The National Wind Erosion Research Network: Building a standardized long-term data resource for aeolian research, modeling and land management

Webb, Nicholas P.; Herrick, Jeffrey E.; Zee, Justin W. Van; Courtright, Ericha M.; Hugenholtz, Chris H.; Zobeck, Ted M.; Okin, Gregory S.; Barchyn, Thomas E.; Billings, Benjamin J.; Boyd, Robert C.; Clingan, Scott; Cooper, Brad F.; Duniway, Michael C.; Derner, Justin D.; Fox, Fred; Havstad, Kris M.; Heilman, Philip; LaPlante, Valerie; Ludwig, Noel A.; Metz, Loretta J.; Nearing, M. A.; Norfleet, M. L.; Pierson, Frederick B.; Sanderson, Matt A.; Sharratt, Brenton; Steiner, Jean L.; Tatarko, John; Tedela, Negussie H.; Toledo, David; Unnasch, Robert S.; Pelt, R. Scott Van; Wagner, Larry E.

doi:10.1016/j.aeolia.2016.05.005

Cited by 62 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…A foray online can find environmental networks engaged in monitoring changes in lakes (Sier and Monteith, 2016), soil organic carbon (Smith et al, 2002), wind erosion (Webb et al, 2016), and agricultural ecosystems (Robertson et al, 2008) to name a few. There seems to be growing interest in new environmental networks as demonstrated by the recent launch of a mycorrhizal research network in South America (Bueno et al, 2017), and proposals for an ambitious but yet to be funded long-term ecological observatory network in India (Thaker et al, 2015).…”

Section: Contemporary Environmental Research Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ideas and perspectives: Strengthening the biogeosciences in environmental research networks

et al. 2018

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Abstract. Long-term environmental research networks are one approach to advancing local, regional, and global environmental science and education. A remarkable number and wide variety of environmental research networks operate around the world today. These are diverse in funding, infrastructure, motivating questions, scientific strengths, and the sciences that birthed and maintain the networks. Some networks have individual sites that were selected because they had produced invaluable long-term data, while other networks have new sites selected to span ecological gradients. However, all long-term environmental networks share two challenges. Networks must keep pace with scientific advances and interact with both the scientific community and society at large. If networks fall short of successfully addressing these challenges, they risk becoming irrelevant. The objective of this paper is to assert that the biogeosciences offer environmental research networks a number of opportunities to expand scientific impact and public engagement. We explore some of these opportunities with four networks: the International Long-Term Ecological Research Network programs (ILTERs), critical zone observatories (CZOs), Earth and ecological observatory networks (EONs), and the FLUXNET program of eddy flux sites. While these networks were founded and expanded by interdisciplinary scientists, the preponderance of expertise and funding has gravitated activities of ILTERs and EONs toward ecology and biology, CZOs toward the Earth sciences and geology, and FLUXNET toward ecophysiology and micrometeorology. Our point is not to homogenize networks, nor to diminish disciplinary science. Rather, we argue that by more fully incorporating the integration of biology and geology in long-term environmental research networks, scientists can better leverage network assets, keep pace with the ever-changing science of the environment, and engage with larger scientific and public audiences.

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Section: Contemporary Environmental Research Networkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ideas and perspectives: Strengthening the biogeosciences in environmental research networks

et al. 2018

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“…Foremost among these challenges are the relative scarcity of suitable wind erosion observations and the huge range of relevant scales needed to fully account for all of the physical processes related to dust. One national initiative designed to address some of these issues is the National Wind Erosion Research Network established in the USA in 2014 [100].…”

Section: Sds Impact Mitigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sand and Dust Storms: Impact Mitigation

2017

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Sand and dust storms (SDS) play an integral role in the Earth system but they also present a range of hazards to the environmental and economic sustainability of human society. These hazards are of considerable importance for residents of dryland environments and also affect people beyond drylands because wind erosion can occur in most environments and desert dust events often involve long-range transport over great distances (>1000 km). This paper makes an assessment of the scale of SDS impacts by totalling the countries affected using an appraisal of peer-reviewed published sources, arriving at a conservative estimate that 77% of all parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) are affected directly by SDS issues. We then present a synthesis of the environmental management techniques designed to mitigate SDS hazards for disaster risk reduction and review policy measures, both historical and contemporary, for SDS impact mitigation. Although many SDS hazards are well-known, the processes involved and their impacts are not all equally well-understood. Policies designed to mitigate the impacts of wind erosion in agricultural areas have been developed in certain parts of the world but policies designed to mitigate the wider impacts of SDS, including many that are transboundary, are geographically patchy and have a much shorter history. Further development and wider implementation of such policies is advocated because of the recent marked increase in wind erosion and associated dust storms in several parts of the world.

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“…Surface cover was assessed using a 0.71 × 0.71-m pinframe with a grid of 7 × 7 sampling intersections (49 points per plot) following classes described in Herrick, Van Zee, Havstad, Burkett, and Whitford (2005), with (Webb et al, 2016). Surface cover was assessed using a 0.71 × 0.71-m pinframe with a grid of 7 × 7 sampling intersections (49 points per plot) following classes described in Herrick, Van Zee, Havstad, Burkett, and Whitford (2005), with (Webb et al, 2016).…”

Section: Plot Establishment and Rainfall Simulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrological function of rapidly induced biocrusts

2019

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In dryland ecosystems, land degradation and erosion pose severe threats to ecosystem productivity and human well-being. Bio-inoculation of degraded soils with native biological soil crusts ("biocrusts") is a promising yet relatively untested means to improve soil stability and hydrological function (i.e., increase infiltration and reduce run-off). In a degraded semiarid grassland on the Colorado Plateau, we studied the establishment and hydrological function (via simulated rainfall) of induced biocrusts grown with and without an organic soil stabilizer (psyllium, derived from Plantago sp.), after a period of 4 months. We found evidence of biocrust establishment, including significantly higher biocrust cover, chlorophyll a, and exopolysaccharides in inoculated plots compared with controls. Plots inoculated with biocrust had higher run-off and sediment yields than controls during rainfall simulation. However, this effect was mitigated in plots where stabilizer was added, resulting in greater soil aggregate stability and higher levels of infiltration (reduced total run-off). The time to ponding was significantly greater than control for all inoculated plots, suggesting that induced biocrusts may be most effective at improving infiltration under low-intensity, smaller precipitation events.Notably, the biocrusts in this study lacked rough surface microtopography, which is common in well-developed biocrusts regionally and likely instrumental in slowing overland flow and increasing infiltration for larger rain events. These results highlight the temporal lag that may exist between apparent and functional restoration of biocrusts. In addition, the simultaneous additions of stabilizing amendments with biocrust inoculum may work collectively to achieve both short-and long-term restoration targets.

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The National Wind Erosion Research Network: Building a standardized long-term data resource for aeolian research, modeling and land management

Cited by 62 publications

References 52 publications

Ideas and perspectives: Strengthening the biogeosciences in environmental research networks

Ideas and perspectives: Strengthening the biogeosciences in environmental research networks

Sand and Dust Storms: Impact Mitigation

Hydrological function of rapidly induced biocrusts

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