We have developed an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of generating for the first time 3-D biogeochemical datasets in the extreme environment of perennially ice-covered Antarctic dry valley lakes. The ENDURANCE (Environmentally Non-Disturbing Under-ice Robotic ANtarctic Explorer) is in the middle of a two year campaign to map the under-ice lake dimensions of West Lake Bonney in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and is equipped to measure a comprehensive suite of physical and biogeochemical indices in the water column.

Everglades restoration calls for an increase in water delivery to the major watersheds of Everglades National Park. The response to hydrologic restoration of the estuarine end-members of these watersheds are not entirely understood. In this project, we investigate how carbon fluxes in estuarine Taylor River are related to hydrology using existing seasonal and storm-mediated changes. Here we present daily estimates of whole-ecosystem, aquatic metabolism derived from high-frequency (10 minute) changes in water column dissolved oxygen.

Plant phenology - the seasonal timing of growth, reproduction, and senescence - can be measured from the scale of individuals to biomes. Understanding the timing of plant canopy development and how it is related to climatic variables is an important step in our understanding of how grassland ecosystems are being altered by a changing climate. In this poster we compare 2 years of plant canopy development in a dry year (2002) and an average precipitation year (2005).

Holistic knowledge of the impact of landscape design and management practices on overall urban ecosystem function is essential to ensure that urban landscapes, particularly the vast portion of landscapes in urban residential areas, are conceived and managed in a sustainable manner. Research was conducted over 4 years (2004-2008) to ascertain effects of four residential landscape treatments on four ecosystem services of regional importance to urban sustainability; water conservation, microclimate regulation, carbon sequestration, and resident satisfaction.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) produced in soils primarily through the microbial processes of nitrification and denitrification. It is the major GHG emitted by US agriculture, with annual emissions from cropland greater than 1 million metric tons. Soil management activities, including nitrogen (N) fertilizer application, are the largest contributor to N2O emissions in the US, accounting for around 80% of total N2O emissions from the agricultural sector.

Accelerating demand for liquid fuel, together with concerns about anthropogenic influence on the environment and fossil fuels availability, resulted in an increasing interest in using renewable energy sources, which could be grown agriculturally. However, increasing demand for food and acceleration of land-use change have raised concerns about use of food-based bio-fuel (i.e. corn ethanol) and turned research to the direction of cellulosic feedstocks.

Palmer LTER has as its focus the marine continental shelf and marginal sea ice zone ecosystems off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is a marine pelagic and coastal site strongly influenced by the formation, extent, duration and retreat of sea ice. Over the past several decades sea ice duration has declined by 90 days and no longer persists into the summer period in our study region. At the same time, the mean wintertime (DJF) surface air temperature has increased by 6°C.