Section 1.2 Research Strategy and Approach
The experiment design for ABoVE is similar to those from previous field campaigns in that it is based on using Research Areas located across the study domain to study how environmental gradients are controlling important ecological processes and their interactions. It is also similar in that specific research activities are being carried out over a range of spatial and temporal scales needed to address the science questions and objectives. The ACEP calls for studies of changes to important terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem processes and their interactions, and these studies will be based on using a number of key datasets derived from field measurement campaigns, airborne remote sensing (30.6 MB PDF) data collected during intensive study period in 2017 and 2019, to start, as well as satellite remote sensing data and other datasets across the study domain. It also includes the application and refinement of both ecological and social system models to address the research questions and objectives. The ACEP also calls for going beyond previous field campaigns by incorporating approaches to assess the societal responses to environmental change based on changes to key ecosystem services driven by changes to terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. These offer an opportunity to engage in decision-support though the use of models both informed and improved by ABoVE research for diagnosis and prediction, as well as developing specific information products needed by stakeholders and decision-makers.
