| NSF Org: |
EF Emerging Frontiers |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | February 14, 2013 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | April 2, 2014 |
| Award Number: | 1241953 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Timothy Kratz
EF Emerging Frontiers BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences |
| Start Date: | February 15, 2013 |
| End Date: | January 31, 2016 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $349,522.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $354,522.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2014 = $5,000.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1500 SW JEFFERSON AVE CORVALLIS OR US 97331-8655 (541)737-4933 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
FES, 321 Richardson Hall Corvallis OR US 97331-5752 |
| 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): | MacroSysBIO & NEON-Enabled Sci |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001415DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| 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): | 47.074 |
ABSTRACT
Temperature exerts a primary environmental control on biological systems and processes at a range of scales in space and time. Its influence is fundamental, ranging from controls on the reaction rates of enzymes, ecosystem biogeochemical reactions, and large-scale distributions of plant and animal species. Temperature is also a fundamental characteristic of climate. Indeed, much of the concern about the impact of climate warming is motivated by the pervasive influence of temperature on organisms. Although most focus is usually on air temperature, the skin temperature of an organism, such as a plant, is actually more relevant in many cases. However, until now measurements of organismal temperature using thermal images taken from some distance away have been challenging because of sensor and computational limitations. This research project addresses this gap in understanding through three goals: (1) to assess the use of thermal imaging measurements for ecological and agricultural studies, such as monitoring the response of plant canopies to heat and drought stress; (2) to demonstrate the continuous deployment of robust thermal cameras for continuous canopy imaging for a range of ecosystems; and (3) to develop scaling algorithms to relate sparse measurements at individual canopy sites to the patterns observed at regional scales by sensors on aircraft and satellites. The work will combine temperature observations at a range of spatial resolutions with synthesis activities in an innovative manner. The results will enhance our understanding of how ecosystem structure and function are related to skin temperature patterns.
This project will introduce new technology and infrastructure for long-term thermal data collection that could have a large impact on our understanding of ecological functioning across multiple scales. It will combine the diverse interdisciplinary expertise of researchers at different stages in their careers in fields including plant physiology, remote sensing, biogeography, and statistics. Results will directly inform questions concerning the link between leaf temperatures and carbon assimilation by ecosystems and the response of natural and agricultural ecosystems to drought stress. It will address scaling of properties and processes related to temperature, as is required for predicting responses to climate change. Particular focus will be on the responses of ecosystems to drought and heat waves. More tangible outcomes will be advances in understanding of plant-temperature interactions in natural and managed ecosystems, as well as the establishment of canopy thermal imaging equipment at three long-term monitoring sites. Finally, this project will integrate research and teaching through the training of post-doctoral researchers, mentoring of undergraduate students, and development of laboratory modules based on the concepts and data generated by this project for undergraduate and graduate courses in geography, earth science, ecology, and environmental science.
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.
Project Outcomes Report for “Collaborative Research: Thermal controls on ecosystem metabolism and function: scaling from leaves to canopies to regions”
PI C. Still, Co-PI R. Powell (award # 1241953)
Temperature is a primary environmental control on biological systems and processes at a range of spatial and temporal scales. Its influence is fundamental, ranging from controls on enzymatic reactions to ecosystem biogeochemistry to large-scale species distributions. Temperature is also a fundamental characteristic of climate. Indeed, much of the concern about the impact of climate warming on the biosphere is motivated by the pervasive influence of temperature on organisms. Although most focus is usually on air temperature, the thermal temperature of an organism such as a plant is actually more relevant in many cases.
The focus of this project was to enhance understanding of ecosystem thermal interactions and processes. As part of this overall objective, the project developed technology and infrastructure for long-term thermal data collection that will potentially have a large impact on our understanding of ecological functioning across multiple scales. Work on this project is directly informing key ecological questions, such as the link between leaf temperatures and carbon assimilation in various ecosystems, and the response of forest ecosystems to drought and heat stress. It addressed the scaling of ecological properties and processes related to temperature, which is critical for predicting physiological and ecological responses to climate change. This project also supported numerous applied research questions, with wide implications for ecosystems in a warming world.
Tangible research outcomes of this project include: (1) the establishment of canopy thermal imaging systems at multiple long-term monitoring forest sites; (2) advancing our understanding of plant-temperature interactions in a variety of forest types; (3) comparison of small-scale forest canopy thermal data with land surface temperature data collected by satellites; and (4) assessment of the role land-cover (e.g., forest type) plays in affecting land surface temperature.
Tangible education and broader impacts outcomes were achieved by actively integrating research and education. This included training of post-doctoral researchers and mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students, as well as developing laboratory modules based on the concepts and datasets generated through this project for undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in geography, forestry, ecology, and environmental science.
In conclusion, while thermal imaging has been mostly unexplored in ecosystem studies, it holds great potential for advancing fundamental ecological understanding. Surface temperature heterogeneity is much greater than commonly appreciated in a wide variety of forest types, and surface temperatures are often much warmer or colder than air temperature with important implications for processes like carbon assimilation. Because ecosystem surface temperature integrates water and energy cycling, it provides a new metric of ecosystem responses to climate change.
Last Modified: 04/08/2016
Modified by: Christopher J Still
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