NGEE Arctic
Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments
Advancing the predictive power of Earth system models through understanding
of the structure and function of Arctic terrestrial ecosystems
Progress and Accomplishments
Microtopography determines how active layer depths respond to changes in temperature and precipitation at the NGEE-Arctic BEO sites
We applied a well-tested three-dimensional coupled biogeochemistry, hydrology, vegetation, and thermal model (ecosys) to polygonal tundra sites to quantify and scale the effects of microtopography on active layer depths.
Impacts of microtopographic snow-redistribution and lateral subsurface processes on hydrologic and thermal states in an Arctic polygonal ground ecosystem: Development and testing in the E3SM Land Model
The NGEE-Arctic and E3SM Land Model (ELM) groups recognize the importance of 3-dimensional processes, so we developed an ELM version that includes thermal and hydrological dynamics to investigate these processes at the BEO.
PeRL: A circum-Arctic permafrost region pond and lake database
A newly published database of permafrost zone waterbodies with better than 5 m resolution will improve next-generation land model representations of high-latitude hydrology and biogeochemistry.
The differential free energy of activation in the transition state of Michaelis-Menten-Monod enzymatic reactions
A classical thermodynamic theory was extended to better characterize microbial process for integration with next generation land models.
A global trait-based approach to estimate leaf nitrogen functional allocation from observations
Motivated by the strong N limitations in high-latitude systems, a comprehensive global analysis of nitrogen allocation in leaves was developed for integration in ESM-scale land models.
Zero power warming (ZPW) experiment started
We started a replicated (n=5 chambers) warming experiment in Barrow, AK. The experiment uses solar radiation to warm vegetation and will enable us to understand thermal acclimation of respiration and photosynthesis in Arctic vegetation.
The Alaska Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA-AK)
NGEE Arctic scientists contribute to an international database of vegetation data from the Alaskan Arctic tundra
Modeling the Spatiotemporal Variability in Subsurface Thermal Regimes across a Low-Relief Polygonal Tundra Landscape
Study develops an end-to-end high resolution modeling framework to simulate permafrost thermal dynamics of microtopography dominated polygonal tundra landscape
UAF Researchers “Scale Up” Permafrost Thermal Measurements in Western Alaska Using an Ecotype Approach
Field scientists develop a ground temperature map for western Alaska based on measured relationships between ground thermal regimes and vegetation ecotypes
Initial UAS Flights by LBNL Facilitate Planning for FY17
Sebastien Biraud provided an initial glimpse of what UAS flights could mean for integration of above- and below-ground research at field sites on the Seward Peninsula