Increased frequency, severity, and extent of disturbances such as beetle outbreaks, catastrophic fires, windstorms, and droughts, have caused widespread concern about ecosystem health. Because the consequences of disturbance can take many years to play out, evaluation of their potential impacts is difficult without a baseline record of ecosystem processes that spans decades to a few thousand years. Two groups of scientists, ecosystem ecologists and paleoecologists, study these processes, but they typically examine events and consequences on different time scales. Researchers from each group will be brought together to characterize past ecosystems in a PROBE (Paleo Reconstructions Of Biogeochemical Environments) workshop, where several datasets, including sediment records, tree-ring records, soil records, and long-term instrumental measurements will be examined to assess how ecosystem processes (particularly carbon and nitrogen cycling) have responded to disturbance.
The PROBE workshop will benefit society and the larger scientific community. The workshop will include early career participants, providing opportunities to train young scientists how to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research that is needed for the 21st century. Several participants have developed specialized techniques such as charcoal analysis and stable isotope interpretation and knowledge of these techniques will be shared at the workshop. Finally, several participants are working with government agencies and NGOs to provide information about the effects of disturbance, especially insect outbreaks and wildland fire management. The workshop will provide information that will be helpful to managers, particularly those trying to develop strategies for dealing with disturbances.
Increased frequency, severity, and extent of disturbances such as beetle outbreaks, catastrophic fires, windstorms, and droughts, have caused widespread concern about ecosystem health. Because the consequences of disturbance can take many years to play out, evaluation of their potential impacts is difficult without a baseline record of ecosystem processes that spans decades to a few thousand years. Two groups of scientists, ecosystem ecologists and paleoecologists, study these processes, but they typically examine events and consequences on different time scales. Researchers from each group were brought together to study past ecosystems in a PROBE (Paleo Reconstructions Of Biogeochemical Environments) workshop from April 19 to 21, 2012. The workshop was held at Konza Prairie Biological Station near Manhattan, Kansas, one of the largest remnants of tallgrass prairie in North America. Fire is a key component of this system and experimental burning of grassland was being conducted during the workshop. Participants at the workshop examined several datasets, including sediment records, tree-ring records, soil records, and long-term instrumental measurements to assess how ecosystem processes (particularly carbon, water, and nitrogen cycling) have responded to past disturbances. Half the participants at the workshop were in early career stages (less than six years into a permanent position), so young scientists were trained in how to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research that is needed for the 21st century. Participants shared knowledge about specialized techniques such as charcoal analysis and stable isotopes in sediments. We worked together to identify important priorities for future research directions, and quantified these priorities using an online survey tool. Finally, participants discussed how to provide information that will be helpful to land managers, particularly those trying to develop strategies for dealing with disturbances such as insect outbreaks and wildland fire management.
