RCN: Chequamegon Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (ChEAS)

Interaction between northern temperate forests and the atmosphere is the focus of the Chequamegon Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (ChEAS). The ChEAS scientists are studying forests of northern Wisconsin to understand the carbon and water cycles of the forest-atmosphere system and their role in the earth's climate system. The ultimate goal is to learn how the northern forest-atmosphere system will respond to increases in greenhouse gases, land-use change, and natural climate variations. The components that contribute to the carbon and water cycles range from the size of a soil bacteria or leaf pore to the global circulation of the jet stream. Some processes, like photosynthesis, vary from one minute to the next with the passing of cumulus clouds, while others, such as forest succession, respond to climate patterns that persist over decades or even centuries. No single scientific method can encompass these vast scales of time, space, and disciplinary expertise. The ChEAS research collaboration network provides funds for students, faculty and research scientists from a wide variety of disciplines, including atmospheric science, ecology and hydrology, and institutions to exchange data, personnel, and scientific understanding. This exchange of information will accelerate our understanding of the forest-atmosphere component of the earth's climate and will help to train a new generation of earth system scientists.