Toolik Field Station Base Funding

University Of Alaska Fairbanks Campus, Fairbanks AK

Investigators

Abstract

Barnes 04-55541 Toolik Field Station (TFS), in the northern foothills of the Brooks Range, Alaska, has been a major site for research in the North American Arctic since 1975. Much of what is known about the structure and function of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the Arctic and the effects of climate change and feedbacks to global climate comes from the long-term, process-based ecological research projects at TFS. TFS-based work has also resulted in a showcase of discoveries on the adaptations of organisms to the Arctic and population-level changes in animal and plant phenologies and distributions. Because climate is changing most rapidly in arctic and boreal regions and changes in the Arctic are predicted to strongly affect the global climate system, continuing research into the causes, mechanisms of response, and feedbacks to further ecosystem change is a high research priority. Along with the ongoing strong interest for use of TFS as a research platform by scientists from a broad array of disciplines, and a specific call for year-round studies of arctic ecosystems, this high priority promises a steady demand for TFS-based services into the future. Under this agreement Toolik Field Station will: o continue to support NSF funded research projects as requested within the capacity of the station. o develop the station infrastructure and capabilities to support evolving needs and scientific approaches. o develop the educational opportunities, both formal and informal, of the station both onsite and remotely