NEON collects:
Ground-based observations
Airborne observations
And combines both of the above with existing satellite and other map-based data
To create an essentially 3-D picture of a site.
The full range of scaled data products, collected over 30 years, can be used to describe changes in the nation’s ecosystem through space and time.
….so what is a sentinel organism?
The Terrestrial Observation System (TOS) will collect data on biogeochemical cycles, infectious diseases, and a suite of focal taxa to characterize local patterns, dynamics, and linkages in terrestrial ecosystems. The selected taxa are designed to be widespread, capture a wide range of turnover time, and diverse evolutionary histories.
Phylogentic complexity
Geographic distribution
Lifespan
Challenges – system complexity
Challenge – variability in types of sites, distributed nature
Classical approach used for minimum sample size determination
Stratification among vegetation types
Homogeneous variability approach used to determine relative allocation among strata
Generalized Random Tessellations Sampling to obtain spatial balance with a probability based design
Complete sample provides alternative plot locations and allows integration with other investigations
Approach is general and scalable
Initial data collection will validate the design assumptions and feedback to refine calculations regarding sample number, allocation, and frequency
Spatially-balanced, stratified random sampling design provides unbiased estimate of numerous variables at the site scale on an annual timestep. Stratification based on vegetation, as metrics derived from remote-sensing that describe the vegetation are readily available at the continental scale (i.e. Landfire data in this case).
Observations of multiple terrestrial biological groups will be co-located at sample plots.
Approximately 40 plots will be established at each site.
Plot establishment will reflect a variety of site visits, interactions with local scientists and managers, the probability-based study design, and landowner’s approval.
The design may evolve after initial data collection efforts and during the life of the NEON observatory in response to disturbance, changes in land use, and to better understand long-term change.
