Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

A US Federal Land Grant Act to create the Toolik Arctic Research Observatory in arctic Alaska.  (Toolik Arctic Research Observatory (TARO))

Outline
This initiative seeks to protect the investment, past and future, of arctic research done in the environs surrounding the Toolik Field Station in Alaska, USA by having ownership of the surrounding 45,000 hectares transferred from the federal government to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Toolik Field Station (TFS), in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range, has been a flagship research site in the North American Arctic since 1975. Much of what is known about the structure and function of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the North American Arctic comes from the long-term, process-based ecological research projects at TFS. This knowledge has been critical to our understanding of climate change and feedbacks to global climate. TFS is a Long-Term Ecological Research site sponsored by the US National Science Foundation. TFS-based work has also resulted in a showcase of discoveries on the adaptations of organisms to the Arctic and population-level changes in animal and plant phenologies and distributions. Over 511 peer-reviewed journal articles, 85 books and book chapters, and 57 graduate theses have been published since 1975 on research based at TFS. Because climate is changing most rapidly in arctic and boreal regions and changes in the Arctic are predicted to strongly affect the global climate system, continued research into the causes, mechanisms of response, and feedbacks to further ecosystem change is an internationally recognized imperative. This imperative augments increasing, strong interest of scientists from a broad array of disciplines in use of TFS as a research platform and complements a specific call for year-round studies of arctic ecosystems. Overall, there is a steady, increasing demand for TFS based services in the future. TFS has been operated and managed by the Institute of Arctic Biology (IAB), University of Alaska Fairbanks, since 1980. IAB has a 20 year lease (from 2001) from the US Bureau of Land Management for the 5 hectares on which the field station buildings are located. However, the surrounding aquatic and terrestrial landscape containing long-term (20 yr +) experimental sites are located are on federal holdings congressionally designated for development in support of oil and gas exploration and transportation. As a legacy of IPY, we intend to ensure protection of these lands from development or disturbance that would jeopardize or invalidate critical research and the ability of scientists to continue to produce knowledge about arctic ecosystems, environments and processes. See http://www.uaf.edu/toolik/

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
This initiative would preserve lands in a prime arctic site with a long history of study for future generations of researchers, educators, and the public.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The Toolik Field Station was part of the International Tundra Experiment Program (ITEX) and currently has visiting investigators from around the world. It is a proposed site as a Flagship Arctic Observatory and to be part of Circum-arctic environmental observatory network (CEON).

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
latitude 68o37’39’’Nlongitude 149o35’51’’W and the surrounding 45,000 hecatares encompassing the Toolik Lake water shed and the upper Kuparuk River water shed.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The Toolik Field Station has living and working facilities for 125 scientists, including modern laboratories and IT (fiber connection), boat launch, incubation facility, workshop, and family center.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
This initiative would preserve lands and infrastructure in a prime arctic site with a long history of study for future generations of researchers, educators, and the public.

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

TFS is managed and operated by the Institute of Arctic Biology of University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
TFS is proposed as an Arctic Flagship Observatory and part of the Circum-arctic Environmental Observatories Network.

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?


TFS is managed and operated by the Institute of Arctic Biology under a Cooperative Agreement Grant from the NSF.

How will the project be organised and managed?
TFS is managed and operated by the Institute of Arctic Biology under a Cooperative Agreement Grant from the NSF. The land would be transferred to the University of Alaska to be managed by the Institute of Arctic Biology.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
There already exist regular summer arctic science field courses and field trips that use the TFS. We have plans to expand these to a 7 week course available to international graduate students and advanced undergraduates and taught by visiting scientists and faculty. There is an existing visiting journalist and artist program.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
There are advanced GIS services available for Toolik based research through the Institute of Arctic Biology, see http://www.uaf.edu/toolik/gis/index.html. There are plans being developed for centralized data management and science services.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The land would be transferred to the University of Alaska by a US Federal Land Grant Act.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Professor and Director Brian Barnes
902 N. Koyukuk Dr
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks
99775-7000
USA

Tel: +9074747649
Mobile: no
Fax: +9074746967
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation