RESEARCH: PRIMENet

PRIMENet research projects are designed to investigate the effects of environmental stressors on natural ecosystems. These projects will be funded in 1999 and 2000, and results are expected in early 2001. Six of the projects were chosen by a competitive RFA process and the other projects include "in-kind" projects by EPA investigators (B. McKane and E. Heithmar) and a series of amphibian projects funded by PRIMENet.

1.  Belnap, Jayne, USGS-BRD.  Nitrogen deposition and UV stressor impacts in Canyonlands National Park as affected by climatic pulse events. [CANY]]

2.  Comstock, Jonathon, P., Boyce Thompson Institute. Using the inter-relationships of stable isotopes in natural abundance as indicators of environmental stress and ecosystem vitality. [SEKI, BIBE, & GLAC]

3.  Diamond, Steve, EPA-MED.  UV dosimetry along an elevation gradient to characterize amphibian habitat exposure in six PRIMENet parks: Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountain, Glacier, Olympic, and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks. [ACAD, GRSM, ROMO, GLAC, OLYM, & SEKI]

4.  Grulke, Nancy, USDA-FS. Does nitrogen deposition mitigate ozone injury to ponderosa pine? [SEKI]

5.  Heithmar, Ed, EPA-NREL. Anthropogenic chemical contaminant levels at national park index sites. [ACAD, BIBE, CANY, DENA, GLAC, GRSM, EVER, OLYM, ROMO, SEKI, SHEN, & THRO NPs]

6.  Jung, Robin, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Standardized monitoring methods for amphibians in national parks and associations in time and space between amphibian abundance and environmental stressors. [ACAD, BIBE, & SHEN]

7.  Kahl, Steve, Water Research Institute. Inferring regional patterns and responses in nitrogen and mercury biogeochemistry using two sets of gauged paired-watersheds. [ACAD]

8.  McKane, Bob, NHEERL/WED. Risk assessment of the effects of natural and anthropogenic stressors on ecosystems in the Olympic National Park. [OLYM]

9.  Pregitzer, Kurt, Michigan Technological University. Collaborative research on below-ground ecosystem function: merging climate monitoring with soil, root, and foodweb dynamics to understand mechanisms regulating C AND N transformations in Olympic Nationl Park. [OLYM]

10.  Trenham, Peter, EPA-MED.  Relating amphibian population survey data to UV gradients in three PRIMENet parks: Glacier, Sequoia/Kings Canyon, and Olympic National Parks. [GLAC, OLYM, & SEKI]

11.  Weathers, Kathleen, C., Institute of Ecosystems Studies. Atmospheric deposition in mountainous terrain: scaling up to the landscape. [ACAD & GRSM]