The aim of this working group will be to continue planning for development of the ARC LTER renewal proposal, due Feb 1 2010.  By holding this meeting at the ASM we will take advantage of the fact that a large group of ARC investigators, staff, and students will be present and available to attend, although the meeting will be open to all.

Of all the ecosystem services, a sustainably supply of water may be the most important. Streamflow from forests alone provides two-thirds of the water supply in the United States, implying that water supplies depend entirely on a range of natural ecosystem types. Climate change, drought, outbreaks of insects and pathogens, wildfire, and ecological succession are altering ecosystems’ ability to provide abundant, clean water from the headwaters of our water supply systems.

Phenology is a critical aspect of nearly all ecological phenomena and processes. We propose a brain storming workgroup to take the next step in coordinating phenology monitoring and research across the LTER Network. The inspiration for this working group proposal has its roots in the 2006 ASM working group, the 2007 Sevilleta Workshop and the 2007 AGU Fall Meeting (see working group material). The paper by Henebry et al. 2007, "A White Paper on Phenology across LTER",  provides overview, background, and potential starting points for this session.

The Purpose of this working group is to bring together remote sensing and GIS researchers as well as site principal investigators and LTER Information Managers to discuss issues raised by the new LTER Ad-hoc Remote Sensing Committee.  The focus of these discussions will be what types of data are needed for the LTER Network, particularly in light of needs for ISSE research, and how to make the remote sensing data accessible at the Site and Network level.  In addition, there will be discussion of a framework for the organization of a proposed LTER "Spatial data and analysis com

Several LTER sites have explored engagement with the arts/humanities, for example: performing arts at Bonanza, visual arts at North Temperate Lakes, writing/philosophy at Andrews Forest, environmental history/literature at Harvard Forest. These collaborative undertakings have resulted in public performances; publication of books, essays and poems; and gallery displays of art work. This work is both outreach and also primary inquiry as people with different ways of knowing experience and communicate about the ecosystems studied by LTER scientists.

Soil C accumulation and turnover are important processes globally: soils contain about 1.5 x 1018 g C, which is 2 3 times that in vegetation. The C flux between soils and the atmosphere is large, with soil respiration representing about 10 times the C flux due to fossil fuel combustion. Thus, any temperature or land-use-induced change in rates of soil C turnover will markedly affect the global C cycle.