NEON Operations 2016/2017: Toolik Field Station Christopher Baird Domain Manager D18.19 3352 College Avenue Fairbanks, AK 99709 Cbaird@BattelleEcology.org Faustine Bernadac Domain Assistant Manager D18.19 3352 College Avenue Fairbanks, AK 99709 Fbernadac@BattelleEcology.org NEON Operations 2016/2017: Toolik Field Station Thank you for the Opportunity to be here. Chris Baird – I was brought about the time you held this meeting last year to manage Operations with Faustine. Since I began, our staff has grown from 3 to 10 full-time staff. We’ve

Outline Infrastructure (TIS/AIS) Terrestrial Observation System (TOS) Aquatic Observation Systen (AOS) Aerial Observation Platform (AOP) NRCS Soil Characterization

NEON Tower & Soil Array Constructed & instrumented 2016; 26ft tower T20 expected - Data expected spring/summer Powered by NEON Genmod Data via satellite; relay tower install planned 2017 Assignable assets

NEON Generator System Two 48kw diesel generators 5,000g above-ground tank Auto-switch capable Diesel release 11/8/16 Remediation in process Additional spill-prevention measures 2 48kw generators. Unit sits on top of 5,000 gallon tank

AIS Aquatic Instrumentation Limited installation 2016 June 5, 2017 AIS Deployment 3 sensor sets proposed for lake 2 sensor sets proposed for Oks

NEON Terrestrial Plots (TOS) Plot types 30 Distributed 30 Tower 10 Beetle 10 Mosquito 8 Bird 8 Smammals 6 Tick 2 Phenology Protocols (Tower/Distrib) Soils (bgc, microbes) LAI MFB Herbaceous biomass Structure/diversity WHAT is the NEON soil characterization project? – It is a one-time, comprehensive analysis of the physical, chemical and taxonomic composition of soils at NEON sites. This differs from the soil pit sampled at the NEON tower in that it captures variability in soil characteristics across a NEON site, which can often differ significantly from the tower area. It also provides the baseline soil biogeochemical data for NEON’s terrestrial organismal sampling programs, particularly for the soil microbial program. Currently, we are about half-way complete with this project, with sampling completed and data coming in from 22 of our 47 sites.

Boardwalks 3 tower plots & phenology loop 10 distributed plots; 5 w/access boardwalk 2x8 & 2x10 rough cut lumber. ‘floating’

Aquatics (AOS) Initiated 2016: Toolik lake & Oks creek Broadly divided into Biology and chemistry First ‘boots on the ground’ 2 seasonal ‘core’ techs + FFT support Biology 3 ‘bio bouts’ per year Use toolik boat on lake Chemistry Lake: 12x yr Stream: 12x/yr & 14 flow-weighted

2017 projected housing needs AOS/TOS/TIS Earlier aquatic start 2018 onwards will be more even

AOP 2017 TFS July 12 – 28 planned for Toolik and Barrow. Flown during mean peak greenness, defined as the range of dates where modis ndvi is within 90% of the site maximum

NEON Soil Characterization Project A one-time, comprehensive, physical and chemical characterization of soils at NEON sites Project Goals: Characterize soils at the site-level Provide baseline soil biogeochemical data to NEON terrestrial organismal sampling programs (microbes, plants, etc.) Methods: Work carried out by NRCS soil scientists Hand-operated coring devices to 1m depth. Boreholes backfilled using local/soil materials Typically, 12-20 plots are sampled (34 plots max) Soil sampling is only allowed within NEON plots and in the areas designated for soil sampling (e.g. no disturbances to plants, mammals, etc) The NRCS will sample using a hand-operated coring device such as a SIPRE corer. The borehole will be backfilled with clean sand or local soil, depending on what is acceptable to the site host. When available native soil is used so that the local chemical and bological conditions aren’t significantly affected. We’ve completed sampling at 22 sites already and on average 19 plots are selected for sampling per site. The soil scientist, as the expert in local soil conditions, decides the number of plots that ultimately get sampled, but no more than 34 plots can be sampled. Finally, soils are sampled only within the NEON soil plots. We recognize that Toolik has a lot of research activity and we strive to minimize impacts to other measurements that NEON and the rest of the scientific community are making. WHAT is the NEON soil characterization project? – It is a one-time, comprehensive analysis of the physical, chemical and taxonomic composition of soils at NEON sites. This differs from the soil pit sampled at the NEON tower in that it captures variability in soil characteristics across a NEON site, which can often differ significantly from the tower area. It also provides the baseline soil biogeochemical data for NEON’s terrestrial organismal sampling programs, particularly for the soil microbial program. Currently, we are about half-way complete with this project, with sampling completed and data coming in from 22 of our 47 sites. Tentatively scheduled for Fall 2017

AOS Oksrukuyik Creek Biology Chemistry Sampling occurs throughout the entire reach 3 times annually during ice free period Chemistry Flow weighted and monthly dates Water Collection occurs up to 26x year, nearly every ice free Tuesday Sampling at S2, Reaeration between S1 and S2

AOS Biology (lake) Bouts 1,2, and/or 3 Sediment Chemistry All Bouts Macroinvertebrates (I,O,B, 5 stations) Peri/phytoplankton (I,O,B, 5 stations) Zooplankton (I,O,B) Sediment Chemistry (I, B) Bouts 1, 2, and/or 3 Fish, Riparian Habitat Assessment, Aquatic Plants, Bathymetry Bouts 1,2, and/or 3 Sediment Chemistry Electrofishing Riparian Habitat Assessment Bout Tentative 2017 Dates Protocols Performed I June 27- July 5 Macroinvertebrates, Periphyton and Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, Sediment chemistry, and Fish II July 21- July 26 Aquatic plants, Macroinvertebrates, Periphyton and Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, Sediment chemistry, Bathymetry, and Riparian habitat assessment III August 21- August 31 Macroinvertebrates, Periphyton and Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, Sediment chemistry and Fish 1. Plants: Double-side thatching rake 2. MacroInverts: Petite Ponar. No elegant solution yet for lack of plant mats. 3. Periphyton –chemerer plus 5 rock scrubs. 4. zooplankton: using tow net or Schindler-patalas 5. Sed chem Ponar

AOS Chem (lake) Monthly (1st Tuesday) 3 locations: Chemerer grabs at buoy, 4L Jugs at inlet & outlet Discharge (I,O) Surface water chemistry Surface microbes Stable isotopes Dissolved gas GW Chemistry (2x/yr) Design TBD June 6th Sept 5th

AOS Biology (streams) All Bouts (June 6 - 16; July 18-24; Aug. 7 – 17) Aquatic Plant Transects (10 established transects) Macroinvertebrates (8 varying locations throughout reach) Periphyton and seston (8 varying locations throughout reach for periphyton and seston occurs at S2) Benthic Microbes (8 varying locations throughout reach- same locations as algae) Sediment Chemistry (sediment of the target size was not found in 2016, it will be collected throughout the reach if it is present in the future) Bouts 1, 2, and/or 3 Fish (bouts 1 and 3, throughout the entire reach) Rapid Habitat Assessment (between bout 1 and 2, throughout the entire reach) Riparian Habitat Assessment (bout 2, 10 established points) Aquatic Plant Biomass Collection (bout 2, 2-4 m downstream of plant transects) Aquatic plants protocols in streams consist of two parts. First, observing plants along a transect which occurs at every stream bio bout. Second, tossing a quadrat just below the transect and collecting any plants or macroalgae in the quadrat which only occurs during bio bout two. Macroinverts sample w/ surber and kicknet. Periphyton is rock srubs, seston is from water sample, benthic microbes are also rock scrubs, sediment chemistry uses hand corer or scoop if sediment is present The 8 varying locations will change each bout, 5 will be in the dominant habitat (runs) and 3 will be in the subdominant habitat (riffles)

AOS Chemistry (Streams) Water Chemistry, Isotopes, Stream Discharge and Dissolved gas- up to 26x/year (S2) Surface water microbes- 12 x/year (S2) Reaeration occurs 10 x/year (between S1 and S2) Groundwater sampling occurs 2 x/year (June 6; Aug. 29) Reaeration uses a gas injection of SF6 with Bromide as the conservative tracer, a salt slug of table salt may be used to calculate travel time between sensors, quantity of input is dependent on stream discharge and will vary

Green = LTER locations. Red = Exlcusion areas Green = LTER locations. Red = Exlcusion areas. Blue = NEON proposed well locations. NEON science staff are visiting station in March with Donie to work toward finalizing locations, design, and methodologies