Protocols

Manipulative experiments designed to study terrestrial carbon-cycling responses to global environmental changes.

Cloud-based platform used for large-scale geospatial analysis of satellite imagery.

Gravity measurements at ten stations using LaCoste and Romberg G-model relative gravimeter to map density variations.

Time-lapse photography using Moultrie M40 cameras mounted at 45° angle to capture plot-level vegetation greenness and calculate Green Chromatic Coordinate values for phenology analysis.

Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane greenhouse gas concentrations and stable isotope signatures of CO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon were measured.

Use of ground control points to associate calibration images and video to real-world distances and provide pixel ground scale distance for each video.

Large number of groundwater manipulation and biostimulation experiments conducted primarily in plot C study area.

Assessment of growth and stem straightness traits in pine hybrids at ages 5, 8 and 15 years from planting.

Onset HOBO temperature/RH data loggers installed on tree branches taking half-hourly air temperature, relative humidity, and dewpoint measurements.

Collection of net-spinning caddisfly retreat structures and associated beneficiary taxa by hand and placement in vials.

Calculation of narrow-sense heritability estimates and genetic correlations for growth traits and stem straightness.

Expression of genes in heterologous systems to study enzyme function and catalytic properties.

Execution of simulations on Perlmutter supercomputer distributed across 640 processors for large-scale parallel computing.

Assembly and analysis of historical stocking records to document human-mediated changes in fish distribution.

Placing aluminum foil squares around plant stems for 24 hours to collect and count honeydew droplets from digital images.

HVSR measurements acquired using three-component Tromino seismometers at non-inundated locations to identify resonance frequencies.

Collection of site spectra to validate airborne hyperspectral data acquired by NEON Aerial Observation Platform.

Field-portable infrared gas analysis using PP Systems EGM-5 IRGA unit for CO2 measurement.

Low-coverage genome sequencing using Illumina paired-end technology to generate draft genome assemblies for bird species.

Deriving individual-scale species data from co-acquired imaging spectrometry data.

Monitoring of naturally growing vegetative plants marked with metal tags.

Single-packer apparatus testing with in-line flow meter and interval pressure monitoring during drilling advancement.

Coordinated collection of vegetation, soil, microbial, and geophysical data at co-located sampling sites within 72 hours of AOP overflight.

Heavily instrumented sites to collect measurements capturing seasonal variations in hydro-biogeochemical processes as a function of landscape position.

ARM instrument system for measuring atmospheric parameters including pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind variables.

Ka-Band ARM Zenith RADAR system operating in general mode for atmospheric radiation measurement.

Total carbon and nitrogen analysis using LECO TruSpec CN analyzer for decomposed needle samples.

Instrument responsivity calibrations performed using laboratory lamp calibrations for the MFRSR and in-field side-by-side calibration for the MFR.

Laboratory analysis of blood samples including RIN score determination and cell counts.

Statistical approach using generalized Wishart probability distribution to identify landscape features affecting gene flow and estimate connectivity.

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry used for U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology analysis. Supports mapping and stratigraphic interpretations of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks.

Analysis using Picarro L2130-i or Los Gatos Research LWIA with cavity ringdown detection for stable isotope analysis.

Sampled 23 sites on three independent latitudinal gradients spanning ~10 degrees of latitude each across different ecoregions of the Great Plains.

Analysis of lead isotopic compositions using Neptune Plus multi-collector ICP source mass spectrometer with Tl spiking for mass fractionation correction.

Collection of sun-lit leaves from trees and shrubs using slingshots or pole clippers, with samples stored in polyethylene bags with damp paper towels to prevent water loss.

Measurement of leaf traits including nitrogen concentration, phosphorus concentration, specific leaf area, and tensile strength in African woody species.

Estimation of invertebrate biomass using established taxon-specific length-mass relationships and scaling to aerial measures.

Processing of discrete-return LiDAR data using lidR package to generate canopy height models. Includes normalization, subsetting, and reprojection.

Statistical analysis to quantify relationships between fecal microbial composition, diversity and social network traits.

Statistical method used to fill missing data areas using relationships between 2018 and 2019 snow depths or snow depth to elevation relationships.

Comprehensive literature review to compile carbon content data from tree tissues across multiple studies and species.

Heating cycle to measure thermistor temperature response time for determining material interfaces.

Annotation method for identifying and characterizing mitochondrial genes and features.

Processing of MODIS satellite data to derive surface albedo climatology using Google Earth Engine.

Sampling of macroinvertebrates in wetlands as part of the Missouri Coteau Wetland Ecosystem Observatory database documenting biotic responses to long-term climate and land-use change.

Digitization of analog contour maps by following lines or using intersection points of contours and flight lines.

Surface water sampling using specialized nets to collect floating microplastic debris. Method used for collecting marine microplastics from surface waters.

Manual contouring of regolith thickness values to create isopach contours showing generalized thickness of sediments overlying bedrock.

Statistical method using random sampling to obtain numerical results and approximate probability distributions.

Analysis of noble gases and tritium using mass spectrometry including helium in-growth method.