Assess the biogeochemical controls on the decomposition of lignin versus other litter constituents in soils spanning the NEON core terrestrial sites.

Improve the understanding on functions and processes of forest ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest (e.g. the link between leaf temperatures and carbon assimilation) with direct measurement of forest canopy temperatures at the NEON WREF site. 

Partition evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) fluxes at most core NEON terrestrial sites. These data will be synthesized to elucidate patterns of E/T partitioning and transpiration fluxes across the continent, and used to evaluate a range of ecosystem models to assess their representation of transpiration.

We examine how flow variability among NEON sites selects for functional traits in benthic invertebrates and their resultant impact on the susceptibility to stoichiometric constraints.

The results are published in: Blalock A, Q Cai, JR Corman, SA Thomas, and EK Moody. 2024. Hydrology has stronger effects than periphyton stoichiometry on lotic invertebrate functional diversity across North America. Freshwater Science, 43(3), doi: 10.1086/732096

Requesting to borrow the NEON SIPRE auger and power head for permafrost samples (immediately below the active layer) for evaluation of microbial communities and ice nucleating particles (INPs; particles that facilitate cloud ice formation).

Test the hypothesis that detailed information about forest structural and functional diversity is critical to predicting key elements of forest photosynthetic production, including peak growing season and daily cycles of productivity in temperate forest ecosystems. NEON's AOP flight surveys were conducted over the University of Michigan Biological Station near Pellston, MI, in 2019.

Examine Solar Induced Fluorescence (SIF) along with visible to near infrared reflectance in high latitude ecosystems using a FLoX (Fluorescence Box, JB Hyperspectral) mounted on the flux tower. In addition to measurements of leaf level electron transport rate (ETR) and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) were collected using MoniPAM Fluorometer.

This request is part of the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) Molecular Observation Network (MONet) to provide advanced soil physical, chemical and biological characterization of soil cores from all ecoregions within the United States.

Investigate which seasonal snowpack properties impact predator-prey dynamics, and the key processes driving those properties.

Better understand bi-directional exchange of ammonia between the atmosphere and forests in Rocky Mountain National Park. Objectives include a combination of gradient flux measurements on the NEON tower, measurements of canopy, litter and soil chemistry, and air-surface exchange modeling.