The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) is now accepting applications for its Investigative Workshop,
*"**Disturbance Regimes and Climate-Carbon Feedback**"** *to be held
February 13-15, 2012, at NIMBioS.
*Objectives: * Disturbances have been recognized as a key factor
affecting terrestrial biogeochemical processes but can be easily
misinterpreted without considering the context of disturbance regimes.
Many studies have been conducted to quantify impacts of individual
disturbance events on ecosystem carbon processes. In general, one
disturbance event, such as wildfire, usually triggers release of a large
amount of carbon and then follows by recovery processes. It is important
to recognize that any disturbance events happen in a context of
disturbance regime in a region. If the disturbance regime does not
change over time in a region (i.e., stationary), recovery processes
after one disturbance event result in net carbon uptake that can fully
compensate the carbon loss triggered by the disturbance event, leading
to no net change in carbon balance over time. Similarly over space, the
carbon loss triggered by the disturbance event in one area can be fully
compensated by carbon gain by recovery in other areas in a region if
regional disturbance regimes are stationary. Thus, disturbance impacts
on biogeochemical cycles have to be interpreted in the context of
disturbance regimes and their responses to global change. Disturbance
regimes can usually be characterized by disturbance frequency, severity,
and extensity, and differ in different regions of the world. So far, the
quantitative relationship between carbon-climate feedback and
disturbance regimes has not yet been carefully explored. Climate change
likely alters disturbance regimes (i.e., nonstationry). The
nonstationary disturbance regimes trigger either net carbon releases
from or uptake by terrestrial ecosystems, feeding back to climate
change. Mathematical models are needed to quantify stationarity of
disturbance regimes and their feedback to global carbon cycles and
climate change. This investigative workshop will bring together
disturbance ecologists, biogeochemists, mathematicians, statisticians,
and computer scientists to discuss various issues related to integration
of disturbance ecology with biogeochemistry using mathematical and
statistical approaches. The workshop will synthesize state-of-the-art
information and identify future directions in the interface areas of
disturbance ecology and biogeochemistry. It is anticipated that the
workshop will lead to a NIMBioS Working Group to tackle more focused
issues in this interface area.
*Location: *NIMBioS at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
*Co-Organizers: *Maria Leite (Mathematics, Univ. of Oklahoma at Norman)
and Yiqi Luo (Ecology, Univ. of Oklahoma at Norman; Director, EcoLab)
For more information about the workshop and a link to the online
application form, go to http://www.nimbios.org/workshops/WS_carbon
If needed, applicants may request travel and lodging support.
Participation is limited, and those selected to attend will be notified
within two weeks of the application deadline. *Application deadline:
November 1, 2011*
The National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
(NIMBioS) (http://www.nimbios.org) brings together researchers from
around the world to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries to
investigate solutions to basic and applied problems in the life
sciences. NIMBioS is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture with additional support from The University of Tennessee,
Knoxville.
*****************************
Catherine Crawley, Ph.D.
Communications Coordinator
National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis
University of Tennessee
1534 White Avenue, Suite 400
Knoxville, TN 37996-1527
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