This $424,492 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) will support collaborative research by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) to study how forest structure and function influence ecological climate. The project will integrate field and remote sensing data from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) into advanced forest canopy models, with the overarching goal of transforming the scientific understanding of how forests can buffer against climate extremes. The research will evaluate the impact of forest diversity on ecosystem fluxes, consider longer-term demographic changes, and assess regional climate impacts, providing new insights to inform forest management as a climate solution. The results will produce data, models, and educational materials to advance the ecological modeling community's ability to represent the role of forest structure in regulating the microclimates experienced by organisms. This award supports fundamental research to address critical knowledge gaps and improve the scientific basis for leveraging forests as natural climate solutions.
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