• Announcements
• Graduate Student News
• Grants Funded
• Manuscripts Published
• Meetings
• Open Positions
• Proposals Submitted
• NREL Seminars
• Visitors
• Previous NREL News Notes

Scientific Societies

Society of Nematologists

Diana Freckman was elected a Fellow of the Society of Nematologists and attended the awards ceremony in Little Rock, AR in August.

Ecological Society of America

Alan Covich has been named Chair of the Ecological Society of America, Special Committee on Membership. Some of the questions and issues they will be addressing are: (1) Can or should anything be done about the rather high (ca. 10%) annual turnover in membership? (2) Many people who are members of the Society do not subscribe to any of our subject matter journals. Who are these people and why have they become members even if they do not take one of our journals? What do they tell us about the current meaning of membership in ESA? (3) What incentives, if any, should be offered in the future to induce people to become/remain members of ESA? Should specific efforts be made to encourage types of people who are not now members to join ESA? How large is the pool of potential members?

National Research Council

Diana Freckman was appointed to the National Research Council Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology (BEST). Her appointment is effective August 1, 1995 to June 30, 1998.

Diana Freckman, Chair, National Research Council Committee on the Valuation of Biodiversity: Ecosystem Management, led a Workshop on Issues in the Valuation of Biodiversity, at the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, in early October. The NRC Committee includes ecologists and economists. They are: Carl Bock, Univ. Colo.;

Herman Daly, Univ. Maryland; Tom Dietz, George Mason Univ.; Perry Hagenstein, Resource Issues, Inc., Mass.; Sharon Haines, Int'l Paper, Inc., Georgia; Tony Krzysik, U.S. Army-Const. Eng. Res., Illinois; Robert Paine, Univ. Washington; Stuart Pimm, Univ. Tenn.; Alan Randall, Ohio State; Walt Reid, World Resources Inst., Washington, DC; Mark Sagoff, Univ. Maryland; Bill Schulze, Cornell Univ.; Rebecca Sharitz, Savannah River Ecol. Lab, Georgia; Dale Toweill, Idaho Dept. Fish & Game; Peter Vitousek, Stanford Univ.; and David Wake, Univ. California, Berkeley.

Bill Parton has been reappointed as a member of the NRC Committee on Geographical and Environmental Data, chaired by Francis Bretherson (Univ. Wisconsin, Madison).

North American Benthological Society

Alan Covich has been elected President of the North American Benthological Society.

MacArthur Foundation Fellowships

Pamela A. Matson, an environmental scientist at the University of California, Berkeley (a member of the NREL Scientific Advisory Committee) was a recipient of this year's John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (popularly known as the "genius awards"). Congratulations!!

Announcements

Diana W. Freckman, Director, has announced changes in the NREL administrative structure. The Associate Director position for NREL will be shared by Dan Binkley and current Associate Director and Research Scientist Ted Elliott. Dan is a faculty member of Forest Sciences and the Director of the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology (GDPE), and he will provide coordination and linkages for NREL, primarily in education. This will officially be effective at the end of academic year 1995/96.

NREL is please to welcome Dr. Richard Flagler as a new member of the NREL Senior Staff. Richard is the NADP/NTN Program Coordinator, as well as Co-PI on the USEPA grant, "Assessing the Response of Three Pine Species to Ozone Utilizing the Antioxidants Ethylenediurea and Sodium Erythorbate." His research interests include physiological responses of plant species to drought and ozone.

Dave Schimel, Gene Kelly (Department of Soil and Crop Science), Jeff Welker, Dave Valentine, Bill Parton, T. Delany (NCAR), Bruce Wunder (Biology Department), T. Holtzer (Department of Entomology), Indy Burke and Ted Elliott are proud to announce that the long anticipated installation of the CSU Stable Isotope Facility supported by NSF, the CSU Office of the Vice-President, the Director of the Agriculture Experiment Station, the Dean of the College of Natural Resources, the College of Agriculture and the College of Natural Sciences along with support from the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory has officially commenced. The facility is housed in the NESB. Without the efforts of Diana Freckman and others, this accomplishment would not have been possible. Jeff Welker, Gene Kelly and Dave Schimel are planning to use the facility as the foundation of an experimental course to be offered in the Spring of 1996 titled: "Isotope Biogeochemistry: Principles and Practices."

A 6-year Progress Report on the EOS Interdisciplinary Project titled, "Using Multi-Sensor Data to Model Factors Limiting Carbon Balance in Global Arid and Semiarid Lands", has been completed and submitted to NASA by Dave Schimel et al. This report addresses the causes and consequences of environmental change in the world's arid and semi-arid lands in the context of global change to terrestrial ecosystems. A copy of the report is available in the NREL Publications Office if you wish to sign it out for informative reading.

The annual NREL Retreat was held September 6 at the University Park Holiday Inn. A variety of different topics and approaches were addressed by different sectors of the Lab. The purpose of the retreat was strategic planning.

Tom Stohlgren was an instructor for the Smithsonian Institute's, Man and the Biosphere, Third International Biodiversity Measuring and Monitoring Course, Front Royal, VA, to train 35 summer students and international scientists in standardized methods to measure and monitor plant diversity (Sep-Oct 1995). The "BioMon" course is designed to establish a global network of permanent, long-term biodiversity monitoring plots in biosphere reserves and threatened forests.

NADP is pleased to announce the debut of its World Wide Web page at <http://nadp.nrel.colostate.edu/NADP>. It will become available for viewing near the end of October. You will be able to obtain information about NADP sites, view photos of the sites, and obtain data directly out of the NADP database. Visit us and let us know what you think!

Jeff Welker and Andy Parsons' NSF-sponsored research was featured in a large Sunday Seattle Times article, published 17 September, 1995. The Times had a reporter at Toolik Lake for two weeks examining the research efforts of the LTER program and other groups such as the ITEX program. The article featured numerous color photos including one of Jeff and Andy's snow fence site. A copy of the article is posted on the NREL Bulletin Board.

Lisa Schell, Geneva Chong, and field crews continue to help the City of Fort Collins and Larimer County with the botanical survey of the Cathy Fromme Prairie Open Space in southwest Fort Collins. The work is greatly appreciated

by city officials, and the effort links with USFS, CSU, and local governments.

Krista Alper and April Owen are making substantial progress on the National Parks Bibliography project and have collected over 15,000 citations from National Parks, with work continuing in parks in Colorado and in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

Tom Stohlgren served on a National Biological Service/National Park Service review committee to evaluate the long-term ecological monitoring program in Great Smokies National Park (July 9-19). He also worked with Ingolf Kuehn, Ph.D. student from Germany, on assessing plant diversity of tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Some of you may remember Scott Denning (Dept. of Atmospheric Science, CSU), who worked at NREL for several years. Scott recently published in Nature on the results of his Ph.D. research: Denning, A.S., I.Y. Fung, and D. Randall. 1995. Latitudinal gradient of atmospheric CO2 due to seasonal exchange with land biota. Nature 376:240-243.

Cynthia Melcher is a new research associate at NREL who previously worked for the National Biological Service. She is working on the Division of Wildlife Vertebrate Ranking Project with John Gross. Cynthia is an outstanding field biologist with extensive experience throughout the Rocky Mountain region.

Visiting Scientist Chuluun Togtohyn presented a talk on Mongolian and North American Grasslands to park interpreters and the general public at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, South Unit, Medora, SD, on August 17.

Jill Baron presented a seminar to the Colorado School of Mines Derpartment of Environmental Engineering on October 5. An audience of 50 people heard the presentation titled "Sources and sinks of inorganic nitrogen in the Colorado Front Range: Results from biogeochemical studies in Rocky Mountain National Park."

Serita Frey, David Valentine and Jeff Welker participated by covering the desk for NREL at the NR Career Day held October 11.

Meetings

Diana Freckman met in Paris as a member of the Consultative Group for DIVERSITAS. The 10 international members wrote a draft of DIVERSITAS: The Next Phase, Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) at the meeting on 4-8 September. DIVERSITAS is an integrated and collaborative effort at the international level (ICSU, SCOPE, UNESCO, IUMS, IGBP/GCTE, IUBS) organized to review, coordinate and expand scientific understanding in key areas of biodiversity (origin, maintenance and loss, ecosystem functioning, inventorying and classification, assessment and monitoring, conservation and sustainable use).

The Capital Development Committee (CDC) met in the NREL Conference Room on October 3, with President Yates, Vice President for Research Jud Harper, Provost David Young, and Vice President for Administrative Services Gerri Bomotti attending. The CDC is the group of State Legislators responsible for determining use of state funds for building projects like the NESB. Short presentations were given by Ted Elliott and Tom Hobbs.

A Global Change in Terrestrial Ecosystem (GCTE) meeting on Plant-Soil Carbon Belowground: the Effects of Elevated CO2 was held in Oxford, England in September. NREL scientists presenting papers included : Ted Elliott, "SOM formation under elevated CO2: the raw material"; Diana Freckman, "Root carbon losses to grazers"; Keith Paustian, "Formation and turnover of stabilized soil organic matter: Integration of management, climate and CO2 effects"; Bill Parton, "The ecosystem impact of enhanced atmospheric CO2 levels."

Alan Covich attended the AIBS Board of Directors meeting in San Diego, CA in August.

Diana Freckman, member of the Scientific Advisory Board, National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, attended the Panel meeting in Santa Barbara, CA , October 23 and 24. She then flew to Washington, DC to attend a meeting of the past presidents and Board of the American Institute of Biological Sciences to plan scientific strategy on October 25.

Beth Holland serves on Steering Committees for NASA's Distributed Active Archive Center-Oak Ridge National Naboratory for In Situ Data sets (ORNL DAAC UWG); Biosphere-Atmosphere Research Training Grant to EPOB, University of Colorado; U.S. Trace Gas Network, part of IGAC/IGBP project 5.2-Trace Gas Exchange between Mid-Latitude Terrestrial Ecosystems and Atmosphere (TRAGEX); and NCAR's Student Employment Program for Minority Students.

NREL scientists attending a Global Change in Terrestrial Ecosystem meeting in Cedar Creek, Minnesota in September included Indy Burke, Jim Ellis, Diana Freckman and Bill Lauenroth. Papers presented were: Indy Burke, "Landscape Structure and Ecosystem Functioning"; Diana Freckman, "Belowground Diversity and Ecosystem Function"; and Bill Lauenroth, "Ecological Complexity and the Structure of Ecosystems."

Jeff Welker has been invited to attend an NSF-sponsored workshop titled "Human Dimensions of the Arctic System" being held in Tucson, AZ at the end of October. He will be sharing his research and his interest in comparing plant-animal-human interactions in Alaska-Canada and those in Scandinavia.

Dave Swift just returned from a 3-week trip to China where he is a consultant to the Asian Development Bank, working on a project funded through the Consortium for International Development. Dave is acting as an advisor to the Bank which is engaging in a feasibility study of a loan designed to provide capitol for the improvement of grasslands and livestock production in Lioaning Province and the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region in northern China.

Beth Holland (NCAR, Boulder) attended the Aspen Global Change Institute meeting, "Metro agroplex as a geographical unit of analysis for regional and global environmental change, August 1995.

Cathy Copeland, Bill Davis and Martin Fowler attended the 9th USENIX LISA Systems Administration Conference in Monterey, CA, September 18-22.

Frank Singer and Mike Coughenour attended the conference "Greater Yellowstone Predators: Ecology and conservation in a Changing Landscape" at Yellowstone National Park. Frank presented a paper on the carnivore prey base. Mike also visited Bighorn Canyon NRA where he is conducting modeling research for the Pryor Mountain

Wild Horse Range. He and Troy Gerhardt, a student of Jim Detling's inspected some of the field research sites.

Bob Niles presented an invited seminar titled "Striking a balance between decomposition and plant-parasitism in avocado and citrus agroecosystems" at the Departments of Plant Pathology/Weed Science and Entomology on Oct. 2.

Dennis Ojima and Bill Parton sponsored an Asian Steppe Joint Research meeting on October 3-4 at the NREL. Those attending were: Jim Ellis, Kathy Galvin, Mike Coughenour, Dave Schimel, Laura Stretch, Chuluun Togtohyn, Kevin Price (University of KS, Lawrence), Re-yang Lee (University of KS, Lawrence), Larry Tieszen (Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD), Bruce Wylie (Augustana College, Sioux Fall, SD), Jim Tucker (Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD), Jim Reardon-Anderson (Georgetown University, Washington, DC), Dennis Ojima and Bill Parton.

A meeting with PI's from Oregon State University on the joint NIGEC research project was sponsored by Dennis Ojima and held at NREL on Oct. 10-11. Those attending from OSU were: Chris Daly, Jim Lenihan, Jesse Chaney, and Dominique Bachelet.

Richard Flagler, Gary Lear, Bob Gilpin, Dave Bigelow, Molly Welker, Mark Wotawa and Linda Bandhauer attended the NADP Technical meeting in Toronto, Canada, the week of Oct. 16. The theme of the meeting was "Continental-scale atmospheric pollution affecting local-scale environments," with technical sessions on "CAPMoN and NADP: Merging data sets for joint analysis", "Trans-boundary transport and deposition", and "Lake and watershed effects."

Indy Burke, Dan Milchunas (CPER/LTER) and graduate student Sarah Spaulding (of the McMurdo LTER) attended the LTER Coordinating Committee Meeting in Cedar Creek, Minnesota on October 20-22.

Bill Parton sponsored a Joint Project Meeting (MMIA/NIH) at the NREL on Oct. 16-18. Those in attendance were: Bill Parton, Myron Guttman (University of Texas), Jeff Cunfer (University of Texas), Lenny Bohren (Dept. Industrial Sciences), Indy Burke, Kathy Galvin, Bill Riebsame (Univ. Colo.), Tom Kirchner, and Dennis Ojima.

John Gross presented a paper titled "Ranking conservation priorities for grassland birds" at the International Conference and Training Workshop on Conservation and Ecology of Grassland Birds, and the Annual Meeting of the Association of Field Ornithologists at Tulsa, OK, 26-28 October. Co-authors were C.P. Melcher, T. Nesler, J. Sheppard and G. Skiba.

Tim Kittel gave a guest presentation of a paper titled "Development of the VEMAP historical base climate and transient climate change scenarios" at the U.S. Forest Service Global Change Modelers Meeting held in Fort Collins, 17-18 October.

The 80th Annual Meeting was held at Snowbird, UT, July 30-August 3. The following list of NREL members presented papers or posters.

Papers Presented

ALWARD*, RICHARD D., DANIEL G. MILCHUNAS and JAMES K. DETLING. Long-term trends in shortgrass steppe vegetation during a 21-year period of increasing temperatures.

ATSEDU*, MENWYELET, JAMES K. DETLING and HAROLD GOETZ. Productivity, morphology, and nitrogen dynamics of plants in relation to defoliation and long-term grazing history.

BINKLEY, DAN. Change in Rocky Mountain ecosystems: the context.

BURKE*, INGRID C. and WILLIAM K. LAUENROTH. Regional patterns in productivity and N availability in the U.S. Central Grasslands: which controls which?

CHONG*, GENEVA W. and THOMAS J. STOHLGREN. Measuring plant species change at landscape scales: landscape-scale Gap Analysis.

COFFIN*, DEBRA P., OSVALDO E. SALA and WILLIAM K. LAUENROTH. Plant species biodiversity and ecosystem function: relative importance of biotic mechanisms and environmental constraints.

HOLLAND*, ELISABETH A. and BRUCE HUNGATE. Partitioning of foliar, root and microbial contributions to ecosystem respiration under elevated CO2 using 13C technigues.

KELLY*, ROBIN H. and INGRID C. BURKE. Responses of active and total soil organic matter following plant death in semiarid shortgrass steppe.

KITTEL*, T.G.F. presenter for VEMAP PARTICIPANTS. The VEMAP integrated dataset for simulation of ecological responses to global change: current climate and climate change scenarios.

LAUENROTH*, W.K., D.P. COFFIN and O.E. SALA. Seasonality of water availability and the effects of climate change on the distribution of C3 and C4 grasses in the Great Plains.

MCKEOWN*, R., D.S. OJIMA, T.G.F. KITTEL, D.S. SCHIMEL and W.J. PARTON. Integrated earth system studies. Joint research efforts of global change.

OJIMA*, DENNIS S. presenter for VEMAP PARTICIPANTS. The impact of climate and CO2 changes on ecosystem dynamics of the continental United States.

PULLIAM*, WILLIAM M., HERMAN SIEVERING, RICHARD PAYTON, JULIA WILSON and DEBORAH MANGIS. Modeling canopy uptake of atmospheric N deposition: modification of the Century model.

SANFORD, JR.*, ROBERT L., CHRISTIAN P. GIARDINA, INGRID C. DOCKERSMITH and FELIPE GARCIA. Root decomposition and accompanying C, N and P turnover in a lowland, tropical dry forest.

SCHIMEL, DAVID S. Ecological controls over global soil carbon storage.

STOHLGREN*, THOMAS J. and RICHARD R. BACHAND. Predicting long-term forest change at landscape scales: what will we need to know?

VALENTINE*, VIRGINIA B. and DAVID S. SCHIMEL. Leaf carbon balance and nitrogen-use efficiency within a multispecies canopy.

WELKER*, J.M., A.N. PARSONS, M.D. WALKER, D.A. WALKER, T.R. SEASTEDT, C.H. ROBINSON and P.A. WOOKEY. Comparative responses of Dryas octopetala to simulated changes in climate from alpine, low- and high arctic ITEX sites.

Posters Presented

TONG, HONGLIANG, DEBRA P. COFFIN* and WILLIAM K. LAUENROTH. Effects of fire, drought and climate change on species composition and primary production in a tallgrass prairie.

HARTMAN*, M., C. TAGUE, L.E. BAND, J.S. BARON and D.W. CLINE. Simulations of snow distribution and hydrology in a mountain basin.

KREMER, ROBERT G. Comparison of techniques for estimating solar radiation at regional scales for input to terrestrial ecosystem models.

VALENTINE*, D.W., W.M. PULLIAM, E.A. HOLLAND and D.S. SCHIMEL. An experimental manipulation of methane emissions in a mid-latitude prairie wetland.

Tom Stohlgren organized a technical symposium with Dan Binkley and Bob Stottlemyer on "The Rocky Mountains: Past, Present, and Future" for the 1995 Ecological Society of America Meetings, Snowbird, Utah, July-Aug. 1995.

Visitors

Dr. Georg Guggenberger is a visiting soil scientist on a post-doctoral fellowship funded by the German government. He will be at the NREL for one year to work with Keith Paustian and Ted Elliott on their NSF soil organic matter project. Georg is accompanied in Colorado by his wife Barbara and their two boys Tobias (3 yrs.) and Nicholas (1 yr.).

Dr. Jim Raich, Iowa State University visited NREL, October 24-28. He was sponsored by Bill Parton and was working with Bill to complete modeling and manuscript preparation for the Hawaii Project.

NREL Seminars

Vince McElligott, Development Officer for the College of Natural Resources presented a seminar on Friday, Sep. 29 titled "College of Natural Resources, Resource Development Overview and Discussion of funding Opportunities for NREL."

Seminars will be held in A302 NESB every Friday, 11 am-12 pm except where noted.

October 6: Dave Valentine - "Boreal Ecosystem Atmospheric Study (BOREAS): The Documentary"

October 9: Edith Allen - "Trajectories of Succession and the Need for restoration." (4:10 pm, Anatomy/Zoology W118)

Dr. Allen is from the Department of Botany and Plant Science, University of California, Riverside and participated in the Colloquium in the Life Sciences which was co-sponsored by NREL.

October 13: Jim Ellis & Kathy Galvin - "Resource Conservation and Rural Development in South Africa."

October 20: Menweylet Atsedu - "Defoliation Responses of Shortgrass Steppe Plants in Relation to Long-Term Grazing History."

October 27: Robin Kelly - "SOM Responses to Reduced Plant Inputs on Shortgrass Steppe: Ants, Herbicides, Simulated Cow Pies, and what I did with my summer vacation(s)."

November 3: Dave Theobald - "Simulating Land Use Change in Colorado."

November 10: Johan Six - "Soils and Land Use in the Eastern Region of South Vietnam." Johan is a graduate student of Ted Elliott and Keith Paustian.

November 17: Deb Coffin - TBA

November 24: NO SEMINAR

December 1: Andres Cibils & Adnan Beker - "Animal-Plant Interactions in an Atriplex canescens Dominated Community Browsed by Cattle on the Shortgrass Steppe: Some Research Questions." Andres and Adnan are Dave Swift's new graduate students.

December 8: Clifford Martinka - "The Changing Organizational Context for Science." Dr. Martinka is the Mountain Ecosystem Research Leader, National Biological Service.

A NREL Special Seminar was presented by Dr. Georg Guggenberger on Oct. 27 titled "Structural Chemistry Studies of Soil Organic Matter: What Do They Tell Us About Decomposition and Stabilization Processes in Soil?"

Graduate Student News

Two new graduate students working with Dave Swift and Bill Lauenroth have just moved into the NREL. Adnan Beker from Ethiopia and Andres Cibils from Argentina are studying the ecology, population dynamics, and nutritional quality of four wing salt bush in relation to timing and extent of browsing. The work is being performed at the LTER site at the Central Plains Experimental Range.

Johan (Jo) Six is a new Ph.D. student from Belgium who will be working on the NSF soil organic matter project with Ted Elliott and Keith Paustian. He has funding for three years to work on soil organic matter fractionation. Jo worked on land use classification of soils in Vietnam for his M.S. degree and will be presenting an NREL seminar on Nov. 10.

Menweylet Atsedu successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation titled "Defoliation Responses of Shortgrass Steppe Plants in Relation to Long- and Short-term Grazing History" on August 31. His major Professor was Jim Detling. Congratulations, Menweylet!!

Ericha Courtright successfully defended her M.S. thesis titled "Soil Nematode Distribution and Genetic Diversity in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica" on October 11. She was a student of Diana W. Freckman. Congratulations, Ericha!!

Grants Funded

Mike Coughenour, Dexing Chen and Roger Pielke were awarded a 3-year grant from the NSF/DOE Terrestrial Ecology and Global Change Program. The proposal is entitled "Grassland-atmosphere interactions: analyses using coupled ecophysiological, ecosystem, micrometeorological, and mesoscale atmospheric models." The broad objective is to use ecological-atmospheric models to examine responses to increased atmospheric CO2 and changed climate. Some of the responses may be altered by feedbacks between the ecosystem and the atmosphere. They will coordinate with C. Owensby et al. at Kansas State, as well as others at NREL and at the CPER/LTER who are conducting CO2 exposure studies in grasslands.

The proposal "Integrated Assessment of the Effects of Climate and Land Use Change on Ecosystem Dynamics, Stability and Resilience on the Mongolian Steppe" by Jim Ellis, Mike Coughenour, Kathy Galvin and C. J. (Jim) Tucker (Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD) was funded by the Methods and Models for Integrated Assessment Program of NSF, for 3 years. The proposal aims to combine remote sensing, GIS, simulation modeling, decisions support analysis and ground survey information to provide a means for determining how regional patterns of climate and land use interact to influence several aspects of ecosystem dynamics as well as human offtake from steppes of Mongolia and northern China. As a correction, the proposal announced in the last issue of NREL News Notes from NASA to Ellis, Price and Galvin to conduct research in Mongolia was not funded, but K. Price from the University of Kansas is a collaborator on the MMIA proposal, which has similar objectives.

The proposal "Fungal Contributions to Soil Organic Matter Formation" by Keith Paustian, Ted Elliott and Serita Frey was funded by USDA/CSRS. The use of alternative tillage practices, in particular no-till, is rapidly increasing in many areas and is likely to become the predominant practice in the future. Differences in tillage may cause fundamental changes in the structure of the microbial community, with a greater predominance of fungi under no-till. Increased rates of soil organic matter formation observed in no-till soils may be attributable, at least in part, to enhanced fungal populations and activities in these soils. Our overall objective is to exaine fungal contributions to soil organic matter accumulation and stabilization in no-till agroecosystems.

The NIH/University of Texas at Austin proposal titled "Population and Environment in the U.S. Great Plains" by W. Parton, L. Bohren, I. Burke, K. Galvin, and W. Riebsame was funded for 5 years. This is a multidisciplinary study of long-term aspects of the relationship between population and the environment in the Great Plains of the U.S. This project will collect and analyze county-level data about land use decisions and their consequences for the population and environment over more than a century in order to understand long-term, interactive, and recursive relationships. The study will validate its findings and develop new hypotheses with in-depth research about a small sample of communities within the Great Plains. The final stage will be to follow these analyses with a model-building and simulation exercise that will first build long-term models of environmental change using the CENTURY soil model system. Then investigators will integrate the analysis of demographic and environmental change by building a demographic and social change component to add to the CENTURY model and comparing the results of this modeling exercise with the historical record for the Great Plains.

Jeff Welker has been funded by the Alaskan National Biological Service group to study the isotopic relationships between arctic tundra vegetation from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and that in caribou from the Porcupine Herd. Mark Larson, a Ph.D. student will be working with Jeff on this study.

Bill Parton received funding from NSF/Oregon State University for his continuation proposal titled "Long-Term Intersite Experiments of Leaf and Fine Root Decomposition."

Richard Flagler has been funded by EPA/University of Massachusetts for his proposal titled "Assessing the Response of Three North American Pine Species to Ozone Using Ethylenediurea and Sodium Eythorbate". Ozone is a widespread air pollutant that causes damage to many crop plants and forest trees. The usual method of exposing trees to ozone involves growing trees inside chambers to contain the level of ozone desired. This research uses a novel approach of treating trees with two different antiozidant chemicals that destroy ozone. The advantage of this approach is that trees can be grown in the ground without any artificial barriers that may modify other components of the environment. Through this technique, the response to ozone of three ecologically and economically important pine species can be determined.

The proposal titled "Oregon Coast Range Province Adaptive Management Pilot Project: application of AR/GIS, Collaborative GIS..." by Ted Elliott has been funded by USDA/Forest Service. To pilot test application of the Active Response Geographic Information System (AR/GIS) with the Oregon Coast Range Province Adaptive Management Pilot Project cooperatively between the USFS Siuslaw NF, BLM Salem District, USFS-Research PNW Corvallis & Rocky Mountain Stations, TERRA, IBM Government Systems, Inc. And CSU. In particular to explore use of the system to aid geographically based discussion and application of models (or other suitable analytic tools) to improve collaboration and decision-making.

Tom Stohlgren received $10,000 from the U.S. Geological Survey (via the NPS) for "Bibliographies of USGS Mapped Information In and Around the National Parks". Krista Alper will be transferring, editing, and formatting the data into Pro-Cite.

Dennis Ojima, Tom Kirchner and Bill Parton received funding from NSF(MMIA)/Univ. Nebraska for the proposal titled "Integrated Assessment of Climate and Land Use Changes in the Central U.S." In this period of rapid environmental and human-system changes, an integrated approach to assessment of the ecological and human-system dynamics is fundamental to our understanding and assessment of ecosystem dynamics. Changes in land use and climate systems are contributing to rapid changes in how ecosystems behave. Ecosystem and socio-economic models are needed to investigate the differential causes and effects of land use changes in the central region of the U.S. These models also need to be developed within the context of a policy formulation decision support system, so that the results will be not only of scientific interest but of direct policy relevance.

Proposals Submitted

Dr. Judson Harper announced a special program for Program for Research and Scholarly Excellence (PRSE). A total of $600,000 in one-time funds ($400,000 from central resources and $200,000 from College\Departmental RSP resources) will be distributed to selected PRSE based on proposals submitted to the Vice President for Research. Based on this announcement, Tom Kircher and Bill Parton submitted a proposal titled "Enhancing the Use of Models in Academic Curricula."

A proposal titled "Synthesis, Integration, and Analysis of Spatial Patterns and Dynamics of Ecotones in Arid and Semiarid Ecosystems" was submitted to the National Center for Ecosystem Analysis and Synthesis by Debra Coffin with collaborators from the University of New Mexico: Jim Gosz, Bruce Milne, Bob Parmenter, and James Brunt.

Dennis Ojima, Dave Schimel and Bill Parton submitted a continuation proposal to NASA titled "Using Multi-Sensor Data to Model Factors Limiting Carbon Balance in Global Arid and Semiarid Lands".

A continuation proposal titled "Quality Assurance Support for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network Monitoring Program: 1993-1996" was submitted to EPA by Dave Bigelow.

Carol Simmons submitted a proposal titled "The NBS Global Change Data Center" to the National Biological Service.

Bill Parton submitted a continuation proposal to the University of Puerto Rico titled "Long-term Ecological Research on the Luquillo Experiment Forest."

Dennis Ojima submitted a proposal to the U.S. Forest Service titled "Impact of Climatic Change and Increasing Atmospheric CO2 on U.S. Forest Systems."

A proposal titled "Prioritization Tools for Ecosystem Protection - Developing a Geographic Framework for Priority Setting" was submitted to the Rocky Mountain Forest & Range Experiment Station by Ted Elliott.

Jeff Welker submitted a supplement proposal to NSF/Polar Programs titled "Supplement to: Comparative Responses of Moist and Dry Tundra to Altered Snow Cover and Warmer Summer Temperatures."

A proposal titled "Modeling the Effect of global change on Grassland Distribution and Productivity at Landscape to Regional Scales" was submitted by Dennis Ojima to DOE-NIGEC/Oregon State University.

Tom Kirchner and Tom Hakonson (Dept. of Fishery and Wildlife Biology) submitted a proposal titled "Evaluating Exposures to Individuals Near a Uranium Mill Site" to Cotter Corporation.

Dennis Ojima submitted a proposal titled "Building a U.S. Trace Gas Network" to USDA/ARS.

Tom Hobbs submitted a proposal to the Division of Wildlife titled "Ecological Modelling in Support of County Decision Making."

Tom Stohlgren and Mike Coughenour submitted a proposal to Rocky Mountain Nature Association and National Park Service titled "Elk Effects on Plant Diversity and Building a Working Herberium."

A proposal titled "Landscape Features in Undisturbed Ponderosa Pine Forests: Linkages to Natural Disturbances and Understory Plant Diversity" was submitted to NSF by Tom Stohlgren, Dan Binkley and Merrill Kaufmann (U.S. Forest Service).

Ted Elliott submitted a continuation proposal titled "Rocky Flats Plant Ecological Monitoring Program" to Kaiser-Hill Company.

Debra Coffin and George Beck (Department of Plant Pathology and Weed Science) submitted a proposal to USDA/CSREES/NRI/Forest/Range/Crop/Aquatic Ecosystems titled "Invasion of Rangeland by Aggressive Perennial Weeds: Ecology and Management."

A proposal titled "Effect of Elk Grazing on Native and Non-Native Plan Species Diversity in Rocky Mountain Park" was submitted to Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Manscripts Published

Burke, I.C., W.K. Lauenroth and D.P. Coffin. 1995. Soil organic matter recovery in semiarid grasslands: Implications for the conservation reserve program. Ecol. Appl. 5:793-801.

Ellis, J.E. 1995. Ecosystem dynamics and economic development of African rangelands: Theory, ideology, events, and policy. In S. Breth (ed.) Environment and Agriculture: Rethinking Development Issues for the 21st Century. Proceedings of a Symposium, Winrock International, Morrilton, AR.

Gross, J.E., M.W. Demment, P.U. Alkon and M. Kotzman. 1995. Mastication and feeding behaviors of male and female Nubian ibex: compensation for differences in body size. Functional Ecology 9:385-393.

Gross, J.E., P.U. Alkon and M.W. Demment. 1995. Grouping patterns and spatial segregation by Nubian ibex. J. Arid Environ. 30:423-440.

Gross, J.E., C. Zank, N.T. Hobbs, and D.E. Spalinger. 1995. Movement rules for herbivores in spatially heterogeneous environments: responses to small scale pattern. Landscape Ecol. 10:209-217.

Hook, P.B. and I.C. Burke. 1995. Evaluation of methods for estimating net nitrogen mineralization in a semiarid grassland. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 59:831-837.

Hosoi, E., L. R. Rittenhouse, D.M. Swift, R.W. Richards and H. Yano. 1995. Validity of use of a Y-maze to determine a foraging strategy of cattle. Asian-Australiasian J. An. Sci. 8:145-149.

Hosoi, E., D.M. Swift, L.R. Rittenhouse and R.W. Richards. 1995. Comparative foraging strategies of sheep and goats in a T-maze apparatus. J. Applied An. Behav. Sci. 44:37-45.

Hosoi, E., L.R. Rittenhouse, D.M. Swift and R.W. Richards. 1995. Foraging strategies of cattle in a Y-maze: Influence of food availability. J. Applied An. Behav. Sci. 43:189-196.

Ihori, T., I.C. Burke, W.K. Lauenroth and D.P. Coffin. 1995. Effects of cultivation and abandonment on soil organic matter in northeastern Colorado. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 59:1112-1119.

Motavalli, P.P., C.A. Palm, E.T. Elliott, S.D. Frey and P.C. Smithson. 1995. Nitrogen mineralization in humid tropical forest soils: Mineralogy, texture, and measured nitrogen fractions. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 59:1168-1175.

Motavalli, P.P., S.D. Frey, and N.A. Scott. 1995. Effects of filter type and extraction efficiency on nitrogen mineralization measurements using the aerobic leaching soil incubation method. Biol. Fertil. Soils. 20:197-204.

Niles, R.K., D.W. Freckman and M.L. Roose. 1995. Use of trifoliate orange as a comparative standard for assessing the resistance of citrus rootstocks to citrus nematode. Plant Disease 79:813-818.

Paruelo, J.M. and W.K. Lauenroth. 1995. Regional patterns of normalized difference vegetation index in North American shrublands and grasslands. Ecology 76:1888-1898.

Powers, L.E., D.W. Freckman, and R.A. Virginia. 1995. Spatial distribution of nematodes in polar desert soils of Antarctica. Polar Biol. 15:325-333.

Sprink, A.J. and A.N. Parsons. 1995. An experimental investigation of the effects of nitrogen deposition to Narthecium ossifragum. Environmental Pollution 90:191-198.

Stohlgren, T.J., M.B. Falkner, and L.D. Schell. 1995. A Modified-Whittaker nested vegetation sampling method. Vegetatio 117:113-121.

Stohlgren, T.J. (Science Editor). 1995. The Interior West. Pages 309-336 in Our Living Resources, 1995: A Report to the Nation on the Distribution, Abundance, and Health of U.S. Plants, Animals, and Ecosystems. National Biological Service, Washington, D.C.

Stohlgren, T.J., J. Baron, T.G.F. Kittel, and D. Binkley. 1995. Ecosystem trends in the Colorado Rockies. Pages 310-313 in Our Living Resources, 1995: A Report to the Nation on the Distribution, Abundance, and Health of U.S. Plants, Animals, and Ecosystems. National Biological Service, Washington, D.C.

Outreach

Two of Tom Stohlgren et al.'s publications that discussed the need for biotic inventories in National Parks were used by freelance writer George Wuerthner, who wrote a nice "Forum" article in this month's issue of National Parks (Vol. 69 No. 9-10, pages 45-46). Stohlgren was quoted in the Fort Collins Coloradoan (September 30) about budget cuts in the NBS. He was optimistic, but also mentioned that fewer USDI Bureau needs will be met with the proposed deep cuts.

Susan Smith has been tutoring students at Centennial High School (the alternative high school in Fort Collins). In her experience there, the kids are receptive and great to work with. Centennial High School needs tutors in all subjects, especially math. If you are interested and want to know more, please talk to Susan or call the school at 221-2920.

For Environmental Days at Conrad-Ball Middle School in Loveland, Serita Frey taught a class of 6th graders how to collect soil samples and detemine soil texture. The class was conducted October 26th in a section of the Big Thompson Canyon.

Open Positions

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
(TAXONOMY)
earch Associate, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory and Department of
Rangeland Ecosystem Science.  Research projects are focussed on elucidating
the function of nematode biodiversity in managed and unmanaged ecosystems
(for example, Antarctic Dry Valleys, Central Plains Experimental Range
(CPER)-Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, and Michigan State
University-Kellogg Biological Station LTER)

QUALIFICATIONS:

M.S. preferred in microbiology, plant pathology, entomology, or a related
field.  Background in soil ecology or nematology desired, but not required.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Primary responsibility will be to identify and enumerate free-living and
plant parasitic nematodes in a soil ecology laboratory.  Nematode
extraction, preservation and identification in a soil ecology laboratory.
Specific responsibilities include the following:

	-Extract and preserve nematodes from plant and soil samples.
	-Identify and enumerate free-living and plant parasitic nematodes.
	-Curate a nematode slide collection.
	-Maintain documentation of all laboratory methods.
	-Train laboratory assistants and visitors in nematode identification.

The successful candidate will have extensive experience in microscopy and
will possess strong organizational skills.  It is essential that the
candidate posses interpersonal and communication skills for working with
other members of the laboratory in a team effort.  The successful candidate
will also participate in the establishment and maintenance of laboratory,
greenhouse and field experiments and besides skills in nematode
identification, will possess one or more of the following skills:

	-Curation of microscope slide collection.
	-Isolation, purification and maintenance of nematode/microbial cultures.
	-Knowledge of experimental methods in soil ecology and/or nematology.
	-Use of computers for image analysis, word processing, education and
communications.

BEGINNING DATE: January 1996

SALARY RANGE: $18,000 - 24,000 dependent on experience.  

APPLICATIONS:

Applications will be received until December 20, 1995.  Forward complete
curriculum vitae, including academic transcripts, description of research
interests and goals, and the names, addresses and phone numbers of three
references to:

                Dr. Diana Freckman / Dr. Robert Niles
                Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
                Colorado State University
                Fort Collins, CO 80523-1499
                
                (970) 491-1965 FAX

Additional information may be obtained by contacting Dr. Robert Niles, (970)
491-1964 or by e-mail at bobn@nrel.colostate.edu.  

Colorado State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, age,
color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status
or disability, or handicap.  The University complies with the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, related Executive Orders 11246     and 11375, Title IX of the
Education Amendments Act of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Act of
1974, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, American
Disabilities Act of 1990, and all civil rights laws of the State of
Colorado.  Accordingly, equal opportunity for employment and admission shall
be extended to all persons and the University shall promote equal
opportunity and treatment through a positive and continuing affirmative
action program.  The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 21 Spruce
Hall.  In order to assist Colorado State University in meeting its
affirmative action responsibilities, ethnic minorities, women, and other
protected class members are encouraged to apply and to so identify themselves.




RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
Technician: Open-Top CO2-Enrichment Chamber Facility

The NSF/Interagency sponsored research in Terrestrial Ecology and Global
Change has funded a three-year project to investigate responses of the
shortgrass steppe to CO2 enrichment.   The work is to be performed at the
USDA/ARS Central Plains Experimental Range near Nunn, Colorado, with
principal investigators located with USDA/ARS and Colorado State University
in Fort Collins, CO.  Six open-top chambers will be constructed to evaluate
how 2X ambient CO2 concentrations influence plant and soil responses.  Three
of the chambers will operate at present ambient CO2 concentrations, and the
other three will be enriched with CO2 to twice current ambient
concentrations.  The person hired for this position will be responsible for
the construction and day-to-day operation of the open-top chamber facility.
They will also be responsible for some data collection and data processing.
After an initial orientation of various micrometeorological and gas exchange
equipment, the person hired will be responsible for integrating
plant\soil\atmospheric monitoring equipment into a data acquisition/control
system.  They will also be responsible for data collection, summarization,
and reporting to principal investigators.

The candidate must have at least a B.S. degree and some experience in an
engineering or scientific discipline.  The incumbent should have a strong
knowledge of computers and electronic data collection, and should have some
fabrication skills.  A general knowledge or background in electronic
scientific equipment is also necessary.   A background in  scientific field
work in the natural sciences is preferred, as is experience with
installation and operation of any kinds of  field scientific equipment.
Funding is for 33 months, with the possibility of extension pending on
project needs and securing continued support.  Salary will be in range of
$22,000 - 24,500, plus benefits.

Please furnish current resume and the names, addresses and phone numbers of
three persons familiar with your professional experience.  Send materials to
Arlene Boaman, Natural Resource Ecology Lab., Colorado State Univ., Ft.
Collins, CO 80523-1499, no later than Dec. 15, 1995.  Must be available for
interview in Fort Collins.

Colorado State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, age,
color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status
or disability, or handicap.  The University complies with the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, related Executive Orders 11246 and 11375, Title IX of the
Education Amendments Act of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Act of
1974, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, American
Disabilities Act of 1990, and all civil rights laws of the State of
Colorado.  Accordingly, equal opportunity for employment and admission shall
be extended to all persons and the University shall promote equal
opportunity and treatment through a positive and continuing affirmative
action program.  The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 21 Spruce
Hall.  In order to assist Colorado State University in meeting its
affirmative action responsibilities, ethnic minorities, women, and other
protected class members are encourage to apply and to so identify themselves.




RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
(LAB MANAGER)
	Research Associate, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory and Department of
Rangeland Ecosystem Science.  Research projects are focussed on elucidating
the function of nematode biodiversity in managed and unmanaged ecosystems
(for example, Antarctic Dry Valleys, Central Plains Experimental Range
(CPER)-Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, and Michigan State
University-Kellogg Biological Station LTER).

QUALIFICATIONS:	
	M.S. preferred in ecology, microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, plant
pathology, or a related field.  Background in soil ecology or nematology
desired, but not required.

JOB DESCRIPTION:
	Supervision, coordination, and maintenance of soil ecology laboratory.  

Responsibilities include the establishment and maintenance of field,
laboratory, and greenhouse experiments, in addition to:

	-  Supervision of research associates and student workers
	-  Collecting and processing soil samples to determine biotic, chemical and
physical properties
	-  Identify and enumerate free-living and plant parasitic nematodes
	-  Maintain laboratory equipment
	-  Coordinate data entry, assist with data analysis
	-  Participation in preparing research proposals and papers

The successful applicant must have supervisory experience and strong
organizational  skills.  Further, it is essential that the candidate possess
interpersonal and communication skills for working with other members of the
laboratory in a team      effort.  Additional preferred skills include
experience in one or all of the following:

	-  Nematode and/or soil microbial extraction methods.
	-  Statistical analysis.
	-  Isolation, purification, and maintenance of laboratory microbial cultures.
	-  Utilization of computer software for spreadsheet analysis, word
processing,          routine statistical analysis, graphics, and communications.
	-  Biogeochemical soil analysis.
	-  Molecular applications in soil ecology

EXPECTED START DATE:   February 1996

SALARY RANGE: $22,000 - 26,000

APPLICATIONS:   
	Applications deadline extended to  January 15, 1996.  Forward complete
curriculum vitae, including academic transcripts, description of research
interests and goals, and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three
references to:

                        Dr. Diana Freckman / Dr. Robert Niles
                        Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
                        Colorado State University
                        Fort Collins, CO  80523-1499
                         FAX:  (970) 491-1965  

Additional information may be obtained by contacting Dr. Robert Niles at
(970) 491-1964 or by e-mail at bobn@nrel.colostate.edu.

Colorado State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, age,
color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status
or disability, or handicap.  The University complies with the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, related Executive Orders 11246 and 11375, Title IX of the
Education Amendments Act of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Act of
1974, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, American
Disabilities Act of 1990, and all civil rights laws of the State of
Colorado.  Accordingly, equal opportunity for employment and admission shall
be extended to all persons and the University shall promote equal
opportunity and treatment through a positive and continuing affirmative
action program.  The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 21 Spruce
Hall.  In order to assist Colorado State University in meeting its
affirmative action responsibilities, ethnic minorities, women, and other
protected class members are encouraged to apply and to so identify themselves.  

Thought for the Day

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana (graffiti at U.C. Berkeley, 1976)

The NREL NEWS NOTES will be published every two months. Please give your news items to Kay by the last Monday of each month.