Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Californian CESU

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The U.S. Geological Survey is offering a cooperative-agreement opportunity to universities that have the ability to conduct modeling research for hydroecological questions that meet the objectives listed below. The objectives are to use the RHESSys (Regional HydroEcological Simulation System) model to simulate ecosystem processes and hydrology in five forested montane watersheds representing diverse conditions across the western U.S. (MacDonald Watershed, MT, Loch Vale Watershed, CO, Jemez Watershed, NM, Upper Merced watershed, CA, and Stehekin Watershed, WA). 2010-2013 research objectives will include the following: Simulation modeling and ecosystem forecasting 1. Iteratively refine RHESSys model estimates of coupled ecohydrologic responses, thereby maximizing the value of previous western mountain simulations while integrating new data. 2. Use RHESSys to forecast ecosystem responses (hydrology, vegetation, disturbance, aquatic habitat) to climate change. 3. Quantify streamflow responses to coupled climate-ecologic drivers. Using RHESSys develop streamflow estimates for existing and projected future climates for the five WMI core site watersheds. Assess how different controls on streamflow, including changing snow and glacier melt dynamics and changing vegetation water use interact to alter the magnitude and timing of streamflow. Compute ecologically relevant streamflow metrics for climate scenarios at each site and use results to assess vulnerability of aquatic biota under future climates. 4. Quantify interactions between hydrology, vegetation, and disturbance. Develop an integrated modeling framework that couples spatially explicit carbon cycling and hydrological modeling in RHESSys with (a) a forest successional model that distinguishes individual species, and (b) a raster-based fire-spread and fire-effects model coupled to watershed hydrology via fuel-moisture algorithms. Use downscaled meteorology for current and future decades to produce climate drivers and fire management scenarios to capture the expected range of variability from climate and human factors. Begin with the five core watersheds and expand to at least five other montane watersheds to capture an even greater range of environmental conditions across the West.

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