1. The National Ecological Observatory Network is a project sponsored by the National Science Foundation and managed under cooperative agreement by NEON Inc. Thanks to Tony Beasley for the NEON slides Roger Bales Professor & Director Sierra Nevada Research Institute UC Merced

2. –Ecosystem services & water –Changes in native biodiversity & invasive species. –Designed with climate change as the driver Three broad west-east transects & paired north-south transects down the coast ranges &Sierra, joining at the transverse ranges &extending to the peninsular ranges B SC LA SB R D 36 M SD B S T V J I http://www.caleon.org NEON in California & the CalEON network NRS sites Ameriflux sites Jasper ridge UC campuses. San Joaquin Experimental Range

3. San Joaquin Experimental Range, proposed NEON core site for California

4. NEON: National overview NEON: A continental-scale ecological observatory Four fundamental science subsystems sampling the drivers/responses of ecological change on spatial scales from microbes to land-masses Enable forecasting the impacts of climate change, land use change & invasive species on continental- scale ecology Infrastructure backbone for other experiments in NEON domains… GCE, STREON Design & development phase, construction 2010

5. NEON Fundamental Science Systems FSU:Fundamental Sentinel Unit Human Observers/Samplers FIU:Fundamental Instrument Unit Automated Instrumentation AOP:Airborne Observation Package Aircraft Remote Sensing LUAP:Land Use Analysis Package Satellite Remote Sensing + + Education: Prepare society & the scientific community to use NEON data, information, forecasts.

6. NEON scientific deployment 20 Domains in U.S. –20 Core sites –40 Relocatable sites –18 Mobile laboratories 2 Airborne observing packages Land use analysis package

7. NEON Domains 20 = Science + pragmatism….

8. Downed Woody Debris (7.32 m) Herb cover (1 m 2 ) Sapling/shrub biomass (2.07 m radius) Annular plot (17.95 m radius) Soil Sampling (point sample) Biomass plot (1 m 2 ) Litterfall plot (1 m 2 ) Litter decomposition plot (1 m 2 ) Vegetation plot design 168 m 2 plot National Forest Service Inventory and Analysis Program (Frayer and Furnival 1999)

9. 9 Advanced – Basic – Relocatable - Mobile 0 1 2 3 X X X X X X Towers

10. Supporting facilities for science & education –Chemical analysis facility –Isotopic analysis facility –Genomic analysis facility –BioArchive collections and curation –Calibration/Validation (cal/val) Laboratory –Training manuals and courses, colloquia –Digital field guides, keys, & manuals –Information for decision support –(longer term) Data and forecast production facility

11. NEON aquatic experiment: STREON STREON Experiment – Stream manipulation – 10 locations in U.S. – Low-order streams – Nutrient additions (5x ambient) – Top consumer removals – Conceptual design ready Stream packages planned for KREW & Teakettle

12. Ongoing national activities –Program & preliminary design reviews ongoing –Arch/Eng – designs for 20 core sites, 40 relocatable sites, associated cost estimates –Environmental review underway, site permitting late 2009 –Construction… 2010, 5-yrs, early science ops 2012 –Aircraft evaluation program & instrument design studies underway –Prototyping of key technical systems, construction + M&O procedures, underway – Table Mountain

13. SJER Soaproot KREW Teakettle Wishon NEON Transect

14. Current domain activities –Respond to information needs for design & NEPA –Forming Domain Science & Education Committee