OpportunityTitle: The impact of exceptionally strong decadal climate variability on recent fire, tree recruitment, and hydro-ecological dynamics within four Klamath Network park units
CategoryExplanation: Biological/Research/Physical
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: This is a &quot;Notice of Intent&quot; of a single source task agreement award to University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN under the Great Lakes Northern Forest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). This assistance award is justified because this cooperator is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors including their past research and familiarity with the resources in the area and their technical expertise. The PI  is a broadly trained and versatile dendrochronologist with experience and training that spans a wide array of disciplines and research interests.  The PI was selected due to the extensive experience and knowledge in reconstructing fire regimes and linking disturbances with climate patterns.  A main aspect of the PI research investigates the dynamics of forest ecosystems in the western United States.  Moreover, the PI has abundant experience in linking changes in climate with shifts in disturbance regimes and associated changes in vegetation patterns that is critical to disentangling the factors influencing demographic and disturbance changes in forested ecosystems.
Description: The central Pacific Coast of the United States is one of the few places in North America where rain and snowfall exhibited major prolonged shifts between wet and dry conditions during the last century. The same strong decade-to-decade shifts also appear in records of discharge and levee failures within the Sacramento&#239;&#191;&#189;San Joaquin River system, which demonstrates that this behavior exerts a major influence on regional hydrology and water resources. Researchers from the University of Minnesota, in collaboration with scientists at the National Park Service, are investigating whether or not these persistent climatic changes affect key ecological processes and hydrological systems within four park units (Crater Lake National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area). By focusing on three critical systems - forest fire activity, tree establishment and mortality and alpine hydrology - this research has the potential to provide insights that will be directly relevant to long-term planning and management in the Klamath Network parks.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Help Desk
GrantorContactText: Tonya Bradley &lt;br/&gt;Contract Specialist &lt;br/&gt;Phone 402-661-1656