Cross-site Science

Learning to be a Network: What do we need for the future of Venezuelan LTER Network?

Poster Number: 
180
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Emilio Vilanova

As an attempt to assess and monitor long term ecological processes among several biological areas of the country The Venezuelan Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network (EcoRed Venezuela) was established in September 1997 with government support, through the National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICIT), the encouragement of the US LTER Network, and the cooperation of scientific institutions throughout the country.

Long-Term Effects of Climate Change on Grassland Soil Systems: A Reciprocal Transplant Approach

Poster Number: 
176
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Steven Rostkowski

Altered precipitation patterns are predicted to accompany climate change and are likely to impact grassland soil communities and nutrient cycling processes, which are dependant to a large extent soil water content. While short-term responses of soil communities and nutrient cycling to changes in precipitation amounts and soil water availability have been documented, very few studies have examined the long-term effects of these changes. A long-term reciprocal transplant experiment, initiated in 1993, provides a unique opportunity to address the long term response of soil communities (e.g.

Jules Verne Summer School on Urban Water Hydrology

Poster Number: 
171
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Marie-Noelle PONS

A field training school has been organized in Nantes (France) in August 2008 about urban water hydrology. Twenty researchers (seniors and graduate students) attended this summer school intended to learn more about the quantification of pollution fluxes in urban water systems. The aim is now to extend this first experience and to organize an international field training school during the summer 2010.

Identifying Consistency of Transitions Among Land Categories Over Time

Poster Number: 
150
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Safaa Aldwaik

We examine transitions of land categories from three points in time for the Plum Island Ecosystems site to test whether the transitions during the former time interval are consistent or different than the transitions during the latter time interval. Computer code has been created to automate this analysis for any other sites who would like to participate in this cross site comparison.

Evaluation of PCR Amplification and DNA Sequencing for Tardigrades

Poster Number: 
147
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Jeremy Whiting

While the study of the phylum Tardigrada has increased greatly in recent years, this research has been hampered by difficulties in obtaining reliable DNA sequence. For example, some researchers still rely solely on morphological identifications to proclaim new species, when DNA sequence would tell a different story. This poster will describe new oligonucleotides, thermal cycler parameters, DNA extraction techniques, and PCR cleanup steps designed to deal with this problem for sequencing single specimens.

LTERmaps

Poster Number: 
139
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Theresa Valentine

LTERmaps is an internet interface to LTER site base data.  The application uses internet mapping software to provide access to site locations, boundaries, and Trends data tables.  Several approaches were tried by the inter-site working group including off the shelf internet mapping applications, Google Maps and Google Earth.  The poster will highlight the process of collecting the data for the project, the value of video conference calls during the project, and the types of data configurations tried, and the pros and cons of the different approaches. 

 

Culturally Relevant Ecology, Learning Progressions, and Environmental Literacy - Quantitative Reasoning Impacts

Poster Number: 
136
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Robert Mayes

The NSF MSP Culturally Relevant Ecology, Learning Progressions, and Environmental Literacy project focuses on the critical education juncture of middle through high school (grades 6-12).

Development of an Ecological Acoustic Sensor Observatory

Poster Number: 
132
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Stuart Gage

Humanity has profoundly altered the biosphere in many ways. Pervasive human activities have resulted in the perturbation of the main biogeochemical processes and the massive transformation of the land surface on Earth, leading to the massive loss of biological diversity. It has been suggested that new advances in a combination of acoustic sensor technology and wireless sensor networks will provide a great deal of the spatially dense, near-real time biological observations in ways that were previously inaccessible to ecologists and environmental scientists.

Going Underground: The role of mycorrhizal fungi in promoting or inhibiting post-fire seedling establishment across treeline in Alaska

Poster Number: 
113
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Rebecca Hewitt

Soil microbes are key drivers of ecosystem processes, yet their role in regulating landscape-scale vegetation change is not known. Comprehensive studies of treeline position have noted that ectomycorrhizal fungi may be an important factor delineating the boundary between forest and tundra. Yet, these critical plant-fungal symbioses are sensitive to wildfires. Fire is the primary landscape-scale disturbance in the boreal forest and increasingly important in tundra.

Contest Result: 
1st Honorable Mention

Predicting community response to N-enrichment with SLA: a multisystem test.

Poster Number: 
109
Presenter/Primary Author: 
Marko Spasojevic

Human activities have increased the amount of available nitrogen (N) globally. Increased N-availability can change plant community structure and function, and lead to diversity loss. Species traits associated with differential resource limitation may predict how plant communities will respond to N-enrichment across ecosystems. We focused on specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area per unit leaf mass, as a candidate trait because it is correlated with high relative growth rates, photosynthetic rates, and leaf N-concentrations.

Contest Result: 
4th Honorable Mention - Tie
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