CE Specialist in Biometeorology (100% CE FTE)
Department of Land, Air and Water Resources
Position Title: This Specialist position focuses on the application of biometeorology concepts towards agricultural, urban environment, and ecological sustainability with respect to the impacts of weather and climate.
Position: The CE Biometeorology Specialist is a broadly trained and experienced scientist with a strong background in biometeorology, agricultural climatology, or a related field, focusing her/his research and extension activities on several of the following topics: (1) evaporation, evapotranspiration, and agricultural and urban irrigation scheduling, (2) freeze/frost protection, (3) crop phenology, growth, and crop production, (4) heat stress and chilling, (5) air pollution, (6) climate change impacts on agricultural, urban landscapes, and natural ecosystems, fire danger projections, and (7) weather and climate impacts on livestock, other animals, and humans. For example, for (1), this Specialist could work with irrigation specialists, faculty, and county advisors to address methods to optimize water productivity of annual and perennial crops by improving evapotranspiration estimation and irrigation scheduling. The incumbent will develop a mission-oriented research and extension program to help California growers, urban clientele, and ecologists to minimize adverse weather and climate impacts on agricultural, urban, and natural ecosystems due to drought, heat stress, freeze/frost injury, and limited chilling. The incumbent is expected to serve as a resource on most of these topics and to develop an active research and extension program on evapotranspiration, irrigation scheduling, and some additional topics of interest.
Justification: Water demand in the Central Valley and other parts of California greatly exceeds the supply from precipitation, so the transfer of water for use in irrigated agriculture and in urban landscapes is necessary for sustainability of agriculture and urban lifestyle within the State. While information on water demand has improved in recent decades, there are still many gaps in the information database that need to be addressed. For example, the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) provides information on reference evapotranspiration for the State, and new and improved information on crop and landscape evapotranspiration coefficients is emerging continuously. However, with more than 300 crops and multiple urban landscape combinations, the coefficients to convert from reference to crop and landscape evapotranspiration generally have minimal verification. In addition, contributions of fog, dew, light rainfall, and water tables to the water balance of crops is known to reduce the demand for water, but these contributions are not well quantified. This often leads to the over-estimation of water demand. Other than for major crops, the acreage planted, planting and growth dates, and other cropping details are mostly unknown. This information is sorely needed to help California develop its water plan, which is critical for the State to understand and address water demand in a changing climate. In addition, better information on crop and landscape evapotranspiration is needed to help irrigators use irrigation water efficiently. This is especially true as the population grows and climate changes.
Growers in the State of California lose millions of dollars each year to freezing injury (frost damage), and without a biometeorology specialist, UCCE will have minimal expertise in this important subject area. Using phenological models to predict crop development is important for improvements in water demand planning as well as for protecting crops against freeze injury and for pest management. The biometeorology specialist can provide expertise on the prediction of phenological development. One of the expected outcomes from climate change is that nighttime and winter temperatures are likely to increase more than daytime and summer temperature. Because many fruit and nut crops have chilling requirements for production, this will become an increasingly important topic in California that needs research and extension. In addition, the combination of higher humidity and CO2 concentration in combination with light wind speeds could lead to periods of high heat stress if climate change projects are correct. More work on understanding and dealing with this response to climate change is needed to help sustain production of heat sensitive crops. Air pollution is a problem in many urban and rural areas of California, and the specialist can contribute to research and outreach related to minimizing the adverse effects of air pollution. In addition, the candidate can develop programs to address climate change impacts on all types of ecosystems, as well as fire danger projections.
Extension: The specialist will be expected to help organize and participate in ANR Field Days and other client-focused programs, workshops and events, as well as to disseminate information in print and online venues. The specialist will work with other CE specialists in Land, Air and Water Resources, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and Plant Sciences, as well as with county advisors to coordinate research and demonstration activities across the state. Key clientele groups will include growers, urban landscape professionals and homeowners, California Department of Water Resources, National Weather Service, California Air Resources Board, irrigation districts, and municipalities.
Research: Most crops in California are irrigated, and the candidate is expected to develop a research and extension program related to water demand planning and/or improving water productivity in irrigated agricultures. These activities can address evapotranspiration and/or any of the water balance components used to improve water productivity. The specialist is expected to serve as a resource on research and extension of frost protection (freeze injury) information for county advisors and the public. In addition, the candidate can develop research programs related to any of the topics mentioned in the position justification in cooperation with faculty, specialists, and advisors.
ANR Network: In Atmospheric Sciences, Professor Paw U conducts research and teaching on many of the subjects mentioned above. In addition, Professors Anastasio and Faloona work extensively on air pollution and weather in California. Professors Chen and Paw U work on Mesoscale/Microscale meteorological modeling, which has the potential to address many of the urban and rural problems in California if there is a CE biometeorology specialist to work with them on research and extension. Specialists in LAWR include the new CE specialists Dr. Sandoval (water resources and policy) and Dr. Zaccaria (farm water management), and other specialists Dr. Grattan (salinity and plant-water relations), Dr. Harter (ground water), and Dr. O'Geen (soil science). They work on various aspects of irrigated agriculture, and the biometeorology specialist position will complement the group by providing expertise on weather, climate, and evapotranspiration. The new position will provide expertise to support county advisors to develop water efficient irrigation systems that are needed for the sustainability of agriculture in California.
Support: The incumbent will have laboratory facilities and support from LAWR faculty and staff. The candidate will have access to research facilities including the LAWR Campbell Tract, Russell Ranch, and the Kearney Agricultural Center. LAWR will provide an office and laboratory, administrative, and communications support consistent with that provided to other faculty.
Other Support: Sources of research and development funding and in-kind support include grower groups, USDA and NSF programs, Specialty Crop Grants, California Departments of Food and Agriculture and Water Resources, irrigation districts, and Commodity Boards. There are also opportunities to collaborate with other California universities and with private enterprise.
Location: Because Atmospheric Science and other LAWR colleagues are based in UC Davis, the position is proposed to be located on the Davis campus. As noted above, the candidate is expected to collaborate with faculty and specialists in LAWR. In addition, facilities at the Campbell Tract and Russell Ranch will enable the Specialist to carry out research and demonstration trials.
Developed and proposed by: This position was developed by LAWR in consultation with ANR. The position is strongly supported by the California Department of Water Resources and the National Weather Service.