1. Sierra Nevada Research Institute
Roger Bales Director & Professor
SNRI programs
Sierra Nevada water/forest research
SNRI directions

2. SNRI mission
Foster interdisciplinary research in the Sierra Nevada & Central Valley eco-region
Facilitate synergistic links between science, the arts, education & natural resource management.

3. SNRI research within UC Merced
$20 M in research grants to SNRI faculty since campus opened
25 faculty from across campus

4. SNRI research themes Ecology & ecosystem science
Air pollution & public health
Environmental economics, policy & management
Climate & hydrology

5. Natural Reserve System
SNRI is developing infrastructure for research & education in the region
SNRI main area of interest for developing new field facilities
Map of UC
Natural Reserve System

6. SNRI field facilities & research sites (incl. proposed)
Last Chance
NRS
PSW exp forest
UCM station
UCM research
UC exp forest
TPR
Aim is to build transects of instrumented sites along gradients of latitude & elevation
Link with common cyberinfrastructure for data capture, archiving & serving
Fish Camp
Wawona
NEON
SJV
SJER
KREW
SEKI

7. UCM-SNRI Wawona field station

8. UCM-SNRI Wolverton field station, Sequoia National Park (under development)

9. Campus reserve

10. The Central Valley
Current thinking is to develop natural reserve access sites along elevational gradients in Central & southern Sierra Nevada – both Tulare & San Joaquin basins

11. Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (CZO)
UC-USFS research partnership
Underlying hypothesis: The distribution of soil moisture controls ecological & (bio)geochemical processes

12. CZO is located in the Sierra National Forest, near Shaver Lake
Wawona
Fish Camp
CZO
CZO is located in the Sierra National Forest, near Shaver Lake
Wolverton

13. Mixed conifer forest dominates the CZO, which crosses the rain-snow transition (5,000-7,000 ft)

14. Installing soil moisture probes

16. Snow depth sensors
One over each soil pit
6-10 to capture variability

17. Snowpack loss & water storage
Warmer temperatures means shift from snow to rain & earlier melt
snowpack annual storage
14 MAF
13.5 MAF
11 MAF
Sacramento Valley storage
San Joaquin Valley storage
Likely loss of 3-5 million acre feet of snowpack storage in coming decades

18. California’s need for modern, integrated water information system
SNRI researchers are building prototype systems

19. Snow covered area from satellite
snow depth
Snow covered area from satellite
Tuolumne
1-25
26-50
51-75
76-100
% SCA
Blend new measurements using advanced information technology for next generation of decision-support systems
Merced
American River prototype under development, DWR partnership
DOY 131 – May 10, 2004

20. Sustainability as a research umbrella for SNRI & UC Merced
Regional issue subject to global influences
Core questions intersect with climate change, environmental pollution, public health, resource management, infrastructure & energy issues

21. Meeting the challenges posed by sustainability will require interactive efforts among disciplines, many of which have not yet recognized the relevance of environmental issues to their main intellectual discourse
UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute brings disciplines together to address these challenges

22. Sustainability is the major challenge facing society
As a state university, UC Merced has a responsibility to help meet this challenge
Regionally, our need to achieve sustainability is paramount
Globally, our state must provide the templates for a sustainable future
UC Merced’s Sierra Nevada Research Institute is building partnerships & carrying out research to meet those challenges