National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
c/o American Institute of Biological Sciences
1444 I St. NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005
Contact: Dan Johnson, 202/628-1500 x215
fax: 202/628-1509; djohnson@aibs.org

August 3, 2007

National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Featured at ESA/SER Joint International Conference

Senior representatives from NEON, Inc. and colleagues from the ecological community will present a detailed design update of the NSF-funded National Ecological Observatory Network at the Ecological Society of America (ESA) and the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) joint meeting in San Jose, California, August 5-10, 2007.

Members of the media and freelance writers are invited to attend the NEON special session, “What is NEON Becoming?” on Monday, August 6, 2007, from 10 am-11:30 am, at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

Dr. David Schimel (NEON CEO) will convene the session, provide a brief history of the project, and discuss the central NEON issues and approaches. Dr. Melinda Smith (Yale University) will make a presentation on NEON science and the role of experiments. Dr. Charlene D’Avanzo (Hampshire College) will address the integration of NEON science and education. In addition, Dr. James P. Collins, National Science Foundation Assistant Director, Directorate of Biological Sciences, will provide the NSF vision of NEON. The formal presentations will be followed by a question and answer session.

For more than a decade ecologists have wanted to create an observatory for understanding complex ecological processes at multiple scales—from biosphere dynamics to microorganisms in soil and water. Now they are preparing to build it.

The National Ecological Observatory Network is a continental-scale research platform for discovering and understanding how changes in climate, land use, and invasive species impact ecology. NEON will serve as a national laboratory to gather long-term data on ecological responses of the biosphere to changes in land use and climate, and on feedbacks with the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.

NEON is the first initiative in the biological sciences to be supported through the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction portfolio, which has previously funded large telescope arrays, particle accelerators, and research vessels. It is designed to gather data for at least 30 years and to serve as a US terrestrial contribution to the proposed Global Earth Observation System of Systems.

NEON will support the first continental-scale comparisons of research transects focused on some of the nation’s most pressing ecological challenges, including: the effects of urban and exurban development; forest management; invasive species and infectious diseases; nitrogen deposition; continental-scale climate change; agriculture and biofuels; ecohydrology; and climate change effects through the water cycle (rain or snow, permafrost, runoff).

The focus of NEON complements the theme of the ESA/SER joint meeting, “Ecological Restoration in a Changing World.” Society depends on ecosystems in the same way it depends on weather, water resources, and agriculture. We currently have little understanding of the effects of these large-scale changes on the ecosystems that supply services and underpin the quality of life of the human community. NEON data will improve ecological forecasting to optimize resource management and provide early warning of biological natural hazards.

In addition to the presentations at the ESA/SER special session, leading NEON scientists will host a Graduate Student and Post Doc Bagels Roundtable on Tuesday, August 7, 2007, from 7:00 am - 8:00 am. Conference attendees may also learn more about the Observatory, including core site locations, by visiting the ESA/SER NEON Exhibit (Booth 602). Candidates interested in applying for the full-time position of NEON Staff Scientist may sign up at the NEON booth for an interview during the conference. For the latest news and project documents, see www.neoninc.org.