains affects agriculture and society in the valley below via cultural exchanges and service learning projects that provide them with global competences including the ability to live and work effectively in a diverse and global society, and articulate the value of a diverse and global perspective.This site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program