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Terrestrial Ecosystem Science

University-Led Projects

The Terrestrial Ecosystem Science (TES) program supports a wide array of research projects at universities (and other nonprofit research entities) across the country and internationally.  University awards range from short-term, small-scale activities such as workshop support, to large, multi-investigator experimental and synthetic projects.  University projects are solicited through an annual Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) and are selected based on input from peer review panels and evaluation of mission relevance. 

Current

PI (Last Name) PI (First Name) Institution Project Start Project End Title Award
Baldocchi Dennis Universiy of California, Berkeley 8/15/2014 8/14/2017 Connecting AmeriFlux to the Globe, Extending the Partnership with the Global Flux Network, FLUXNET $882,078
Berry Joseph Carnegie Institution of Washington 1/1/2014 12/31/2017 Collaborative Research on Ecophysiological Controls on Amazonian Precipitation Seasonality and Variability $974,900
Bowling David University of Utah 9/1/2013 8/31/2017 Multi-scale Carbon Cycle Observations and Ecosystem Process Modeling at Niwot Rid $991,445
Campbell Elliott University of California, Merced 7/1/2014 6/30/2017 Scaling from Flux Towers to Ecosystem Models: Regional Constraints on Carbon Cycle Processes from Atmospheric Carbonyl Sulfide $1,045,721
Cavaleri Molly Michigan Technological University 7/1/2014 6/30/2017 Effects of Warming on Tropical Forest Carbon Cycling: Investigating Temperature Regulation of Key Tropical Tree and Soil Processes $696,935
Classen Aimee University of Tennessee 9/1/2013 6/1/2017 Incorporating Rhizosphere Interactions and Soil Physical Properties into a Soil Carbon Degradation Model through Experimenting Across Ecotypes $987,328
DeAngelis Kristen University of Massachusetts Amherst 8/15/2016 8/14/2018 Resolving Conflicting Physical and Biochemical Feedbacks to Climate in Response to Long-Term Warming $570,000
Ehleringer James University of Utah 9/1/2013 8/31/2017 Confronting Models with Regional CO2 Observations $1,048,742
Eissenstat David Pennsylvania State University 7/1/2014 6/30/2017 Linking Topographic Variation in Belowground C Processes with Hydrological Processes to Improve Earth System Models $1,050,000
Finzi Adrien Boston University 7/1/2014 6/30/2017 Modeling the Effects of Warming and Elevated CO2 on Decomposition in a Northern Minnesota Black Spruce Peatland $390,825
Fisher Joshua University of California- Los Angeles 7/15/2012 7/14/2017 Nutrient Cycle Impacts on Forest Ecosystem Carbon Cycling: Improved Prediction of Climate Feedbacks from Coupled C-Nutrient Dynamics from Ecosystem to Regional Scales $1,044,839
Fisher Joshua University of California-Los Angeles 8/15/2016 8/14/2018 The Carbon-Nutrient Economy of the Rhizosphere: Improving Biogeochemical Prediction and Scaling Feedbacks From Ecosystem to Regional Scales $599,834
Fraterrigo Jennifer University of Illinois 8/15/2016 8/14/2018 Arctic Shrub Expansion, Plant Functional Trait Variation, and Effects on Belowground Carbon Cycling $578,910
Gentine Pierre Columbia University 1/1/2014 12/31/2017 Collaborative Research on Ecophysiological Controls on Amazonian Precipitation Seasonality and Variability $974,900
Hinkle C. Ross University of Central Florida 7/1/2012 6/30/2018 Carbon Dynamics of the Greater Everglades Watershed and Implications of Climate Change $845,554
Hinzman Larry University of Alaska, Fairbanks 8/15/2014 8/14/2016 Leadership and Coordination: Adaptation Actions for a Changing Arctic — Bering Beaufort Chukchi Region n/a
Hofmockel Kirsten Iowa State University 8/1/2012 7/31/2017 Can Microbial Ecology and Mycorrhizal Functioning Inform Climate Change Models? $707,704
Ivanov Valeriy University of Michigan 1/1/2014 12/31/2017 Understanding the Response of Photosynthetic Metabolism in Tropical Forests to Seasonal Climate Variation $970,020
Keeling Ralph University of California, San Diego 7/1/2014 6/30/2017 Measurements and Modeling Of CO2 Concentration and Isotopes to Improve Process-Level Understanding of Arctic and Boreal Carbon Cycling $1,050,000
Keller Jason Chapman University 8/1/2015 7/31/2018 Understanding Mechanistic Controls of Heterotrophic CO2 and CH4 Fluxes in a Peatland with Deep Soil Warming and Atmospheric CO2 Enrichment 1,019,995
Kostka Joel Georgia Institute of Technology 7/1/2014 6/30/2017 Toward A Predictive Understanding of the Response of Belowground Microbial Carbon Turnover to Climate Change Drivers in a Boreal Peatland $1,019,995
Kueppers Lara University of California-Merced 8/1/2012 7/31/2017 Subalpine and Alpine Species Range Shifts with Climate Change: Temperature and Soil Moisture Manipulations to Test Species and Population Responses $1,231,277
Law Beverly Oregon State University 7/1/2014 6/30/2017 Carbon Cycle Dynamics Within Oregon's Urban-Suburban-Forested-Agricultural Landscapes $400,000
Lee Jung-Eun Brown University 1/1/2014 12/31/2017 Collaborative Research on Ecophysiological Controls on Amazonian Precipitation Seasonality and Variability $974,900
Lintner Benjamin Rutgers University 1/1/2014 12/31/2017 Collaborative Research on Ecophysiological Controls on Amazonian Precipitation Seasonality and Variability $974,900
Litvak Marcy University of New Mexico 6/15/2012 6/14/2017 Determining the Impact of Forest Mortality in Semi-Arid Woodlands on Local and Regional Carbon Dynamics $1,049,130
Luo Yiqi University of Oklahoma 7/1/2012 6/30/2017 Data Synthesis and Data Assimilation at Global Change Experiments and Fluxnet Toward Improving Land Process Models $1,050,000
Megonigal Patrick Smithsonian Institution 8/1/2015 7/31/2018 Coastal Wetland Carbon Sequestration in a Warmer Climate $1,499,952
Melillo Jerry Marine Biological Laboratory 9/1/2013 8/31/2017 Changes in Soil Carbon Dynamics in Response to Long-Term Soil Warming — Integration Across Scales from Cells to Ecosystems $1,049,000
Morton Douglas NASA- Goddard Space Flight Center 5/15/2016 5/14/2018 NASA Contribution to NGEE Tropics $340,751
Powers Jennifer University of Minnesota 8/1/2015 7/31/2018 Extrapolating Carbon Dynamics of Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests Across Geographic Scales and Into Future Climates: Improving Simulation Models With Empirical Observations $1,350,000
Reed Sasha US Geological Survey 7/1/2014 6/30/2017 Effects of Warming on Tropical Forest Carbon Cycling: Investigating Temperature Regulation of Key Tropical Tree and Soil Processes n/a
Reed Sasha US Geological Survey 9/1/2013 8/31/2017 Dryland Feedbacks to Future Climate Change: How Species Mortality and Replacement will Affect Coupled Biogeochemical Cycles and Energy Balance $1,049,357
Reich Peter University of Minnesota 8/1/2011 7/31/2018 Climate Change Impacts at the Temperate-Boreal Ecotone: Interactions Between Warming and Precipitation $2,528,252
Richardson Andrew Harvard University 8/15/2014 8/14/2017 Modeling the Temporal Dynamics of Nonstructural Carbohydrate Pools in Forest Trees n/a
Richardson Curtis Duke University 8/1/2014 7/31/2017 Phenolic Compounds and Black Carbon Feedback Controls on Peat Decomposition and Carbon Accumulation in Southeastern Peatlands under Regimes of Seasonal Drought, Drainage and Frequent Fire: A New Model for Management of Carbon Sequestration $994,896
Schuur Ted Northern Arizona University 8/1/2015 7/31/2018 Regional Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate Change: A Multifactor Experiment and Model Network $1,409,666
Silver Whendee University of California-Berkeley 9/1/2013 8/31/2017 Determining the Drivers of Redox Sensitive Biogeochemistry in Humid Tropical Forests $869,143
Strand Alan College of Charleston 8/1/2015 7/31/2017 Effects of Fine-Root Senescence Upon Soil Communities and Nutrient Flux Into Soil Pools $149,933
Trettin Carl U.S. Forest Service 8/1/2016 7/31/2019 Wood Decomposition and Mineral Soil C: Using the d13C Signature in Face Wood to Measure the Contribution of Dead Wood to Mineral Soil C Pools $598,213
Wallenstein Matthew Colorado State University 9/1/2013 8/31/2017 Understanding Litter Input Controls on Soil Organic Matter Turnover and Formation are Essential for Improving Carbon-Climate Feedback Predictions for Arctic, Tundra Ecosystems $1,049,996
Wieder William University of Colorado, Boulder 8/1/2015 7/31/2017 Benchmarking and Improving Microbial-explicit Soil Biogeochemistry Models $497,780

 

Completed

PI (Last Name) PI (First Name) Institution Project Start Project End Title Award
Baldocchi Dennis University of California-Berkeley 9/15/2010 9/14/2014 Using a Regional Cluster of AmeriFlux Sites in Central California to Advance Our Knowledge on Decadal-Scale Ecosystem-Atmosphere Carbon Dioxide Exchange $1,002,405
Barnard Holly University of Colorado 9/15/2011 9/14/2015 Carbon-Water Cycling in the Critical Zone: Understanding Ecosystem Process Variability Across Complex Terrain $647,020
Belnap Jayne US Geological Survey 5/15/2008 5/14/2014 Climate Change in Arid Lands: How Effects Differ Among Plant Functional Groups n/a
Bridgham Scott University of Oregon 6/15/2012 6/14/2015 Understanding the Mechanisms Underlying Heterotrophic CO2 and CH4 Fluxes in a Peatland with Deep Soil Warming and Atmospheric CO2 Enrichment $1,047,425
Burton Andrew Michigan Technological University 4/1/2008 3/31/2014 Impacts of Elevated CO2 & O3 Alone and in Combination, on the Structure and Functioning of a Northern Forest Ecosystem: Operating the Aspen FACE User Facility n/a
Cardon Zoe Marine Biological Laboratory 6/15/2012 6/14/2015 Hydraulic Redistribution of Water Through Plant Roots — Implications for Carbon Cycling and Energy Flux at Multiple Sites $1,048,327
Curtis Peter Ohio State University 9/1/2011 8/31/2014 Forecasting Carbon Storage as Eastern Forests Age: Joining Experimental and Modeling Approaches at the UMBS AmeriFlux Site $1,030,767
Davidson Eric Woods Hole Research Center 9/15/2011 9/14/2014 Partitioning CO2 Fluxes With Isotopologues Measurements and Modeling to Understand Mechanisms of Forest Carbon Sequestration $1,039,878
Day Frank Old Dominion University 6/15/2012 6/14/2015 Advancing Understanding of the Role of Belowground Processes in Terrestrial Carbon Sinks Through Ground-Penetrating Radar $149,999
Domec Jean-Christophe North Carolina State University 9/1/2011 8/31/2014 Quantifying the Effect of Nighttime Interactions Between Roots and Canopy Physiology and Their Control of Water and Carbon Cycling on Feedbacks Between Soil Moisture $462,546
Dukes Jeffery Purdue University 7/1/2012 6/30/2015 Climate Change Feedbacks from Interactions Between New and Old Carbon $149,981
Dye Dennis US Geological Survey 1/1/2014 12/31/2016 Understanding the Response of Photosynthetic Metabolism in Tropical Forests to Seasonal Climate Variations $970,020
Ehleringer James University of Utah 9/15/2010 9/14/2014 Improving Representation of Drought Stress and Fire Emissions in Climate Carbon Models: Measurements and Modeling with a Focus on the Western USA $1,049,850
Fendorf Scott Stanford University 9/1/2013 8/31/2016 Spatial Variation in Microbial Processes Controlling Carbon Mineralization within Soils and Sediments $1,050,857
Finzi Adrien Boston University 9/15/2011 9/14/2014 Partitioning CO2 Fluxes with Isotopologue Measurements and Modeling to Understand Mechanisms of Forest Carbon Sequestration $1,039,787
Genereux David North Carolina State University 9/1/2011 8/31/2015 Water-Carbon Links in a Tropical Forest: How Interbasin Groundwater Flow Affects Carbon Fluxes and Ecosystem Carbon Budgets $768,331
Germino Matthew US Geological Survey 8/1/2012 8/31/2014 Subalpine and Alpine Species Range Shifts with Climate Change: Temperature and Soil Moisture Manipulations to Test Species and Population Responses $136,006
Gonzalez-Meler Miquel University of Illinois 9/1/2011 11/30/2015 Permafrost Thawing and Vegetation Change Effects on Cryoturbation Rates and C and CH4 Dynamics $1,034,150
Goulden Michael University of California-Irvine 5/1/2008 4/30/2014 Physiological, Demographic, Competitive and Biogeochemical Controls on the Response of California's Ecosystems to Environmental Change n/a
Hollinger David USDA-ARS 9/1/2011 8/31/2015 Supporting Carbon Cycle and Earth Systems Modeling with Measurements and Analysis from the Howland AmeriFlux Site $1,048,730
Hungate Bruce Climate Wise Solutions 7/15/2012 7/14/2014 Synthesis of Scrub-Oak Ecosystem Responses to Elevated CO2 $91,094
Katul Gabriel Duke University 9/1/2011 8/31/2015 Constraining the Simultaneous Effects of Elevated CO2, Temperature, and Shifts in Rainfall Patterns on Ecosystem Carbon Fluxes using Multi-Scale Resource Optimization Theories $826,270
Keeling Ralph University of California-San Diego 9/15/2010 9/14/2014 Developing Model Constraints of Northern Extra-Tropical Carbon Cycling Based on Measurements of the Abundance and Isotopic Composition of Atmospheric CO2 $1,048,537
Kostka Joel Georgia Institute of Technology 9/15/2011 9/1/2015 The Response of Soil Carbon Storage and Microbially Mediated Turnover to Simulated Climatic Disturbance in a Northern Peatland Forest: Revisiting the Concept of Soil Organic Matter Recalcitrance $1,049,977
Law Beverly Oregon State University 9/1/2011 8/31/2014 Enhancing the Precision and Accuracy Within and Among AmeriFlux Site Measurements $1,049,381
Law Beverly Oregon State University 9/15/2010 5/14/2014 The Effects of Climate, Forest Age, and Disturbance History on Carbon and Water Processes at AmeriFlux Sites Across Gradients in Pacific Northwest Forests $1,049,381
Leclerc Monique University of Georgia 9/15/2011 9/14/2014 A New Carbon Flux Site: Innovative Methods of Atmosphere-Terrestrial Carbon Exchange Measurements and Modeling $100,000
Megonigal Patrick Smithsonian Institution 6/15/2012 6/14/2015 Sources, Sinks and Processes Regulating Cryptic Methane Emissions from Upland Ecosystems $149,907
Megonigal Patrick Smithsonian Institution 8/1/2012 7/31/2015 Archiving Data to Support Data Synthesis of DOE Sponsored Elevated CO2 Experiments $109,000
Melillo Jerry Marine Biological Laboratory 1/1/2012 8/31/2014 Effects of Warming on Tree Species' Recruitment in Deciduous Forests of the Eastern United States $170,772
Monson Russ University of Colorado 9/15/2010 9/14/2014 Carbon Cycling Dynamics in Response to Pine Beetle Infection and Climate Variation $1,033,242
Moorcroft Paul Harvard University 9/15/2011 9/14/2015 Partitioning CO2 Fluxes with Isotopologue Measurements and Modeling to Understand Mechanisms of Forest Carbon Sequestration $1,039,878
Oechel Walter San Diego State University 9/15/2010 9/14/2014 Seasonal and Inter-Annual Controls on CO2 Flux in Arctic Alaska $370,185
Oren Ram Duke University 8/1/2009 12/31/2014 Duke Forest FACE Experiment: Forest-Atmosphere Carbon Transfer and Storage (FACTS-I) $249,689
Pendall Elise University of Wyoming 9/1/2011 9/14/2015 Direct, Indirect and Interactive Effects of Warming and Elevated CO2 on Grassland Carbon Metabolism $1,044,170
Pockman William University of New Mexico 3/15/2009 3/14/2014 Hydraulic Mechanisms of Survival and Mortality During Drought in Pinon-Juniper Woodlands of Southwestern USA n/a
Resh Sigrid Michigan Technological University 9/1/2011 8/31/2014 Interactive Effects of Climate Change and Decomposer Communities on the Stabilization of Wood-Derived Carbon Pools: Catalyst for a New Study $149,397
Richardson Andrew Harvard University 9/1/2012 8/31/2015 Improving Models to Predict Phenological Responses to Global Change $40,560
Roberts Scott Mississippi State University 9/1/2011 8/31/2014 Exploratory Research — Using Volatile Organic Compounds to Separate Heterotrophic and Autotrophic Forest Soil Respiration $149,978
Saleska Scott University of Arizona 9/15/2011 9/14/2015 Partitioning CO2 Fluxes with Isotopologue Measurements and Modeling to Understand Mechanisms of Forest Carbon Sequestration $1,039,878
Schafer Karina Rutgers University 9/15/2011 6/14/2015 Effects of Disturbance on Carbon Sequestration in the New Jersey Pine Barrens $549,343
Schuur Ted University of Florida 9/1/2011 9/14/2015 Effects of Warming the Deep Soil and Permafrost on Ecosystem Carbon Balance in Alaskan Tundra: A Coupled Measurement and Modeling Approach $1,024,426
Sumner David US Geological Survey 7/1/2012 6/30/2015 Carbon Dynamics of the Greater Everglades Watershed and Implications of Climate Change $40,000
Teixiera Kristina Smithsonian Institution 6/1/2013 10/31/2015 Carbon Dynamics of Forest Recovery Under a Changing Climate: Forcings, Feedbacks, and Implications for Earth System Modeling $314,913
Tharayil Nishanth Clemson University 9/1/2013 8/31/2015 Rigid Nanostructured Organic Polymer Monolith for In Situ Collection and Analysis of Plant Metabolites from Soil Matrices $127,497
Trowbridge Amy HyPerspectives, Inc. 9/1/2013 8/31/2015 Above and Belowground Connections and Species Interactions: Controls Over Ecosystem Fluxes $150,000
Wofsy Steven Harvard University 7/15/2012 7/14/2015 Fluxes of CO2, CH4, CO, BVOCs, NOx and O3 in An Old Growth Amazonian Forest: Ecosystem Processes, Carbon Cycle, Atmospheric Chemistry, and Feedbacks on Climate $1,048,187

Energy Exascale Earth System Model Released [04/18]



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Research Priorities to Incorporate Terrestrial-Aquatic Interfaces in Earth System Models Workshop [06/17]


Expanding the Use of Plant Trait Observations and Ecological Theory in Earth System Models [05/16]


Building a Cyberinfrastructure for Environmental System Science: Modeling Frameworks, Data Management, and Scientific Workflows [10/15]


Building Virtual Ecosystems: Computational Challenges for Mechanistic Modeling of Terrestrial Environments [2/15]


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