Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Climate change and polar terrestrial ecosystems: Similarities, contrasts and lessons in the Arctic and Antarctic  (Climate change and Polar Terrestrial Ecosystems)

Outline
The RiSCC program (Regional Sensitivity to Climate Change in Antarctic Terrestrial and Limnetic Ecosystems) and the ITEX program (International Tundra Experiment) are research programs executed in the Antarctic, and Arctic respectively. Individual science projects affiliated with these corresponding programs share common methodologies (amongst others the use of so-called Open-Top Chambers) to artificially increase the temperature and alter other climatic variables in both soil and vegetation, and therefore alter the structure and functioning of the different communities in the ecosystem. The direction and speed of these changes may be different in Arctic and Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. Existing projects have applied these methodologies across a wide geographical range of latitude and longitude, representing ecosystems in both Polar Regions, as well as locations along different environmental gradients and in areas with contrasting climate change patterns. Existing projects fall into two general categories, either applying manipulation methodologies year-round, or only during the summer season, yet the importance (or otherwise) of this dichotomy has not been determined.The objectives of this proposal are multifaceted:· To investigate whether different deployment strategies (year-round, summer only, winter only) influence ecosystem changes observed differentially.· To describe the direction and the speed of changes in vegetation patterns, soil protist communities, and species- and functional biodiversity in manipulations deployed over different periods of time, and in different localities.· To test how the balance between facilitation versus competition among autotrophic species varies with temperature and other climatic variables, e.g. along climatic gradients.· To investigate the effects of the manipulations on carbon- and nutrient dynamics within and between the different compartments of the ecosystem.· To investigate whether changes in trophic interactions are linked with altered climate regimes.· To describe the functional diversity of the microbial and protist communities in soils within manipulations over different timescales, and in different localities.· To measure CO2 fluxes of ecosystems associated with manipulations over different timescales.· To compare how changes in these processes and patterns differ in speed and intensity between the Arctic and Antarctic biomes. · To compare the patterns and processes of manipulated with non-manipulated natural controls.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
Ecologists working in the Arctic and Antarctic have been using similar techniques for a number of years. Because of this it is now possible to plan a co-ordinated effort of measurement and observation to discern similarities and differences in the effects of climate change in both Arctic and Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. So far, very little is known about ecosystem responses to climatic changes in winter. This will be a prominent topic of the project.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The RiSCC program (Regional Sensitivity to Climate Change in Antarctic Terrestrial and Limnetic Ecosystems) and the ITEX program (International Tundra Experiment) are research programs executed in the Antarctic and Arctic, respectively, both involving large multinational and multidisciplinary teams. Scientists participating in this proposal are affiliated to one or both of these programs

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Arctic: CircumArctic tundra ecosystems in North America, Europe and Asia(Sub)Antarctic: Falkland Islands, Crozet Archipelago, Macquarie Island, South Orkney Islands, Marguerite Bay, Alexander Island, East Ongul Island, Dry Valleys

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 06/07 – 08/07      06/08 – 08/08      
Antarctic: 11/07 – 03/08      11/08 – 03/09      

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Primary requirement is for laboratory and living space at the relevant research stations. The only further logistical requirement relates to local transport to specific field sites. No additional requirements are foreseen other than form the normal operating facilities of these stations.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
Field manipulation experiments are expected to remain deployed beyond the IPY, thus forming a network of Long-Term Ecological Research sites. By re-analysis of archival data from the various existing studies, the dataset compiled during the IPY and can be extended to periods well before the IPY, which enables the study of long-term effects and the development of scenarios for ecosystem change over future decades.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own national polar operator
Another national polar operator
National agency

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes, The project will be endorsed by:The Netherlands IPY committeeThe Norwegian IPY committee

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?


The Antarctic part of the project is part of the SCAR-RiSCC program, and will form part of the developing SCAR-EBA program; the Arctic part of the project is also part of the ITEX program. However, this Expression of Interest comprises also research not affiliated to one of these international programmes.

How will the project be organised and managed?
When this expression of intent is given a positive assessment, a steering committee will draft the full proposal, the science plan and the implementation plan. This committee will organise a workshop prior to the IPY period to co-ordinate the research effort and a workshop after the IPY period to prepare the output of the project.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Article translated and published in national popular science magazines. Public accessible (meta)databases·Public accessible website·Tours to and education at field experiments as part of the programmes of tourist trips.·Promotion of the field sites as hosts for external student research and training projects.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
RiSCC is a SCAR program, it has its own biodiversity database, monitored by JCADM. ITEX is affiliated to GCTE/TERACC with its own data management. Either one or both databases may be used, as will the data management policies as applied by individual national funding organisations (eg the UK NERC).

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Partners should provide funding for their participation via their own national agencies.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr. Ad Huiskes
Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Unit for Polar Ecology
P.O. Box 140
Yerseke
4400 AC
Netherlands

Tel: +31 113 577456
Mobile: +31 6 51817845
Fax: +31 113 573616
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation