IARC Summer School 2006: Arctic Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecosystems

Course Descriptions

A two-week workshop on Arctic Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecosystems will be held 7-19 August 2006.   The workshop will emphasize ecosystem interactions with hydrology and climate.

This workshop on Arctic Climate and Terrestrial Ecosystems is offered by the International Arctic Research Center (IARC) of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks (http://www.iarc.uaf.edu/ ) and the Ecosystems Center, a research section of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA (http://ecosystems.mbl.edu ).   It is designed to take advantage of resources offered by IARC, a collaboration of international arctic researchers, as well as those of a team of scientists undertaking a research project on BioComplexity (Land-water Interaction at the Catchment Scale: Linking Biogeochemistry and Hydrology), funded by the National Science Foundation, at the Toolik Field Station of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (http://www.uaf.edu/toolik/).

The workshop is intended to provide advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and early-career scientists with an overview of the controls of ecosystem variability in northern Alaska, from the Alaskan interior to the Arctic, and an illustration of the interplay between data collection and modeling. As the primary control, climate combines with hydrology, topography and disturbance to produce a wide variety of ecosystems in this area, ranging from the boreal forest to coastal tundra. The ecosystems are changing, and these changes can, in turn, affect climate through feedbacks involving changes in albedo, permafrost, hydrology, trace gas exchanges with the atmosphere, and other processes. The workshop aims to give students an understanding of the scientific underpinnings of the controls and feedbacks of climate-related changes in Arctic ecosystems, and will include first­hand exposure to ongoing research.

The first week of the workshop, to be spent in the Fairbanks area, will consist of lectures and discussions at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' International Arctic Research Center (IARC) together with visits to various research sites in and near Fairbanks. During the second week, the group will travel to the North Slope and stay at the Toolik Field Station in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range. Research scientists at Toolik will demonstrate the techniques and models used to study Arctic terrestrial ecosystems in the context of a changing climate. Excursions to other North Slope locations will be scheduled as logistics permit.

Lectures and demonstrations will be given by Larry Hinzman, John Wash, Vladimir Romanovsky and Doney Brette-Harte, from the University of Alaska, and John Hobbie and Gus Shaver from the Marine Biological Laboratory.   Demonstration of the planning, implementation, data collection, and modeling of the NSF-supported BioComplexity project will take place at the Toolik Field Station under the direction of Marc Stieglltz fromGeorgia Tech. The station has a computing network and Internet connections (fiber optic cable). Dr. Stieglitz will demonstrate the completed hydrology model of the site as well as the "under construction" soil chemistry and terrestrial ecosystem model. Students will gain an appreciation of how field data can be converted to process description and rates and further, how process studies and environmental information can be linked to a simulation model.

The two-week experience will enable students to bridge classroom material and cutting-edge research in the field.

The first week of the summer school will be coordinated by the International Arctic Research Center of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

International Arctic Research Center (IARC):

IARC's mission is to serve as a focal point of excellence of international collaboration and to provide the arctic research community with an unprecedented opportunity to share knowledge about science in the Arctic.   In addition to research conducted at IARC in collaboration with scientists worldwide, education and outreach are major components of IARC's activities.   Visiting scientists, workshops, and short courses (such as this "summer school") are vehicles for education and outreach at IARC.

Research at IARC is carried out under four major themes:

1. Arctic Ocean Models and Observation
2. Arctic Atmosphere: Feedbacks, Radiation, Weather Analysis
3. Permafrost/Frozen Soil Models and Observations
4. Arctic Biota/Vegetation (Ecosystem Models)

At a higher level of integration, research under these themes contributes to an improved understanding of the arctic hydrologic and carbon cycles, which in many respects are the keys to the future evolution of arctic climate.   At the highest level, IARC's research is targeted at the ultimate objective of "Reducing Uncertainty in Arctic Climate Change Prediction ."

The 2006 summer course will draw upon IARC's expertise in arctic climate, hydrology and ecosystems embodied by the research themes listed above.   It will entrain related expertise from the University of Alaska and other organizations with interests in the workshop's subject matter.

The major sources of IARC's funding are the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs, the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).   The funding for this summer workshop is provided by the National Science Foundation.

Additional information about IARC, including its history and personnel, can be found at http://www.iarc.uaf.edu

The second week of the workshop will be coordinated by the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, as part of its BioComplexity Project supported by the National Science Foundation.

National Science Foundation BioComplexity Project Summary  

(This workshop on Arctic Terrestrial and Freshwater Ecosystems is a component the NSF-supported BioComplexity Project entitled Land-water Interaction at the Catchment Scale: Linking Biogeochemistry and Hydrology).

The movement of materials such as carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) from land to water is governed by physical drivers of climate and hydrological flow, the processes of biological production and decomposition, and the chemical reactions that transform materials into either more or less reactive components in the system.   This land-water movement of materials, especially C and nutrients, provides a critical control on how both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems function, and on how they interact with each other and with the atmosphere. On the practical side, the export of organic matter and nutrients from land has enormous implications for the health and services of our waterways, coastlines, and oceans.

Little is understood about how the specific dynamics involved on land interact with the movement of water and eventual delivery of materials downstream or downslope. In fact there are few if any process-based models that can relate material export back to the underlying structure and function of the terrestrial ecosystem. While empirical studies on processes such as plant production, decomposition, and hydrological flow will continue to add to our knowledge base, the real question in biogeochemical cycling is how are all these processes linked and how do they operate together? In this project, we will answer questions about C and N cycling at the catchment scale:

• What controls the extent of element coupling in a catchment? For example, does increased soil moisture result in greater coupling of C and N and increased dissolved organic export from the system?
• To what extent can the strength and timing of drivers such as climate impact the production and movement of C and N in the catchment?
• What is the balance between water flow increasing nutrient supplies versus decreasing nutrients derived from decomposition due to water logging?

The research will use existing, state-of the-art models of hydrology and biogeochemistry, and improve them with field studies of critical processes of plant production, microbial decomposition, and production rates of dissolved substances in soil waters.   These improvements will contribute to general ecological understanding in their own right. Model simulations will show how disturbances (increased nutrients, storms) propagate across the landscape. Process-based models at this scale are critical for developing our understanding of land-use changes and eutrophication of coastlines, climate change and altered ecosystem function, and of global changes related to sea ice and deep-water formation driven by freshwater inputs to the Arctic Ocean.

This project presents a rare opportunity to unite modelers with empirical scientists. In addition, the relatively simple and pristine arctic environment is ideal for studying general questions about biogeochemical cycling at landscape scales. Finally, these circumstances will be used to help train a needed new generation of scientists familiar with the mathematics and modeling techniques necessary to advance ecological research.

Logistics

Travel and lodging expenses of successful applicants will be paid by IARC through its funding from the National Science Foundation,

Lodging during the first week of the course will be at the dormitories of the University of Alaska Fairbanks The 2 nd week will be held at the Toolik Field Station (http://www.uaf.edu/toolik), the University of Alaska Fairbanks-run research camp that is the base of operations for the Marine Biological Laboratory and many other Arctic researchers. These will be the most rustic accommodations. Housing facilities include modular units or Weather Port tents with light and heat. You will need to bring a sleeping bag and pillow.   There will be no opportunity to purchase additional items after departing Fairbanks.

The weather is very changeable and you should be prepared for conditions ranging from snow and sleet to warm sunny days. August tends to be the rainy season so raingear is essential. Mosquitoes are always a problem, although by August they are not plentiful as in early summer. Recommendations on clothing and equipment that you should bring will be provided to you after acceptance. General information may be found at the Toolik Field Station User Handbook can be found at http://www.uaf.edu/toolik/ .

Medical Insurance

In order to take part in the course, each student must have medical/accident insurance that will cover the expenses of serious illness or accident, as well as accidental death and dismemberment coverage and emergency evacuation coverage.. Policies are available for purchase that cost between $100-150. Please contact us at the phone/e-mail address below if you need more information.

How to Apply

Participants will be selected on the basis of demonstrated experience in the quantitative aspects of climate or terrestrial ecosystem research. The strength of an applicant's academic background and a supporting letter of recommendation will also be considered in the selection process. In order to apply, please send a cover letter describing the summer school's relevance to your career plans, a CV describing your academic and research backgrounds, and a letter of recommendation from your supervisor. The deadline for applications is 1 March 2006. The selection process will be completed by 31 March 2006.

Electronic submission of applications is strongly encouraged.   Receipt of applications will be acknowledged by email.   Application materials should be sent to:

Ms. Chris Lace
International Arctic Research Center
University of Alaska
930 Koyukuk Drive
P. O. Box 757340
Fairbanks, AK   99775-7340

Phone:   907-474-7413
Fax:   907-474-5662
E-mail: clace@iarc.uaf.edu