Enhancing the Value and Sustainability of Field Stations and Marine Laboratories in the 21st Century (2014) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
3 Networking Field Stations for Discovery and Innovation
3 Networking Field Stations for Discovery and Innovation
Pages 33-44
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 33... ...
Existing field station networks and collaborative efforts range from informal associations among scientists, such as the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network17 and the Nutrient Network,18 to more formal consortia that collect data on a variety of ecological processes, such as the Long-Term Ecological Research Network19 (LTER) and the National Ecological Observatory Network20 (NEON)
|
From page 34... ...
Field stations would benefit substantially from networking with each other and with national parks, wildlife refuges, estuarine research reserves, and other research centers. This would provide novel opportunities to enhance research capacity and financial efficiency while sparking innovation and opening new arenas of scientific inquiry, education, and outreach (Box 3-1)
|
From page 35... ...
Field stations and the resulting science would benefit greatly from coordinated and standardized data management protocols and data portals. Field stations could become nodes for development of regional clusters that include other research centers or sites for particular environmental challenges and research.
|
From page 36... ...
A robust, comprehensive environmental sensing network would require strategies to become more inclusive by supporting the web presence and data storage for field stations or other approaches that would accomplish regional data integration across NEON, LTER, field stations, and other research centers -- particularly aquatic research that explores connectivity between terrestrial, coastal, and ocean ecosystems. Longitudinal data and natural-history observations collected at field stations are complementary to and could help explain and interpret the data collected at NEON.
|
From page 37... ...
The same is true for wildland and prescribed fire management. Field stations can provide data on wildland fuel conditions, local weather, and historical fire regimes, and trained staff and training sites (such as the Archbold Biological Station27 and the Tall Timbers Research Station.28)
|
From page 38... ...
For nearshore marine sites, the combined efforts of numerous marine laboratories produced useful research to guide fisheries and intertidal management.29 Networking has also improved the brick and mortar infrastructure of some field stations. Sustainable and cost-effective construction at some field stations has benefited from the OBFS members who share their data on green buildings and energy efficiency.30 Networks also can help to distribute demand for access to provide protection of particularly sensitive natural areas.
|
From page 39... ...
Most field stations operate at near capacity, and taking on a partnership in a network may require additional human or financial resources. The level of cyberinfrastructure at field stations, including cellular communication, adequate data transmission capabilities, computer resources, and video conferencing, varies significantly and is a barrier that needs to be addressed.
|
From page 40... ...
The Utah consortium links field stations that are administered by universities and state and federal agencies. The consortium is "dedicated to promoting a deeper understanding of Utah's diverse ecosystems and contributing to the sustainable, economic use of Utah's natural resources." Launched in 2010, an important first step for the consortium was to provide concise information on a publicly accessible website about each field station, including contact information, onsite resources, research focus, and links to the websites of the individual stations.a The UFSN website conveys an important educational message by emphasizing that gradients in elevation strongly influence the diverse natural ecosystems in Utah.
|
From page 41... ...
Once long time-series data and information are collected and shared in a uniform manner across field station sites, field stations can collectively become major contributors to assessing ecological change at a larger scale and contribute to environmental resilience and sustainability science. In addition, bottom-up, voluntary field station networks could replicate benefits offered by NSF-sponsored research coordinating networks, such as the LTER networks, which funds regional opportunities for field stations to develop shared research questions, allow graduate students and faculty to interact beyond their normal extent as colleagues, and share outreach and teaching programs.
|
From page 42... ...
Energizing a "critical mass" of these institutions in collaborative observational programs could provide new insights into global change. For example, a network of field stations might offer data and information on regional damage, resilience, and recovery responses to extreme weather events, such as Superstorm Sandy, that would not be possible with data from a single station (Figure 3-2)
|
From page 43... ...
Red triangles indicate the locations of field stations. Conclusions Many field stations operate independently.
|
From page 44... ...
Universities and funding organizations should provide incentives for networking of field stations that meet those criteria. NSF and other funding agencies could encourage networking of field stations through the request-for-proposal process by giving preference to proposals that link multiple field stations.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.