PrecipNet: Analysis and synthesis of precipitation and ecosystem change

The goal of the NCEAS PrecipNet Synthesis Group is to analyze and synthesize results of the effects of climate change on ecosystems. In particular, we will analyze data from studies on the effects of altered timing and magnitude of rain and snowfall across different ecosystems and geographic regions. Another important goal is to promote interdisciplinary research between natural and social scientists regarding the impacts of precipitation and ecosystem change and the interrelationships with human systems and institutions. Our meeting will result in: a review article on the current state of knowledge about precipitation change effects on ecosystems; development of databases on the world wide web and on CD-ROM that would be available for all global change studies; and maps predicting how ecosystem responses to precipitation change will affect ecological communities across regional scales. The PrecipNet Synthesis Group includes James Ehleringer (Univ. Utah), Brent Haddad (UC Santa Cruz), John Harte (UC Berkeley), Rod Heitschmidt (Ft. Keogh Range Exp. Sta.), Alan Knapp (Kansas State Univ.), Guanghui Lin (Biosphere II, Columbia Univ.), Michael Loik (UC Santa Cruz), William Pockman (Univ. New Mexico), Rebecca Shaw (Carnegie Inst. For Plant Biology), Eric Small (New Mexico Tech), Stan Smith (Univ. Nevada, Las Vegas), David Tissue (Texas Tech Univ.), Jake Weltzin (Univ. Tennessee), David Williams (Univ. Arizona), and John Zak (Texas Tech Univ.).