Complex Systems, Biocomplexity in the High Arctic - Feb. 12, 2010

Friday, Feb. 12, Noon
CPISB, Room 120

The UAA Complex Systems Group presents "Biocomplexity in the High Arctic" with Dr. Jeff Welker, Director of UAA's Environmental and Natural Resources Institute (ENRI).

Biocomplexity in the Arctic is a research program funded by the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs, which is intended to build an understanding of the linearity, interactions and emergent properties of terrestrial ecosystems in the high latitudes with a focus on biological, physical, and chemical dynamics. Dr. Welker's presentation will highlight the development of this program and the research findings from a set of field studies in northwest Greenland.

Dr. Welker has conducted arctic terrestrial ecology studies since 1990 beginning with comparative experimental field studies in the High Arctic on Svalbard (NyAlesund) and the sub-Arctic in Northern Sweden (Abisko Research Station). His studies in Alaska have been ongoing since 1994 on the North Slope (Toolik Lake Field Station) addressing the consequences of climate change (warmer summers in combination with deeper snow) as it effects vegetation composition, tundra plant root growth and gas exchange, ecosystem Carbon and Nitrogen cycling with an emphasis on winter ecology and the linkages between seasons. Since 2003 he has lead a team of ecologists, soil microbiologist and geomorphologist in understanding the complexity of High Arctic systems in NW Greenland using experimental and observation studies.  His current trajectory of studies in these landscapes focuses on the sources and ages of CO2 and dissolved Carbon in water being lost to the atmosphere and transported to the ocean in stream water.

Park in UAA's Integrated Science Building parking garage on Fridays at no charge. For more information, please contact Cheryl Wright at (907) 786-4748.