EEON
Our Lab manages the Evergreen Ecological Observation Network (EEON) project. Visit the official website for this project: http://blogs.evergreen.edu/eeon .
This project is a long-term research effort involving students and faculty conducting research on patterns and process in a 1000 acre lowland Puget Sound second-growth rainforest at the Evergreen State College. Major changes are expected and have already occurred in these lowland Puget Sound ecosystems associated with ecological and anthropogenic factors. Our efforts are centered on 44 intensively-studied long-term monitoring plots where we are measuring biological diversity, development, carbon dynamics, and decay of trees, snags, sub-canopy vegetation, and down-woody debris. We use a rotating subset of 10 plots to conduct detailed measurements of soil CO2 efflux, root production, spatial relationships between trees and and soils. These data allow us to improve understanding of carbon dynamics and forest structure in a model lowland Puget Sound forest, as well as develop and ask interesting questions related to forest structure and diversity. Over-time, these data will allow us to address how forests change, and how climate change is affecting ecosystems. We are interested in collaboration with other labs. Please contact us about data sharing and joint projects.
August 22, 2014 at 11:47 am
LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD STUDENT RESEARCHERS!
Interested in research in the Evergreen Ecological Observation Network (EEON)? Here is your chance. We are looking for a small crew of student researchers (2-5 students) to map the Evergreen campus reserve using GIS and conduct research on forest carbon flux in the EEON. Opportunities are present for renewal each quarter – up to 16 credits upper division science in Advanced Research in Environmental Studies. Students will be working with techniques in forest ecology and biogeochemistry. Tasks involve use of complex instrumentation in the lab and the field, and the ability to work as part of a dedicated field and lab research team. Do you have a background in GIS, biogeochemistry, or forest ecology but you want more? Join us! Opportunities to publish research, present at scientific meetings, and work with a dedicated team in the Evergreen forest reserve. Three primary project we will focus on this fall quarter include:
1) GIS-based mapping, measurement, and analysis of our campus forest. Students will have the opportunity to update old GIS layers related to our campus forest, campus trails, and recent imagery. Students will learn GIS through standard modules, and then apply that knowledge by acquiring up-to-date aerial imagery of the campus forest, identifying forest layers, and then “ground-truthing” layers in the field. Students will also work with open source data and GPS units to better map existing trails on campus. This project requires experience working with spreadsheets, some basic familiarity with GIS software, and a willingness to get out in the field
2) Re-measuring forest plots. Evergreen has a network of 44 permanent forest monitoring plots. In this project students will revisit the plots and conduct basic forest inventory analysis, measuring trees and vegetation in each of the 44 plots. This project requires some familiarity with Excel, and a willingness to get outside traveling to remote plots rain or shine. Some basic familiarity with tree measurement techniques and field data recording is a plus.
3) Evergreen Root Image Analysis. Since 2007, Evergreen students have been capturing belowground images of roots in the evergreen forest reserve at 40 locations in EEON plots in the campus reserve. Now it’s time to measure them! This project will conduct image analysis on roots through time using touch-screen computers and software in the EEON lab. This project requires an affinity for computer-based image analysis, since it takes a lot of time working with digital images to analyze them for root activity.
For more information, contact Dylan Fischer: Fischerd [at] evergreen.edu for more info!