| NSF Org: |
CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | November 1, 2011 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | November 1, 2011 |
| Award Number: | 1160961 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Bruce Hamilton
CBET Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems ENG Directorate for Engineering |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2011 |
| End Date: | September 30, 2016 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $281,615.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $281,615.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1960 KENNY RD COLUMBUS OH US 43210-1016 (614)688-8735 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
332 Ag Admin Bldg Columbus OH US 43210-1067 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | CR-Water Sustainability & Clim |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.041 |
ABSTRACT
PI # 1: Welty, Claire
Proposal Number: 1058038
Institution: University of Maryland Baltimore County
PI # 2: Smith, James A.
Proposal Number: 1058027
Institution: Princeton University
PI # 3: Irwin, Elena G.
Proposal Number: 1058059
Institution: Ohio State University
PI # 4: Klaiber, H. Allen
Proposal Number: 1058064
Institution: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
PI # 5: Towe, Charles
Proposal Number: 1058101
Institution: University of Maryland College Park
PI # 6: Groffman, Peter M.
Proposal Number: 1058162
Institution: Institute of Ecosystem Studies
PI # 7: Gold, Arthur
Proposal Number: 1058194
Institution: University of Rhode Island
PI # 8: Kaushal, Sujay
Proposal Number: 1058502
Institution: University of Maryland College Park
Intellectual Merit
The goal of the proposed work is to evaluate the interactions between urban development patterns and the hydrologic cycle and its associated nutrient cycles, within the context of regional and local climate variability. The paradigm driving this research is that dynamic interactions between the natural and human components of the urbanizing landscape produce striking spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability in water storage and fluxes that are major determinants of water quantity and quality. Their specific objective is to create a modeling system capable of simulating the feedback relationships that control urban water sustainability.
They propose to address the following research questions: (1) How do human locational choices, water-based ecosystem services, and regulatory policies affect the supply of land and pattern of development over time? (2) How do the changing composition and variability of urbanizing surfaces affect local and regional climate? (3) How do patterns of development (including the engineered water system) and climate variability affect fluxes, flow paths and storage of water and nitrogen in urban areas?
The proposed work will integrate theories and models across the disciplines of hydrologic science, environmental engineering, biogeochemistry, and economics. Core elements include spatial modeling of urban development patterns and individual land use and location processes at parcel and neighborhood scales and for different policy scenarios; three-dimensional modeling of coupled surface water/groundwater and land surface-atmospheric systems at multiple scales (including consideration of the engineered water system), where development patterns are incorporated as input; and field work and modeling aimed at quantifying flow paths and fluxes of water and nitrogen in this system.
They will use the Baltimore Ecosystem Study LTER (http://beslter.org), as a platform for place-based research to carry out the proposed work. In doing so, they will take advantage of a 12-year database of hydrologic and chemical characterization data; high-resolution land-cover, land use, and socio-demographic information; and a high-density hydrologic observing system.
Broader Impacts
This project will contribute to the education and professional development of over 20 undergraduate students, seven PhD students, and three post-doctoral associates at the partner institutions supported by the project. In addition, it is expected that data produced by this project can be used in dissertation research by a number of other graduate students affiliated with the BES LTER, whose expertise spans environmental engineering, hydrology, biogeochemistry, aquatic ecology, urban and environmental economics, and public policy. New modeling capabilities will enable us to broaden the scope of training and research opportunities provided to students at all levels. New instrumentation will contribute to the growth of infrastructure capabilities of the LTER as a resource for the scientific community.
Their work involves frequent communications with local agency decision-makers involved with planning and implementing programs affecting land use and water resources, e.g., Baltimore City Department of Public Works, Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management, Maryland Department of the Environment, and the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program. Modeling tools such as the ones proposed are very much needed to support decision-making associated with water resource management. The BES LTER has an active and extensive environmental education program working with Baltimore City and County school systems; data derived from LTER-related research projects in the Baltimore area, such as the one proposed will be used in this LTER-supported program.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Meeting sustainability goals for water quantity and quality in urban watersheds requires implementation of policies that can achieve reductions in adverse human impacts on water and nutrient cycling. These impacts alter the spatial heterogeneity of landscape patterns which alters the way that water moves through watersheds and influences key processes relevant to water and air quality and regional climate dynamics. The goal of this project was to evaluate the interactions between urban development patterns and the hydrologic cycle and its associated nutrient cycles, within the context of regional and local climate variability. More specifically, we aimed to create a modeling system capable of simulating the feedback relationships that control urban water sustainability. In building this system, we addressed three research questions: (1) How do human locational choices, water-based ecosystem services, and regulatory policies affect the supply of land and pattern of development over time? (2) How do the changing composition and variability of urbanizing surfaces affect local and regional climate? (3) How do patterns of development (including the engineered water system) and climate variability affect fluxes, flow paths and storage of water and nitrogen in urban areas?
We found that accounting for spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the urban landscape and in the underlying processes that both influence and respond to urbanization and climate variability and change, is critical. We developed a series of models that account for this heterogeneity and quantify the interactions between urban development patterns and the hydrologic cycle and its associated nutrient cycles, within the context of regional and local climate variability. Our findings reveal striking heterogeneity at highly disaggregate scales that is critical for explaining and predicting these key processes. These models allow us to depict how changes in land development, e.g., suburban sprawl affect hydrologic and biogeochemical functions relevant to water quality and local climate, e.g., urban heat island. Further, we show how these changes feedback to further affect land development via effects on land and housing values and the provision of ecosystem services and disamenities. Our results provide conceptual approaches and practically relevant models capable of contributing to the development of sustainable cities across the U.S.
Last Modified: 12/30/2016
Modified by: H. Allen Klaiber
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