[LTER-BioProd] bimonthly update for LTER synthesis working group on scaling-up BEF

[Forest Isbell]

Dear all,

As promised, here is your bimonthly update on progress for each of the projects identified in our second meeting. For your reference, the list of projects and leaders can also be found here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iML_EzPHvhQjNI50Z0ITYCGj58kiP7lbUBSog9aQ5IU/edit?usp=sharing <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1iML_EzPHvhQjNI50Z0ITYCGj58kiP7lbUBSog9aQ5IU/edit?usp=sharing>
If you would like to contribute to one or more of these projects, then please feel free to contact the project leader(s) and offer ways to help. If you have questions, then please feel free to ask the project leaders or me. Thanks in advance for your contributions!

Please let me know if you plan to attend the LTER All Scientist Meeting <https://lternet.edu/lter-scientists-meeting-2018/> this fall, as we have proposed a workshop related to our synthesis working group.

Best wishes,

Forest, Jane, and Laura



Nonrandom changes in biodiversity and EF led by Tim Newbold
No update at this time.

BEF causality review led by Laura Dee
Integrating the many helpful comments and reaching out to individuals for contributions to particular sections. Hope to have the next version to send to the group by early July.

NutNet BEF causality analysis led by Laura Dee
No update at this time.

Instrumental variables with Cedar Creek biodiversity and fertilization experiments led by Jane Cowles
No update at this time.

Quantifying performance-enhancing insurance effects led by Forest Isbell
I have requested help from investigators of tree diversity experiments to standardize data into a common format. More than two dozen tree diversity experiments have now submitted data. I am still waiting on a few more. If we are going to add in marine data, which would be fantastic, then I will need someone, such as Mary or Jarrett, to take the lead on organizing those data, as I am already swimming in data and finding it difficult to keep up with all the emails on the grassland and forest sides.

Global drivers of biodiversity loss (N) led by Yann Hautier
No update at this time.

SAR, EAR, and BEF led by Akira Mori
My colleagues and I have estimated spatial distributions of nearly 2000 tree species at the resolution of 30 arc-seconds in 2005 and at the resolution of 0.5 degrees in 2070 (using different climate change and land-use change scenarios). Based on some simulations and machine learning, I am now trying to estimate percent changes in species richness from 2050 to 2070 at the spatial scale of roughly 1 x 1 km^2 for estimating possible declines in forest productivity. I am hoping to provide preliminary results soon. 

Agenda 2049 led by Mary O’Connor
No update at this time, but Mary will be reaching out soon.

Coexistence mechanisms led by Jane Cowles
No update at this time.

Global BEF led by Sasha Wright
Almost all participants have devoted time/writing to their assigned sections. This means we are getting close to a full working draft, but Peter Reich pointed out that some further unifying is needed. Peter and I developed several questions for each topical subheading to help focus the writing. We will send these out soon. I’ve also been working on a figure that helps visualize mechanisms that may play out in different BEF relationships for local vs. global scales. Laura and I (and possibly Peter) will discuss this on Wednesday.


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