Overview of NASA Ecosystems / Disturbance Research and Charge to Afternoon Breakouts

Woody Turner, NASA HeadquartersCC&E Joint Science Workshop

29 April 2008

Programmatic Foci

Terrestrial Ecosystems & Disturbance Research:- Remote sensing of the light environment of terrestrial vegetation and relationships with physiology (PAR, LUE, leaf chlorophyll, etc.)- Studies of the effects of insects, pathogens, and invasive species on ecosystems- Measurement and analysis of the 3-dimensional structure of vegetation to characterize habitats for and establish relationships to biodiversity- Combining remote sensing, in situ biodiversity data, and ecological models to characterize the distribution and abundance of populations, species, and/or communities- Remote sensing-based research relating global and regional patterns of disturbance to biodiversity- Vegetation and land cover mapping and change detection; identification of functional types- Forest fires and other disturbances, natural and anthropogenic in boreal zone (including tundra), for NEESPI- Impacts of socio-economic changes on land use and biodiversity

Programmatic Foci

Aquatic Ecosystems & Disturbance Research:- Remote sensing of phytoplankton physiology, including fluorescence (Equatorial Pacific, high latitude, coastal zone)- Studies of phytoplankton and plant functional group distribution, changes and biological patchiness (phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish)- Bioinformatic mapping of ocean regions (biome definition and shift)- HAB detection, mapping, process studies, and modeling (ECOHAB)- Combining remote sensing, in situ biodiversity data, and ecological models to characterize the distribution and abundance of populations, species, and/or communities

- Remote sensing-based research relating global and regional patterns of disturbance to biodiversity

Breakout Session III Charge

Breakout Session III—Science, Emerging Issues and Future Directions

Purpose:Discussions should allow workshop participants to consider scientific questions and issues that will shape future directions for the NASA Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems Focus Area. There is an emphasis on cross-cutting topics that involve more than one of the Focus Area’s program elements and/or applications areas.

All of the session topics are areas for future research by NASA and/or the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. Many have already been the subject of NASA solicitations. Individual topic breakouts will identify opportunities and priorities for NASA as well as raise issues or concerns for the Focus Area to address.

Breakout Session III Charge

Topic breakouts may start with brief, invited presentations on the scientific topic:

- why it is important, - the role of remote sensing in addressing it, and - what has been done and what may be proposed in the near

future in this regard.

Then, the breakouts will open up to allow for general discussion in order to raise and address questions and issues. One issue that is open for discussion is how upcoming NASA missions address these topics.

Topics:• High Latitude Ecosystems – land and ocean, Arctic and Antarctic• Landscapes to Coasts to Ocean and Connections• Fire Science and Applications (impacts, consequences)• Carbon-Climate Connections: Implications for society, including carbon

management• Ecosystem Consequences of Climate Change (ecosystem impacts and

feedbacks, effects on biodiversity, species invasions, protected areas, societal consequences)

• Changing Land Use, Human-Ecosystem Interactions (to include integrating natural and social science approaches)

• Science for Decision Support: Supporting Scientific Assessments

Breakout Session III Charge

Note:- Co-chairs of each session should identify Rapporteur- One co-chair will be responsible for reporting out (5 minutes) this afternoon after the Breakout - Full breakout reports are to be posted on the breakout session's discussion forum when complete

Thank You Diane!