Introduction and Goals:
In the Western US mountain regions, winter temperature increases will lead to the reduction and even loss of winter snowpacks.
A shift from snow to rain-dominated systems will alter seasonal patterns of streamflow, soil moisture, soil temperature, etc. affecting a myriad of ecosystem processes.
This proposed work will develop a working group and fund a student to aggregate and synthesize data relevant to the ecosystem implications of disappearing snow in the rain-snow transition of the Western US.
The working group and student will work together to identify and aggregate key datasets investigating the atmosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and terrasphere from relevant LTER sites as well as others across the Western United States (see Appendix A for some examples) which will enable researchers to address important questions related to ecosystem response to the interactions of push and pulse dynamics of climate change within this vulnerable rain-snow transition zone.
