1. National Ecological Observatory Network
NEON
Dr. Elizabeth Blood
National Science Foundation
Program Director NEON
nsf.gov
National Ecological Observatory Network

2. A continental research platform to provide the capacity to forecast future states of ecological systems for the advancement of science and the benefit of society
How are ecological systems affected by changes in land use and climate across a range of spatiotemporal scales?
How do changes in the availability and distribution of the Nation’s water affect ecological systems?
How do the patterns and movement of genes and organisms across the continent affect biodiversity and the spread of infectious diseases and invasive species?
3 community workshops 160 of 700 volunteers
Highly organized effort – see web site for reports from each workshop.
NEON is transformative:
In design
Scale of questions and therefore research enabled
Technological approach
Citizen Science (intimate linking of science and education)
Cyberinfrastructure
Forecasting

3. NEON Robotic Deployment: Imaging as a Biological Sensor
National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
NEON Robotic Deployment: Imaging as a Biological Sensor
Sensor
Microserver
Sensor Node
Package
NIMS
Node
Cable
Static
17 May 2005
20 May 2005
26 May 2005
13 June 2005
Lower
slope
Upper
Plant Growth Dynamics – Rhododendron (NIMS project)

4. NEON Infrastructure Platforms
National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
NEON Infrastructure Platforms
FIU Sentinel Remote Sensing
Context, scaling, explanatory variables
BioSensor Towers, sensor networks, radar, mobile sensing, remote sensing, experimental facilities, education facilities, and forecasting facilities will be networked by leading edge cyberinfrastructure into national research platform.
Across the US, including Hawaii, Alaska, Caribbean
Science in the human dimension: located in urban, managed, and wild land

5. NEON Cyberinfrastructure
National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
NEON Cyberinfrastructure
Sensor
Microserver
Sensor Node
Package
NIMS
Node
Cable
Static

6. National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
WHY NOW?
Transformative in understanding complexity of natural and human environments
Geographically distributed infrastructure connected via cyberinfrastructure into national observatory network
Emerging technologies (sensor, analytical, communication, and information) to investigate the structure, dynamics, and evolution of systems at a continental scale and forecast change.  
New collaborative environments (simulation, computation, visualization, and knowledge systems) are needed to facilitate the integration of research, education, and dialog across a wide range of biological, geophysical, and social sciences.
Legacy data repositories and facilities for analysis and synthesis

7. Why multi-scale distributed sensor-networking will transform ecology
National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
Why multi-scale distributed sensor-networking will transform ecology
Computing
Field ecology
Radioastronomy
Single Telescopes
Supercomputers
Individual observations
… because it has done so over and over again
Very Large Array
Internet
NEON

8. Growing A Budget – Planning
National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
Growing A Budget – Planning
Design Costs – 10% of MREFC request Community development, NRC Studies, R&D, Project Management, Engineering

9. National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
Growing A Budget
Research R&D to nurture the community R&D to develop project Project specific R&D changes to existing programs Collaborative (Cross directorate, cross agency) Maintenance and Operations 10 to 35% of MREFC request 30 year commitment