ED11C-0627
QA/QC Issues Related to Data From Volunteer Citizen Scientist Networks
Earth science researchers increasingly are using field data gathered by volunteer citizen scientists, particularly where there is a need for dense or far-flung networks of instruments, or qualitative observations of environmental conditions (e.g., drought-caused plant stress, bird migration, spring ice break-up). Precipitation monitoring is a popular form of citizen science, with hundreds of local networks, and two regional networks - CoCoRaHS with observers in over 20 states, and RainLog, with over 1,200 observers in the Southwestern U.S. Dense networks of rain gages are especially valuable for capturing localized, convective storm events, with the data used for multiple purposes, including research, flood early warning, drought monitoring, and weather reporting. Researchers may be hesitant to use data collected by citizen scientists because of Quality Assurance/Quality Control issues associated with networks of volunteers. Gages vary in precision and accuracy, and citizen scientists have different levels of skill and experience. Backyard gages are not always ideally sited with respect to buildings and trees. Data entry issues include delays in reporting and input errors. Missing data are not only more prevalent than for official gages, the missing data are non-random. Spatial patterns of volunteers' gages reflect development patterns and socio-demographic factors, resulting in clusters and voids in gage distribution. Current interpolation methodologies do not handle these gage patterns well. RainLog is systematically quantifying these QA/QC issues, and where possible, developing procedures to mitigate them. Citizen scientists are kept informed and engaged and informed through a variety of web-based data visualization approaches. Automated monthly data reviews glean missing data and offer an opportunity to check outlier values. Various statistical approaches are used to estimate accuracy and precision for each gage. Finally, we are developing and implementing more robust interpolation algorithms. http://www.rainlog.org
ED11C-0628
The C6 Program: Monitoring Climatic Changes in Canyons and Caves Involving Scientific Istitutions, Environmental NGOs and Mountain Sport Associations
The acronym "C6" means "Climatic Changes and Carbon Cycle in Canyons and Caves". The project was born in 2005, joining under the scientific supervision of the Palermo branch of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia two different programs both active since 1999; the first was due to the initiative of the Italian Canyoning Association, a no-profit association aimed to the diffusion of the canyoning sport practise in Italy, the second one, developed by the NGO Legambiente Sicilia and funded by the Regione Siciliana-Assessorato Territorio e Ambiente (Sicilian Regional Government, Territorial and Environmental Department), managing the natural reserves of Santa Ninfa, Carburangeli and Sant'Angelo Muxaro caves (Sicily), was focused to verify the existence of a possible environmental negative feedback of human fruition. In 2005 the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature of Jordan joined the program, and a new site was established inside the Shagher Daghleh Canyon in the Wadi Dana Reserve. In October 2006 the Caver Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina joined the C6 program and another observational site was instituted into a cave close to Sarajevo. Preliminary data acquired indicate how canyons play a very important role in biodiversity preservation in arid and semi-arid environments, whereas caves are extraordinary natural laboratories for the study of carbon dioxide partition between atmosphere and lithosphere, of the effect of rain dynamic on the underground aquifer recharge and, last but not least, of the monitoring of climatic changes. The success of the initiative is based on the very different nature of the co-participants. Caver and canyoning associations guarantee the safe accessibility to difficult environments, like canyons and caves. The selection as measuring sites of natural reserves managed by NGOs, whose activity is essentially based on volunteers, ensure on one hand their environmental stability on a long term perspective, on the other hand very low costs for the personnel involved in the operations. Both the factors are very important for long-term ecological researches, where continuity of data acquisition is fundamental. Finally, the huge numbers of non-scientific personnel involved in the program ensures a wide diffusion of a correct scientific approach to the themes of the climatic changes, very often presented to the public under a wrong dramatic and spectacular light.
ED11C-0629
Project BudBurst: Citizen Science for All Seasons
Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage the public in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events that raise awareness of climate change, and create a cadre of informed citizen scientists. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide the opportunity for students and interested laypersons to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are important not only from an educational perspective, but because they also enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. Project BudBurst launched a pilot program in the Spring of 2007. The goals of Project BudBurst were to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) Increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. From April through mid-June 2007, this on-line educational and data-entry program, engaged participants of all ages and walks of life in recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of ~60 easily identifiable, broadly distributed wild and cultivated species found across the continent. We will report on the results of the pilot project and discuss plans to expand Project BudBurst as it becomes a year round event beginning in 2008. A broad consortium of collaborators, representing the Chicago Botanic Garden, Plant Conservation Alliance, ESRI, the USA-National Phenology Network, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, University of Arizona, University of Montana, University of California-Santa Barbara, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, came together to design and implement Project BudBurst with seed funding from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the National Phenology Network (through a RCN grant from the NSF), and the Plant Conservation Alliance.
ED11C-0630
Assessing the Function of Cypress Knees – A Watershed Watch Student Project
The research presented was conducted as part of Watershed Watch, a two-week hands-on summer program for undeclared entry-level undergraduates, designed to recruit and retain students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The research presented here was conducted on cypress knees of different ages from the campus of Elizabeth City State University in northeastern North Carolina. Samples were collected from Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) knees and thin sections were cut from the distal, medial, and proximal regions of each knee. Three specimens of each of young and old knees were analyzed. Structural differences in the location and amount of wood (secondary xylem), parenchyma, and aerenchyma tissues were compared in order to determine if both younger and older knees function as pneumatophores, and if only the younger knees are capable of providing oxygen to roots in waterlogged soils. Our findings include: younger knees have the most aerenchyma tissue (living cells associated with air canals) and a thinner bark (likely pervious) on the distal tips. The older knees are more woody with distinct growth rings, exhibit less aerenchyma tissue, and have a much thicker (likely impervious) bark at the distal tip. The conclusion regarding the purpose of cypress knees is that the younger knees likely function as aerating organs (peumatophores) for the growing roots tips, while the older knees have reduced amounts of aerenchyma tissue and a thicker bark, and therefore may lose the ability to function as an aerating organ for the older roots.
ED11C-0631
Watershed Watch – Student-driven Research Experiences That Attract Undeclared Undergraduate Students Into STEM Majors
The NSF-sponsored partnership between the University of New Hampshire (UNH), Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), New Hampshire Community Technical College (NHCTC), and the College of the Albemarle (COA) has implemented a unique series of courses designed to attract undergraduate students with undeclared majors into the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. These courses incorporate student- driven research comparing the Merrimack River (NH/MA) and Pasquotank River watersheds (VA/NC). Entitled Watershed Watch (WW), the courses utilize pedagogical approaches based on hands-on, inquiry-based teaching and learning. In alternating years, a two-week WW summer institute is held in each watershed. Students conduct authentic research on various aspects of the watershed's geology, limnology, and landscape ecology. Then during the academic year, WW students enroll in a course where they are paired with faculty mentors, and engage in more in-depth research projects. Samples of student research include assessing calcium oxalate crystals as an indicator of plant stress in NH red spruce (Picea rubens) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and GIS modeling/mapping coastal NC changes resulting from postulated melting of the Greenland ice sheet. After completing the first year in a five-year funding cycle, formative/summative evaluation methods have identified the following student perceptions regarding STEM disciplines: participating students found WW to be enjoyable, exciting, and meaningful; as a result of WW, 60 percent of undeclared students from the four-year institutions (UNH/ECSU) declared a STEM major or minor; and approximately 20 percent of the two-year students (NHCTC/COA) enrolled in four-year STEM programs or are employed in STEM fields.
ED11C-0632
Mars Public Mapping Project: Public Participation in Science Research; Providing Opportunities for Kids of All Ages
The Mars Public Mapping Project is a web-based education and public outreach tool developed by the Mars Space Flight Facility at Arizona State University. This tool allows the general public to identify and map geologic features on Mars, utilizing Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) visible images, allowing public participation in authentic scientific research. In addition, participants are able to rate each image (based on a 1 to 5 star scale) to help build a catalog of some of the more appealing and interesting martian surface features. Once participants have identified observable features in an image, they are able to view a map of the global distribution of the many geologic features they just identified. This automatic feedback, through a global distribution map, allows participants to see how their answers compare to the answers of other participants. Participants check boxes "yes, no, or not sure" for each feature that is listed on the Mars Public Mapping Project web page, including surface geologic features such as gullies, sand dunes, dust devil tracks, wind streaks, lava flows, several types of craters, and layers. Each type of feature has a quick and easily accessible description and example image. When a participant moves their mouse over each example thumbnail image, a window pops up with a picture and a description of the feature. This provides a form of "on the job training" for the participants that can vary with their background level. For users who are more comfortable with Mars geology, there is also an advanced feature identification section accessible by a drop down menu. This includes additional features that may be identified, such as streamlined islands, valley networks, chaotic terrain, yardangs, and dark slope streaks. The Mars Public Mapping Project achieves several goals: 1) It engages the public in a manner that encourages active participation in scientific research and learning about geologic features and processes. 2) It helps to build a mappable database that can be used by researchers (and the public in general) to quickly access image based data that contains particular feature types. 3) It builds a searchable database of images containing specific geologic features that the public deem to be visually appealing. Other education and public outreach programs at the Mars Space Flight Facility, such as the Rock Around the World and the Mars Student Imaging Project, have shown an increase in demand for programs that allow "kids of all ages" to participate in authentic scientific research. The Mars Public Mapping Project is a broadly accessible program that continues this theme by building a set of activities that is useful for both the public and scientists.
ED11C-0633
The Quake Catcher Network: Cyberinfrastructure Bringing Seismology into Schools and Homes
We propose to implement a high density, low cost strong-motion network for rapid response and early warning by placing sensors in schools, homes, and offices. The Quake Catcher Network (QCN) will employ existing networked laptops and desktops to form the world's largest high-density, distributed computing seismic network. Costs for this network will be minimal because the QCN will use 1) strong motion sensors (accelerometers) already internal to many laptops and 2) nearly identical low-cost universal serial bus (USB) accelerometers for use with desktops. The Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC!) provides a free, proven paradigm for involving the public in large-scale computational research projects. As evidenced by the SETI@home program and others, individuals are especially willing to donate their unused computing power to projects that they deem relevant, worthwhile, and educational. The client- and server-side software will rapidly monitor incoming seismic signals, detect the magnitudes and locations of significant earthquakes, and may even provide early warnings to other computers and users before they can feel the earthquake. The software will provide the client-user with a screen-saver displaying seismic data recorded on their laptop, recently detected earthquakes, and general information about earthquakes and the geosciences. Furthermore, this project will install USB sensors in K-12 classrooms as an educational tool for teaching science. Through a variety of interactive experiments students will learn about earthquakes and the hazards earthquakes pose. For example, students can learn how the vibrations of an earthquake decrease with distance by jumping up and down at increasing distances from the sensor and plotting the decreased amplitude of the seismic signal measured on their computer. We hope to include an audio component so that students can hear and better understand the difference between low and high frequency seismic signals. The QCN will provide a natural way to engage students and the public in earthquake detection and research. http://qcn.stanford.edu