Collaborative Research: High-Resolution, Multi-Species Reconstructions of Greater Yellowstone Region Paleoclimates Using Tree-Ring Anatomy

该项目旨在通过使用树木年轮方法，对大黄石生态区(GYE)的次年度古气候和极端事件进行千年、多尺度合成。研究人员将：(1)从两个共同出现的亚高山/树线树种生成千年长度的定量木材解剖(QWA)年表；(2)生成亚年度温度变率的区域、千年长度的重建；以及(3)分析气候变异性与外部强迫之间的关系。根据QWA指标创建的千年气候历史可能为了解美国西部重要的高海拔生态系统提供新的见解。并进一步将气候变化与Gye联系起来。利用现有的重建数据和模型数据对重建的次年温度数据进行分析，将有助于更广泛地了解Gye和美国西部的复杂气候相互关系，并为当前和未来条件的评估提供信息。这项研究产生的信息将帮助当地、国家和国际气候学家、保护生物学家和土地管理者更好地预测未来对Gye和美国西部的气候变化影响，并为白皮松生态系统基金会(WPEF)、美国林务局和其他对特定于白皮树对气候变化和生态干扰的反应感兴趣的政府和非政府机构提供数据。潜在的更广泛的影响(B.I.)包括对几位职业生涯早期的女科学家的职业生涯的支持，以及对本科教育、K-12活动和社区参与的资源。该项目通过导师指导、独立和暑期研究计划以及社区推广、合作和教育提供了科学教育和培训的机会，包括北美树枝生态田野周、爱达荷大学K-12 STEM推广计划和肯塔基州科学院。该研究还将帮助了解大黄石生态区1000多年来的气候变化和异常，并洞察气候和生态扰动事件的年内变化和反应。从而为未来的区域和大规模气候模型和其他GYE研究问题提供信息。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to perform a millennial-length, multi-metric synthesis of sub-annual paleoclimate and extreme events in the Greater Yellowstone Ecoregion (GYE) through the use of tree-ring methodologies. The researchers will: (1) generate millennial-length chronologies of quantitative wood anatomy (QWA) metrics from two co-occurring subalpine/treeline tree species; (2) produce regional, millennial-length reconstructions of sub-annual temperature variability; and (3) analyze connections between climate variability and external forcings. The creation of a millennial-length climate history derived from QWA metrics may provide new insights into important high-elevation ecosystems of the western United States (U.S.) and further contextualize climate change for the GYE. Analysis between reconstructed sub-annual temperature data with currently available reconstruction and model data will aid understanding of complex climate interrelationships for the GYE and the western U.S. more broadly and inform assessments of current and future conditions.Information generated by this research will aid local, national, and international climatologists, conservation biologists, and land managers to better predict future climate change impacts for the GYE and western U.S. more broadly and provide data to the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation (WPEF), U.S. Forest Service, and other governmental and non-governmental agencies that have interest in whitebark-specific responses to climate change and ecological disturbance. The potential Broader Impacts (B.I.) include support for the careers of several early-career female scientists as well as resources toward undergraduate education, K-12 activities, and community engagement. The project provides opportunities for scientific education and training through mentorship, independent and summer research programs, and community outreach, collaboration, and education, including programs including the North American Dendroecological Fieldweek, the University of Idaho K-12 STEM outreach program, and the Kentucky Academy of Science.The research will also help contextualize over 1,000 years of climate variability and anomalies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecoregion (GYE) and provide insight into intra-annual variability and responses to climatological and ecological disturbance events, thereby informing future regional- and large-scale climate models and additional GYE research questions.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.