A. Center/Institute/Program

Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research/University of Colorado

Box 450

Boulder, CO 80309

Phone: 303-492-3302

Fax: 303-492-6388

E-mail: tims@culter.colorado.edu

Web Page: http://culter.colorado.edu:1030/

Director/Chairperson: Dr. James Syvitski

Representative to AERC: Dr. Tim Seastedt

Alternate: Dr. Nel Caine

B. Major objectives of the Center/Institute/Program

1. Environmental sciences; high latitudes and high altitudes.

2. Biogeochemistry of cold regions, temperate and tropical ecosystems.

3. Paleoecology of cold region sand geochronological research.

3. Cold region process (glacier dynamics, ice sheet reconstructions).

C. Major ecosystem research emphases

1. Long term ecological research in Colorado Alpine and McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica.

2. Effects of changing climate and nitrogen deposition on arctic and alpine ecosystems.

3. Biogeochemistry of high elevation and high latitude ecosystems.

4. Nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics of alpine and subalpine ecosystems.

5. Biotic production and response to disturbance.

6. Biotic drivers and feedbacks in global change issues.

D. Staff

Permanent scientific staff: PhD: 15

Scientific support staff: Postdocs: 3, Technicians: 5

Other support staff: Clerical: 4, Administrative: 3, Editorial: 2

Graduate students: PhD: 19, MS: 3

Summer undergraduates: 10

E. Approximate annual funding (recent year)

Core funding: $250,000/yr, Source: University of Colorado

Grants: $1,500,000/yr, Major sources: NSF, USGS

F. Areas and facilities for ecosystem research studies

Mountain Research Station, 40 km west of Boulder, 10 km².

G. Research staff directly involved in ecosystem research (names and specialty areas)

Bowman, William – plant physiological ecology

Bourgeron, Patrick – landscape ecology, vegetation dynamics

Caine, Nel – geomorphology, hydrology

McKnight, Diane – limnology, aquatic geochemistry

Monson, Russ – photosynthesis, nutrient allocation

Schmidt, Steven – microbial ecology

Seastedt, Tim – soil biology, biogeochemistry, invasive species

Townsend, Alan – terrestrial biogeochemistry

Wessman, Carol – biogeochemical cycling, landscapes, RS/GIS

Williams, Mark – biogeochemical cycling

H. Long-term data sets (code name, number of years of data, computer accessibility)

1. Climate, 50+ years.

2. Atmospheric chemistry, 20 years.

3. Plant productivity, 10 years; species composition, 45 years.

4. Phenology, 10 years

5. Snowpack, 10 years.

6. Decomposition, 5 years.

7. Stream chemistry, 30+ years.