Report from Dr. Wei Lin re. COREO NEON Response Meeting

6 December 2006

Dear NPNEON Planning Committee Members,

Dave Wedin, Pete Stahl and Wei Lin attended the COREO "National
Ecological Observatory (NEON) Response Meeting, in Las Cruces, NM on
Nov. 29th and 30th. The purposes of the meeting were to develop a
coordinated response to NEON RFI science questions; to discuss common
questions, measurements, and infrastructure needs; and to provide a
forum for developing and writing coordinated RFI response.

To develop regional and subcontinental science questions and to
establish collaboration among NEON domains, the entire continental US
was divided into EAST, CENTRAL, and WEST subgroups.  We are in the
CENTRAL groups with Central Plains, Southern Plains and Prairie
Peninsula.  Dave, Pete and Wei participated in the group discussion
on the 29th.  The main gradients that may cause ecological changes
for this region were identified as temperature (north-south), and
precipitation (east-west). Land use variation due to changes in
agricultural practices (e.g. CRP to crop land for energy production)
was identified as another driver for ecological changes.

Group discussion were held on other gradients, themes, and tools. We
participated in group discussions separately. Dave attended the Fire,
Drought, and Landuse/Land Cover group discussion. Pete participated
in the discussions of Invasive Species/Infectious Diseases, and
Belowground groups. Wei was in Land-water interface (aquatics), and
pollution groups. As a result of these meetings writing groups were
formed to prepare coordinated responses to the RFI. Dave signed up as
the domain contact person for Drought, Fire and Warming; Pete for
Biodiversity/Invasive Species and Infectious Diseases, and Wei for
Snow Melt and Pollution.  Wei is also to be the contact person for
GLEON (Great Lakes EON).

We discussed potential locations for the domain core wildland site
and other sites, 5 relocatable sites and one gradient site from the
Continental Toolbox.  Following are our recommendations based
discussions among three of us and with other people in the CENTRAL region.

Core Wildland Site:     near Jamestown, ND (exact location and size will
be determined by next week)
Other Sites:            Minod experimental station, ND
                        Ft. Pierre National Grassland, SD
                        Cottonwood Station, SD
                        Matator Ranch, Phillips, MT
                        Another site near central MT (I forgot the name, Dave please help)
                        A site near Gillette,  WM (Peter)
                        A site in the Sand Hill area, NB (Dave).

I will send requests for detailed information for these sites in the
next a few days.  Meantime, please let the group know if you have any
comments or suggestions.

I am working with a group of scientists at NDSU on the design of the
core wildland site.  I will send my response to the group for review
and comments in the next couple weeks.

Thanks, and best regards.

Wei