| Barrow Environmental Observatory |
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 Contact info Location The Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO), a 7,466-acre (3021 hectare) research reserve, is located at the northern most location on the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain near the City of Barrow. The BEO is bounded by native owned lands, U.S. Federal lands dedicated to research (e.g. NOAA, USGS) and Elson Lagoon, which is joined to the Beaufort Sea. Climate (1973-2008) Mean temperature in January: -26º C Biodiversity The immediate Barrow region lies within the High Arctic Zone (Webber 1978), which has been more recently called the Bioclimatic Zone C (Walker 1995) and is dominated by sedge/grass moss wetland (CAVM vegetation unit #12). The landscape consists of polygonized tundra, vegetated drained lake basins, ponds and lakes. Vegetation types include aquatic, seasonally flooded, wet, moist, dry and occasionally bare ground. The Coastal Plain flora includes 124 vascular plant species, 177 mosses, and 49 hepatics (Brown 1980). Terrestrial fauna include 10 mammal species and 28 bird species. The Barrow area is of special interest because only a few kilometers inland from the Arctic Ocean, anthropogenic and maritime influences diminish, the summer climate ameliorates, land cover becomes more diverse and species diversity increases dramatically. The dramatic climatic and biotic gradients present multiple opportunities for gradient studies and comparison with other arctic research localities. Human Dimension Barrow is the economic, transportation and administrative center for the government of the 230,509 square kilometer North Slope Borough. Located on the Chukchi Sea coast, Barrow is the northernmost community in the US. Traditionally, the community is known as Ukpeaġvik, "place where snowy owls are hunted." Species Performance A rich history of geologic, soils, floristic and faunal research exists for the Barrow area. Currently The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several other organizations monitor shorebird, waterfowl and avian predator populations. Plant phenology and community dynamics has been monitored at the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) site, and several programs monitor terrestrial and marine mammal populations. Experimental manipulations include the ITEX passive warming experiments (1994 – present), herbivory exclosures (1948 to present) and a large-scale, biocomplexity flooding and draining experiment (2005 to present). General Research The majority of research is carried out by visiting projects funded by several agencies (NSF, NASA, NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and privately sponsored organizations. Most terrestrial research is conducted on the BEO and adjacent areas. Research and observational projects include active layer processes, permafrost temperatures, coastal erosion, snow cover dynamics, hydrology, plant phenology, trace gas fluxes, soil respiration, vegetation spectral reflectance, bird and small mammal census. Project activities are reported in the Annual BEO Report and are available on the BASC website . The Barrow Arctic Science Consortium and its staff, provides logistic support for many of these projects. Existing Data Bases History and Facilities Barrow has a long heritage of research starting with the First International Polar Year station in 1882-1883. The Arctic Research Laboratory was formed in 1947 and for the following three decades it supported atmospheric, ocean and terrestrial research through Arctic Alaska and the Arctic Ocean. Barrow was the intensive site of the U.S. International Biological Program (IBP) Tundra Biome Program between 1969 and 1974. Present facilities include access to modern laboratories, high speed internet, local accommodations and cafeteria or self catering facilities for upwards of 100 visiting researchers. Visiting researchers commonly spend anywhere from a few days to three to six months in the Barrow area conducting research. The Barrow Environmental Observatory is the focus for terrestrial research and monitoring activities. In 1992 the local land owners, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC), set aside 7,466-acre (3021 hectare) section of its privately owned land that for research. In 2003 the North Slope Borough (NSB) Assembly rezoned the land to become the Scientific Research District (SRD). This commitment to research by the local Barrow community has facilitated sustained scientific investigations in the area. Barrow is recognized as the principal arctic location in the United States for the combined studies of the ocean, land and atmosphere. Generations of Barrow researchers have experienced long-standing friendships and mutually beneficial endeavors with Barrow residents. The BEO serves to continue this partnership. The history of Barrow research is documented in the book: Fifty More Years below Zero: Tributes and Meditations for the Naval Arctic Research Laboratories (ISBN-13:9780919034983) edited by David Norton and published in 2001 by the Arctic Institute of North America. Under provisions of the SRD ordinance, the BEO Master Plan serves as the primary documentation for a single, multiyear land-use permit. This simplifies land-use permitting processes, as individual projects normally will not be required to obtain NSB permits for research on the BEO. Projects are required to make data available and to abide by the conditions outlined in the land use permits. Equally important is the fact that the Master Plan provides for the strategic and planned growth of services in and around the BEO. Three major types of research utilize the BEO Scientific Research District:
Line power and a boardwalk system service the BEO-based biocomplexity, flooding and draining manipulative experiment. Several international observatory projects have permanent sites on the BEO. These include the TSP borehole and Active layer sites (CALM), ITEX and the Arctic Coastal Dynamics (ACD) key sites. Wireless communications are possible throughout the BEO. Transportation Transportation to Barrow is by scheduled daily commercial airline from Anchorage or Fairbanks, service from Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay) or charter airlines. For researchers, local ground transportation can be provided on a reimburseable basis by BASC and include trucks, four wheelers, snow machines and small to relatively large boats. Local vehicle hire and taxi services are also available. Off road traffic is limited to the period of permanent seasonal snow cover (ca. October-May). |