Critical Zone Observatories quantifying the chain of impact between geosphere and biosphere Steve Banwart, U. Sheffield, UK SoilTrEC: Soil Transformations in European Catchments FP7 Large Integrating Project

Summary of the Talk Overview of Critical Zone Science The soils research exemplar: SoilTrEC project International developments in Critical Zone science

Earth’s Critical Zone

Critical Zone Observatory Program “Real progress will required problem focused, multidisciplinary field work in natural observatories where detailed, long-term observations can be made using a variety of disciplinary tools.” (US National Academy of Science Report, BROES, 2001) The approach to observation is motivated by: hypothesis testing, process understanding across temporal and spatial scales mathematical model development, Utilising multiple sensor and sampling methods, Often high-density instrument arrays, Time series/real time measurements of coupled process dynamics, Combining large data sets with numerical simulation The critical zone is the new-surface environment that extends from the top of the vegetation canopy to the saturated groundwater zone, and includes rivers, lakes and shallow seas, and extends through the pedosphere, the unsaturated vadoze zone, and the diffuse boundary at the base of the groundwater zone.

Coupled Process Dynamics Across Spatial and Temporal Scales Basin Watershed Soil profile Grain Molecular

CZOs are magnets for multidisciplinary research Soil Science Physical Geography Hydrology Molecular Ecology Microbiology Geochemistry Engineering Computer Science Economics Management Science Sociological Sciences … and many others

The Perfect Storm In March 2010, the UK Chief Scientist stated that humanity faced a perfect storm of converging challenges within the next 40 years. Increase in population to over 9.3 billion by 2050. Doubling in demand for food Doubling in demand for fuel More than 50% increase in demand for clean water … all while mitigating and adapting to the impacts of global climate change. During recent weeks several of these projections have been updated. Human population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050 Greenhouse gas levels for N2O and CH4 have just exceeded previous records CO2 levels are increasing faster at the moment than in previous years Agricultural yields are projected to decrease overall due to insufficient water The Storm is growing in intensity Critical Zone Observatories are international focal points for basic science, testbeds for interdisciplinary solutions, and incubators for commercial innovation. Research challenges: Hindcasting to understand change Forecasting to find solutions International integration to match the urgency

The Chain of Impact

Earth’s Critical Zone: the architecture Treetop to Bedrock Soil Ecosystem Services - the heart of Earth’s Critical Zone Food and fibre production Filtering water Transforming nutrients Carbon storage Biological habitat Gene pool EU Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection, EC (2006) outlines policy to address threats to soil services.

Critical Zone Services The Chain of Impact GHGs and Climate Regulation Food and fibre production Carbon Storage Nutrient Transformation Biological Habitat Gene Pool Filtering Water Parent Material – forming soil Baseflow to rivers Storing and transmitting heat Repository for hazardous wastes Physical scaffold for landscapes Attenuating contaminants Storing and transmitting water

Critical Zone Observatories Banwart et al. (2011). Vadose Zone Journal, CZO special issue, 10, 974–987 .

Damma Glacier CZO Switzerland PI: S.M Bernasconi, ETH and the BigLink Project Team

Fuchsenbigl CZO, Austria PIs: Winfried Blum, Georg Lair, BOKU

Lysina CZO, Czech Republic Even-Aged Norway Spruce Plantation at Lysina PIs: Martin Novak, Pavel Kram Czech Geological Survey

Koiliaris CZO, Crete PI: Nik Nikolaidis, TUC

Earth’s Critical Zone: the services Mass and energy flows deliver goods and services: filtration of water new soil food, fuel, fibre transformation of nutrients and pollutants thermal energy carbon storage waste isolation scaffold for landscapes

Modelling Structure in SoilTrEC Data collection and analysis of CZO soils Small Plot Experiments Laboratory experiments Biodiversity, Food web dynamics, Life cycle analysis Modelling Plant, Weathering, Aggregate formation (PROSUM, CAST, ForSAFE) Watershed Hydrology and transport (SWAT-ICZ) Hydrology, Nutrient dynamics, Reactive transport (HYDRUS, CAST) Upscaling with GIS (GEOSTATISTICS) Evaluation of soil ecosystem services, life cycle and monitory value Spatial Scale 1D-Integrated Critical Zone (ICZ) Model

Nikolaidis N. and Bidoglio G Nikolaidis N. and Bidoglio G., Sustainable Agriculture Reviews, in press.

Carbon Amendments – Soil Fertility and Structure Slide courtesy of Nikolaos Nikolaidis, Technical U. Crete

Simulation of 2 year of Compost Addition 1D-ICZ Model – C/N/P and Soil Structure Module Simulation of 2 year of Compost Addition Carbon sequestration Water Stable Aggregates – soil fertility Porosity & Bulk Density – soil structure Slide courtesy of Nikolaos Nikolaidis, Technical U. Crete

1D-ICZ Model – Plant Module Results Biomass Production Slide courtesy of Nikolaos Nikolaidis, Technical U. Crete

Soil Function Status of Koiliaris CZO Water Filtration and Transformation Carbon Sequestration

Soil Function Status of Koiliaris CZO Biomass Production Biodiversity

Soil Threats – Erosion at Koiliaris CZO SWAT Model Simulations

Soil Sustainability – by design Design of land use through computational simulation Model of soil processes embedded within Critical Zone process model Parameterisation via web-accessible GIS Scenario analysis for mitigation of/adaptation to environmental change Valuation of full range of critical zone services

Nature, 474, 151-152, 9 June, 2011 Nature

International CZO Networks c$100M in new funding committed for CZO research worldwide since 2008 NSF CZO programme EC SoilTrEC project French Network of River Basins German AquaDiva Project German Helmholtz Centres TERENO network of CZOs 2014 workshop in Perth, Australia on CZOs for the Southern Hemisphere Interest from China in a programme of Critical Zone research International Steering Committee Steve Banwart, Jerome Gaillardet, Marty Goldhaber, Sue Trumbore, Don Sparks Project and network collaboration on: Shared sites and data Numerical simulation approaches PhD and post-doc training

Site Network on Environmental Gradients

CZOs to Focus International Science H1: CZ ecosystem services will be particularly vulnerable to extreme events; droughts, heat waves and floods. Real-time monitoring of critical zone processes with forecasting simulations within heavily instrumented CZOs H2: Climate and land use gradient experiments today can shed light on ecosystem services response to future environmental and social change. Study CZ ecosystem services on a climate gradient from equatorial Africa to Artic Europe and along a land use gradient within climate zones.

Global Experimental Design CZO Networks along gradients of climate Map from World Climate. http://www.climate-charts.com/index.html

Global Experimental Design CZO Networks along gradients of land use Map from: UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands

International CZO Research Agenda Available as download from www.czen.org

NGL - Food for Thought AquaDiva CZ biosphere project Linking above- and below- ground biodiversity Prof Kirsten Kuesel, University of Jena “Drill the Ridge” deep CZ exploration October 2013 workshop in Denver, USA Define the lower boundary of CZ Rock mass interaction with water circulation Linking technology development to basic science Prof. Cliff Reibe, U. Wyoming NGL pioneered this science 20 years ago NGL globally leading science strengths in deep CZ exploration NGL technology leaders in deep CZ exploration

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