Catchments are fundamental landscape units that contain interpretable physical, chemical and biological signals in their soils, drainage waters and ecosystems and record the effects of climate warming, atmospheric deposition, land use shifts, catastrophic events and other global change drivers. Catchment Science, the focus of the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) for which we seek financial support, is a truly interdisciplinary and international endeavor conducted by hydrologists, ecologists and biogeochemists whose goal is to explore and understand catchment response signals in order to better anticipate future challenges facing water and ecosystem managers. The purpose of this conference is to bring together established and developing experts in the field of Catchment Science to share the results of cutting-edge research, develop new collaborations, and assess where we are and where we need to go in order to understand the future of catchments in an era of global change.
Intelletual Merit. The theme of this GRC/GRS is "Catchments Through the Looking Glass: From Microscopes to Telescopes". There is compelling evidence that global change is affecting the physical, chemical, and biological resources of catchments in many parts of the world, and Catchment Science is increasingly at the forefront of driving our understanding of the many implications of global change. As catchment scientists, we each have our own unique perspectives and vantage points from which we view our scientific approach and interpret our data. This GRC/GRS will bring together leading experts in the field who will explain how their particular vision and research environment have shaped the direction of their cutting-edge research and how their approaches can be useful and applicable to other scientists and endusers working in the field. The GRC/GRS will focus on four sub-themes that span a broad range of Catchment Science perspectives: 1) "Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes", where we will assess the similarities and differences of conducting catchment science in polar, boreal, temperate, arid and tropical settings as well as the societal implication and application; "Doors of perception", which will consider how the scale of our scientific lens, from microscopic to telescopic and with different levels of stakeholder involvement, shapes our understanding of catchments; "Animal, vegetable, mineral", where we will explore the inextricable linkages between biota and the Earth's surface that help to determine catchment function and sustainability, particularly under climate change concerns; and "Tools you can use", which will showcase novel analytical techniques and conceptual approaches that have revolutionized the field. The GRC provides the ideal format for promoting better communication and understanding of the various research approaches comprising Catchment Science, allowing a more focused attack on identified issues and improved international collaboration in the future.
Broader Impacts. Our ability to successfully conduct Catchment Science in the future in response to global change rests largely in our ability to nurture the next generation of catchment scientists. This GRC will be immediately preceded by our second two-day Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), the participants of which will be mainly graduate students and recent advanced degree recipients from the various fields of Catchment Science, as well as senior scientists who will serve as mentors and discussion leaders. We expect all GRS participants will attend the GRC conference the following week, with the result of greatly increased participation of young scientists in the Catchment Sciences GRC series. We anticipate that the GRS is likely to increase the ethnic diversity of the GRC, attesting to the continually changing demographics in Catchment Science. In addition, our invited speakers and discussion leaders are nearly half female, reflecting our efforts to promote gender diversity in our program. The products of these efforts include increased communication among all levels and fields of catchment scientists, as well as the dispersal of new ideas throughout the broader scientific community.
2013 GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE on CATCHMENT SCIENCE FINAL PROGRESS REPORT NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT NO. EAR-1321694 The Gordon Research Conference on CATCHMENT SCIENCE was held at Proctor Academy Andover, New Hampshire, June 16-21, 2013. The Conference was well-attended with 100 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Of the 100 attendees, 60 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 60 respondents, 6% were Minorities – 3% Hispanic, 3% Asian and 0% African American. Approximately 44% of the participants at the 2013 meeting were women. The Gordon Research Seminar on CATCHMENT SCIENCE was held at Proctor Academy Andover, New Hampshire, June 15-16, 2013. The Conference was well-attended with 39 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Of the 39 attendees, 23 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 23 respondents, 4% were Minorities – 0% Hispanic, 4% Asian and 0% African American. Approximately 51% of the participants at the 2013 meeting were women.
