May 2021: What’s New With NEON?

This month, we highlight how scientists are utilizing NEON data to expand the bounds of ecological understanding. Boulder was highlighted as the epicenter of scientific research, and the home to NEON program. From a researcher studying whether lakes are releasing more CO₂ to scientists using NEON data to simplify the ecology curriculum, NEON data continues to fuel and sharpen our knowledge of the natural world.

This Month’s Spotlight 

The latest news from NEON includes: 

1. Boulder recognized as crucial for climate research

   Forbes recognized Boulder, Colorado as the global hotspot of weather and climate expertise, due to the wealth of world class science facilities and research programs. NEON headquarters are located here with these esteemed programs.
   
   

2. Researcher to analyze lakes’ role in warming planet
   With the prestigious National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development grant, researcher Kevin Rose will examine large-scale patterns in concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and dissolved oxygen to study if lakes are releasing more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and the degree to which CO₂ and dissolved oxygen dynamics are coupled. Supported by NEON data, the Rensselaer professor will study year-round CO₂ emissions from 30 lakes in North American and Europe, including seven NEON sites and many others in GLEON, the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network. The work will involve new CO₂ sensor deployments at all NEON lake sites and extensive use of other ongoing NEON data collections.


3. Researchers develop simplified biodiversity curriculum
   Biodiversity is a complex yet essential concept for undergraduate students in ecology and other natural sciences to grasp. As beginner scientists, students must learn to recognize, describe, and interpret patterns of biodiversity across various spatial scales and understand their relationships with ecological processes and human influences. A group of scientists used NEON data to help students better develop these data science skills.
   
   

Sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by Battelle, NEON is a continental-scale ecological observatory network dedicated to providing high-quality, consistently generated, standardized data that is free and available to all users. By enabling scientists, researchers, and students to address critical questions and understand ecosystem changes over time, the NEON program allows the ecological community to tackle questions and problems at a scale that was not possible before. 
 
 You can read about the latest work and research in the NEON Spotlight every month at Inside Battelle, and on our social media channels. For more information about NEON, visit NEONscience.org.