The U.S. Global Change Research Program An Assessment of the FY 1991 Plans (1990) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix B: Comments on Projects in the Science Priority Elements of the FY 1991 USGCRP
Appendix B: Comments on Projects in the Science Priority Elements of the FY 1991 USGCRP
Pages 90-98
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From page 90... ...
Significant new initiatives dealing with the management of global change data constitute a major budget element, particularly for NOAA and NASH Some diversity is desirable in data handling, but the degree of coordination in the plans available suggests there may be excessive duplication and inadequate communication between agency laboratories carrying out similar functions.
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From page 91... ...
Some programs included in the Climate and Hydrologic Systems science element by other agencies show a lack of balance and focus that might well be remedied by involving a wider community in their formulation. BIOGEOCHEMICAL DYNAMICS The emerging field of biogeochemical dynamics is among the better developed in the global change effort, and many projects have now been developed over the past five or ten years.
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From page 92... ...
A strong Earth Probes program would help to meet these needs, as would EOS, given its more comprehensive set of sensors and longer duration. In many areas in biogeochemical dynamics, as in other fields of global change research, there are serious limitations in human resources.
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From page 93... ...
" The IGBP effort in Past Global Changes (PAGES program) has identified two domains of temporal emphasis: the last 2000 yrs; and the late Quaterna~y period that embraces the major glaciations and the abrupt changes of climate (occurring over periods of 10 to 1000 yrs)
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From page 94... ...
HUMAN INTERACTIONS The human interactions component of the USGCRP introduces many complexities, mainly because it demands linkages between the natural and social sciences that have not existed in the past, and because within the social sciences, experience and development in this field of endeavor are not as far along as in other areas of global change research. The projects in the FY 1991 budget within this science element appropriately include a number of efforts to establish the base-line data required for understanding human interactions (e.g., land cover change, emission flux)
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From page 95... ...
At the same time it-is unrealistic to expect the social science community to bend its efforts toward the ends of the program unless there are funds adequate to sustain participation and projects identified to channel it. If the FY 1991 budget recommendations are indicative of what will follow, there is neither enough funding nor adequate project definition for the human interactions component to keep abreast of the demands of the program.
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From page 96... ...
NOAA also plans to focus efforts on developing modeling capabilities for global change on the time scale of decades to centuries. Other agencies may wish to join in the latter effort.
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From page 97... ...
DOCUMENTING GLOBAL CHANGE This area is included in the CEES program for the USGCRP as an integral part of the effect on Data and Information Systems. A prioritized
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From page 98... ...
The EOS program has since defined, de facto, a proposed eventual space-based component to be complemented by measurements in the Earth Probe series, albeit over shorter periods of time. We believe that the detection of significant long-term global change is so central to the goals of the USGCRP, and so clear an obligation to future scientists, that it should be considered explicitly for added emphasis in the early stages of the program.
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