Project Description – Planning Workshop Proposal
“Creating a Global Network of Mountain Observatories”
Objective:
Establish a global network of mountain observatories.
Statement of need
Mountains are high-value features within the Earth system. They cover a quarter of the Earth’s terrestrial surface. Their vertical extension creates great habitat over short distances, increases precipitation relative to adjacent lowlands and favors large water reservoirs in the form of glaciers, snowpack and permafrost. While often seen as resource-rich but forbidding in temperate and boreal climates, mountains are prime human habitat in tropical regions with much higher population densities than in adjacent lowland forests, plains, or deserts.
Mountain regions are experiencing profound environmental changes, which translate into serious challenges to society because of the tight coupling between social and ecological systems[1]. The reduction in water stored as snow and ice, driven by the shift from snow to rain as well as reductions in amount, reduce groundwater recharge in mountainous areas as well as the timing and amount of streamflow. These impacts are felt locally but also in cities and agricultural areas far downstream that rely on mountain water in regions as diverse as western North America, the altiplano in South America, Central Asia, and China. Increasingly destructive wildfire, degraded wildlife habitat, and wildland-urban interface conflict are additional challenges to mountain economies and communities, especially in Europe and North America. Disease vectors, invasive species, biodiversity loss and water pollution similarly afflict disparate regions around the world. These social-ecological problems exist worldwide with a great deal of regional differentiation, but also with many common features.
Bringing science to bear on these issues requires more comprehensive, long term data on mountain systems around the world, not only to understand the nuances in each system, but also to identify the commonalities and the possible responses to management decisions.
A global network of observatories on mountain social-ecological systems is a key step toward obtaining these data and promoting these analyses. Observatories of various types exist already in mountains around the world; the key is to bring them into communication with each other and to move toward congruent observing methodologies that reveal the complexity of these social-ecological systems.
A network of observatories accelerates innovation and aligns methodologies. A network promotes exchange on questions and methods, by making members’ work more explicit, and transparent and by breaking barriers between disciplines and cultures. A network can also develop data analysis and management tools to support “silo-breaking” and to accelerate learning.. Members within the network build stronger contacts, see different solutions, and learn whom they can work with to find help with their challenges.
A network of mountain observatories that explicitly promotes inclusion of stakeholders will be far more effective at informing practice and policy. Many of the environmental issues facing mountain regions have massive social implications. Observatories can serve as “active sites” where researchers can engage with and learn from advocates, business, and elected officials. Such a network will also encourage active engagement with their communities, k-12 groups, NGO’s and institutions of higher learning.
List of workshop topics
Discussion topics will include some of the following. The final list of topics will be developed in collaboration with the invited participants via email prior to the event. The focus will be to address tractable as well as urgent socio-ecological issues that can be addressed by a network of field stations.
1) Topical questions:
What are the key science questions that influence the organization and operation of the network?
2) Organization/Structure:
How should the network be structured?
What is the minimum level of organization needed to move the network agenda forward?
What kinds of services should this network make available to its members?
What lessons can we learn from other similar networks such as The Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON)?
How should the network engage with existing related science organizations and events? (e.g. National Park Service Inventory & Monitoring, National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), National Phenology Network (NPN), Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS), Perth Conference, The Mountains of our Future Earth, American Geophysical Union (AGU), Ecological Society of America (ESA), etc.)
How can we incorporate the findings and suggestions outlined by the NAS report [2]
3) Research Design/Methods:
What are key variables now and for the future?
What are cutting-edge sensing technologies in the biophysical realm and how can this cutting edge become accessible and uniform across sites?
What is the state of the art in observing social-ecological systems?
What are the protocols and standards?
Is there an existing catalog of methods?
What are key data gaps when looking across stations?
What technologies are currently available for the network?
4) Data/Information Management and Communication:
What kinds of internal communications should the network establish?
How does one bring together data from many different sites?
What can be done now with existing data?
What technologies are currently available for the network?
What is the ideal information system that we would like for the network in the future?
5) Modeling
Are there modeling frameworks that could serve to unify approaches?
How does scale up to a larger regional context?
6) Tech Transfer and Education
What are best practices for engaging with local stakeholders and policy actors?
What is the ideal communication platform that we would like for the network in the future?
How do we engage broader audiences in both the design of the network and how information derived from the network serves a much broader purpose. These would include land managers, the public, the K-12 community, institutions of higher learning, etc.
Recent meetings
Within the last few years there have been several meetings internationally and within the US with managers/scientists representing facilities on most of the continents to discuss the relevance and importance of establishing a network of observatories within the mountainous regions of the planet. These meetings and workshops have been a grass-roots effort leading to this proposal.
● The Mountain Research Initiative and the University of Nevada Reno hosted the Global Fair and Workshop on Observatories of Mountain Social-Ecological Systems from 16-19 July 2014 in Reno, Nevada. Roughly 175 researchers participated in this event with one third of the participants traveling from outside of the US. There is broad consensus among the participants to move forward with defining and creating a mountain observatories network.
● At the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS) annual meeting in September 2014, an ad hoc committee was established to explore interest in such a network from existing member field stations. There is strong interest. A steering group was formed to set this two day meeting to create the network, just prior to the 2015 OBFS annual meeting.
Chairperson and members of organizing committee and their organizational affiliations
Chairperson:
● Jeff Brown, Director, Central Sierra Field Research Stations (Sagehen Creek Field Station, Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, Onion Creek Experimental Forest, North Fork Association Properties, Chickering Reserve), University of California – Berkeley, CA USA, and chair of the OBFS ad hoc committee: Mountain Observatories.
Committee members:
● Ian Billick, Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL), Gothic, CO USA; Past OBFS President
● Gregory Greenwood, Director, Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
● Art McKee, Mountain Social Ecological Observatory Network (MtnSEON), and Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana
● Faerthen Felix, Assistant Manager, Sagehen Creek Field Station, Truckee, CA USA
Potential Workshop Invitees:
Last / First / AffiliationBrown / Jeffrey / U C Berkeley - Sagehen Creek Field Station
Felix / Faerthen / U C Berkeley - Sagehen Creek Field Station
Kirchner / James / ETH - Zurich, Switzerland
Billick / Ian / Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory
McKee / Art / Mtn SEON
Greenwood / Greg / Mountain Research Initiative
Gropp / Robert / American Institute for Biological Sciences
Hamilton / Michael / U C Berkeley - Blue Oak Ranch Reserve
Millar / Connie / United States Forest Service
Harpold / Adrian / University of Nevada, Reno
Lohr / Steve / USFS - National Partnership Office
Power / Mary / University of California, Berkeley
Dawson / Todd / University of California, Berkeley
Bowie / Rauri / University of California, Berkeley
Stine / Peter / United States Forest Service - Pacific Southwest Research Station
Osterhuber / Randall / U C Berkeley - Central Sierra Snow Laboratory
Schulze / Mark / Oregon State University - HJ Andrews EF
Nelson / Michael / Oregon State University - HJ Andrews EF
Gragson / Ted / University of Georgia - Coweeta EF
Fahey / Tim / Cornell Unversity - Hubbard Brook EF
Bourgeron / Patrick / University of Colorado - Niwot Ridge EF
Vanderbilt / Kristin / University of New Mexico - Sevilleta LTER
Crabtree / Bob / Yellowstone Ecological Research Cntr
Bansak / Tom / University of Montana - Flathead Lake Bio Station
Kennedy / Brian / University of Idaho - Taylor Ranch
Wisdom / Michael / USFS Starkey EF
Graham / Russell / USFS Priest River EF
Keane / Robert / USFS Tenderfoot Ck EF
McGlynn / Brian / USFS Tenderfoot Ck EF
Kennedy- Sutherland / Elaine / USFS Coram EF
Loescher / Hank / NEON
Garman / Steve / USGS
Carroll / Rosemary / Desert Research Institute
Kauneckis / Derek / Ohio University
Flint / Courtney / Utah State University/iUtah
Williams / Dan / USFS Research
Tucker / Catherine / University of Indiana
Hooper / Richard / CUASHI
Bode / Collin / U C Berkeley - Angelo Reserve/CZO
Gaetani / Francesco / GEO/GNOME
Provenzale / Antonella / University of Turin/GNOME
Allison / Lee / Belmont e-infrastructure
Geller / Gary / JPL/GEO
Andersson / Krister / University of Colorado/IFRI
Chhetri / Netra / Arizona State University/Gandaki River Basin, Nepal
Brown / Renée / University of New Mexico - Sevilleta LTER
Jones / Amber / Utah State University, iUtah
Hart / Robbie / Missouri Botanical Gardens/China
Klein / Julia / Colorado State Univ/Mountain Sentinels RCN
Jackson-Smith / Douglas / Utah State University, iUtah
Kelsey / Eric / Plymouth State University
Holmquist / Jeff / University of California, Los Angeles
Littell / Jeremy / United States Geological Survey
Strachan / Scotty / University of Nevada, Reno
Biondi / Franco / University of Nevada, Reno
Bode / Collin / University of Calfiornia - Berkeley Angelo CZO
Eubanks / Steve / USFS retired
Waide / Bob / LTER network office
Brunt / James / LTER network office data management
Williams / Mark / University of Colorado/INSTAAR
Bowman / Bill / University of Colorado/Niwot
Fenstermaker / Lynn / University of Nevada/DRI
Chung-MacCoubrey / Alice / NPS/Sierra Nevada
Nesmith / Jonathan / NPS/Sierra Nevada
Hergarten / Chris / University of Central Asia/Naryn Learning Landscape
Carrascal / Daniel Ruiz / Escuela de Ingenieria de Antioquia/Los Nevados (CO)
Peralvo / Manuel / CONDESAN/Tropical Andes
Gunya / Alexey / Russian Academy of Science/Mt. Elbrus
Vanacker / Veerle / University of Cuenca/Llavircay
Chang / Ruiyang / Chinese Academy of Science /Gongga Shan NP
Scheurer / Thomas / Swiss Academy of Science/Swiss NP and BR
Hemp / Andreas / University of Bayreuth/Kilimanjaro
Kanka / Robert / Slovak Academy of Sciences/Tatra NP
Galop / Didier / Université de Toulouse/OPHV (Pyrénées)
Spiegleberger / Thomas / IRSTEA/Col de Lauteret (Alpes)
Spehn / Eva / University of Basel/Alpine LTER
Nakileza / Bob / Makerere University/Mt. Elgon&Rwenzori
Timoshok / Eugenii / Russian Academy of Science/Altai
Shahgedanova / Maria / University of Reading/Caucasus&Central Asia
Nosenko / Gennady / Russian Academy of Science/Caucasus
Kutuzov / Stansilav / Russian Academy of Science/Caucasus
Bonet / Francisco / University of /Sierra Nevada(ES) NP
Schallhart / Nikolaus / University of Innsbruck/Obergürgl
Freppaz / Michele / University of Turin/Monte Rosa
Andrews / Christopher / Centre for Ecology and Hydrology/Cairngorms
Qi / Xiaojing / Lanzhou University/Qilian Mountains
Ferguson / Willem / University of Pretoria/Mareipskop
Fontana / Veronika / EURAC/Matsch Valley
Franz / Helmut / BerchtesgadenNP
Venn / Susanna / ANU/Kosciusko NP
Ueno / Kenichi / Tsukuba University/Japanese Alps
Allsop / Nicky / South African Environmental Observing Network
Hiltbrunner / Erika / University of Basel/Furkapass
Wohlfahrt / Georg / University of Innsbruck/Neustift
Pauli / Harald / University of Vienna/GLORIA
Butyaert / Wouter / Imperial College London/Mountain-EVO
Boerst / Uwe / University of Boon/Karakorum
Dawes / Nick / SLF/Davos
Location and probable date(s) of the meeting
The Meeting will be held just prior to the OBFS annual meeting at RMBL, starting at 4pm on 13 September 2015 and ending at 5pm on 15 September 2015. RMBL has confirmed availability.
Scheduling this meeting in conjunction with the OBFS meeting facilitates participation by field station personnel, reduces travel costs and lowers the meeting’s environmental impact.
Method of announcement or invitation
We will invite workshop participants individually via email.
Workshop organization, structure and dissemination of results
The workshop will be organized in 3 main phases.
#1: The opening on the evening of 09/12/15 will set the stage and layout the expectations from the participants.
#2 The bulk of the two remaining days will tackle 6 major topics for creating the network. These 6 major areas will be created from the draft list of 10 via consultation with invited participants. These sessions will feature one or two invited speakers to provide overviews or suggested solutions, with the rest of the session devoted to discussion.
#3 The balance of the last day will be used to draft a statement, set next steps and strategy for implementation.
A document summarizing results, goals, objectives, network structure and next steps will be emailed to meeting participants, MRI, OBFS, MTSEON, and other groups identified during the workshop and the final report will be submitted to NSF.
BUDGET JUSTIFICATION
Plan for recruitment of attendees
We currently have a list of over 50 candidates. The organizers expect to prioritize invitations in order to address adequately disciplinary, institutional and information technology concerns and to represent the major mountain regions of the world. We will invite attendees individually based on priority until our target number of 45 attendees has been met. Our invitee list (see above) is diverse in terms of representation of women and minorities, and includes students and underrepresented groups in science. Solicitation of interest in attending has begun and there are already 35 who have tentatively committed to attend. So there is quite a bit of interest in this meeting and effort. Attendees will be traveling to arrive at the Rocky Mountain biological Lab (RMBL) on 13 September 2015 and then traveling on the 16 September 2015 to return. Meals to begin with Dinner on 13 September through travel sack lunch 16 September with 3 nights lodging