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Sierra Nevada Research Institute

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Presentation on theme: "Sierra Nevada Research Institute"— Presentation transcript:

1 Sierra Nevada Research Institute
Roger Bales Director & Professor Andy Aguilar Assistant Professor SNRI programs Vernal pool reserve Sierra Nevada water/forest research

2 SNRI mission Foster interdisciplinary research in the Sierra Nevada & Central Valley eco-region Facilitate synergistic links between science, the arts, education & natural resource management.

3 SNRI research within UC Merced
$20 M in research grants to SNRI faculty since campus opened 25 faculty from across campus

4 SNRI research themes Ecology & ecosystem science
Air pollution & public health Environmental economics, policy & management Climate & hydrology

5 Sustainability as a research umbrella for SNRI & UC Merced
Regional issue subject to global influences Core questions intersect with climate change, environmental pollution, public health, resource management, infrastructure & energy issues

6 Meeting the challenges posed by sustainability will require interactive efforts among disciplines, many of which have not yet recognized the relevance of environmental issues to their main intellectual discourse UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute brings disciplines together to address these challenges

7 Sustainability is the major challenge facing society
As a state university, UC Merced has a responsibility to help meet this challenge Regionally, our need to achieve sustainability is paramount Globally, our state must provide the templates for a sustainable future UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute is building partnerships & carrying out research to meet those challenges

8 Natural Reserve System
SNRI is developing infrastructure for research & education in the region SNRI main area of interest for developing new field facilities Map of UC Natural Reserve System

9 SNRI field facilities & research sites (incl. proposed)
Last Chance NRS PSW exp forest UCM station UCM research UC exp forest TPR Aim is to build transects of instrumented sites along gradients of latitude & elevation Link with common cyberinfrastructure for data capture, archiving & serving Fish Camp Wawona NEON SJV SJER KREW SEKI

10 UCM-SNRI Wawona field station

11 UCM-SNRI Wolverton field station, Sequoia National Park (under development)

12 The Central Valley Current thinking is to develop natural reserve access sites along elevational gradients in Central & southern Sierra Nevada – both Tulare & San Joaquin basins

13 Campus reserve

14 Central Valley vernal pools

15 Vernal pool research priorities
Biodiversity

16 Vernal pool research priorities
Biodiversity Connectivity & colonization

17 Vernal pool research priorities
Biodiversity Connectivity & Colonization Population genetics

18 Vernal pool research priorities
Biodiversity Connectivity & colonization Conservation Habitat degradation & fragmentation

19 High endemism of fairy shrimp in California

20 Educational opportunities

21 Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (CZO)
UC-USFS research partnership Underlying hypothesis: The distribution of soil moisture controls ecological & (bio)geochemical processes

22 CZO is located in the Sierra National Forest, near Shaver Lake
Wawona Fish Camp CZO CZO is located in the Sierra National Forest, near Shaver Lake Wolverton

23 Mixed conifer forest dominates the CZO, which crosses the rain-snow transition (5,000-7,000 ft)

24 Installing soil moisture probes

25

26 Snow depth sensors One over each soil pit 6-10 to capture variability

27 Snowpack loss & water storage
Warmer temperatures means shift from snow to rain & earlier melt snowpack annual storage 14 MAF 13.5 MAF 11 MAF Sacramento Valley storage San Joaquin Valley storage Likely loss of 3-5 million acre feet of snowpack storage in coming decades

28 California’s need for modern, integrated water information system
SNRI researchers are building prototype systems

29 Snow covered area from satellite
snow depth Snow covered area from satellite Tuolumne 1-25 26-50 51-75 76-100 % SCA Blend new measurements using advanced information technology for next generation of decision-support systems Merced American River prototype under development, DWR partnership DOY 131 – May 10, 2004

30 Sagehen NRS Last Chance AM sites Onion Creek Forest Blodgett Forest Vaira/Tonzi Ranches Tioga Pass Rd transect SNARL NRS Wawona Field Station Sugar Pine AM sites San Joaquin Experimental Range Southern Sierra CZO Teakettle Experimental Area Wolverton Field Station Whitaker Forest James NRS Southern California transect Central Sierra transect Southern Sierra transect Building a research network for water & ecosystem services in a changing climate

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