The National Ecological Observatory Network is a project sponsored by the National Science Foundation and managed under cooperative agreement by NEON Inc.

Thanks to Tony Beasley for the NEON slides

Roger BalesProfessor & DirectorSierra Nevada Research InstituteUC Merced

–Ecosystem services & water–Changes in native biodiversity & invasive species. –Designed with climate change as the driver

Three broad west-east transects & paired north-south transects down the coast ranges &Sierra, joining at the transverse ranges &extending to the peninsular ranges

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http://www.caleon.org

NEON in California & the CalEON network

NRS sites

Ameriflux sites

Jasper ridge

UC campuses.

San Joaquin Experimental Range

San Joaquin Experimental Range, proposed NEON core site for California

NEON: National overview

• NEON: A continental-scale ecological observatory• Four fundamental science subsystems sampling the

drivers/responses of ecological change on spatial scales from microbes to land-masses

• Enable forecasting the impacts of climate change, land use change & invasive species on continental-scale ecology

• Infrastructure backbone for other experiments in NEON domains… GCE, STREON

• Design & development phase, construction 2010

NEON Fundamental Science Systems

FSU: Fundamental Sentinel Unit Human Observers/Samplers

FIU: Fundamental Instrument Unit Automated Instrumentation

AOP: Airborne Observation Package Aircraft Remote Sensing

LUAP: Land Use Analysis Package Satellite Remote Sensing +

+ Education: Prepare society & the scientific community to use NEON data, information, forecasts.

NEON scientific deployment

20 Domains in U.S.– 20 Core sites– 40 Relocatable sites– 18 Mobile laboratories

2 Airborne observing packages

Land use analysis package

NEON Domains20 = Science + pragmatism….

Downed Woody Debris (7.32 m)

Herb cover (1 m2)

Sapling/shrub biomass (2.07 m radius)

Annular plot (17.95 m radius)Soil Sampling (point sample)

Biomass plot (1 m2)Litterfall plot (1 m2)

Litter decomposition plot (1 m2)

Vegetation plot design 168 m2 plot

National Forest Service Inventory and Analysis Program (Frayer and Furnival 1999)

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Advanced – Basic – Relocatable - Mobile

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Towers

Supporting facilities for science & education

– Chemical analysis facility– Isotopic analysis facility– Genomic analysis facility– BioArchive collections and curation– Calibration/Validation (cal/val) Laboratory– Training manuals and courses, colloquia– Digital field guides, keys, & manuals– Information for decision support– (longer term) Data and forecast production facility

NEON aquatic experiment: STREON

STREON Experiment– Stream manipulation– 10 locations in U.S.– Low-order streams– Nutrient additions (5x

ambient)– Top consumer removals– Conceptual design ready

Stream packages planned for KREW & Teakettle

Ongoing national activities

– Program & preliminary design reviews ongoing– Arch/Eng – designs for 20 core sites, 40 relocatable

sites, associated cost estimates– Environmental review underway, site permitting late

2009– Construction… 2010, 5-yrs, early science ops 2012– Aircraft evaluation program & instrument design

studies underway– Prototyping of key technical systems, construction +

M&O procedures, underway – Table Mountain

SJER

SoaprootKREW

Teakettle

Wishon

NEON Transect

Current domain activities–Respond to information needs for design & NEPA–Forming Domain Science & Education Committee