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Climatology at Urban Long‐Term Ecological Research Sites: Baltimore Ecosystem Study and Central Arizona–Phoenix
Author(s) -
Brazel Anthony J.,
Heisler Gordon M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
geography compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.587
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 1749-8198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-8198.2008.00189.x
Subject(s) - phoenix , geography , climate change , urban ecosystem , environmental resource management , ecology , ecosystem , environmental planning , urban planning , environmental science , metropolitan area , archaeology , biology
The Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) and Central Arizona–Phoenix (CAP) Long‐Term Ecological Research (LTER) programs, established in 1997, are part of an international National Science Foundation long‐term ecology monitoring and research network. The study sites are excellent laboratories to integrate ideas on climate of urban areas and how climate change and local variability of climate relate to social, political, economic, and ecological processes over a long time period. A large variety of research data are available online from individual LTER Web sites and a combined database called CLIMDB/HYDRODB is available for climate and ecology researchers and others, to investigate climate and hydrology in LTER study regions including those of BES and CAP. The basic program, climate aspects of these two areas, selected past research, and current ongoing work is briefly reviewed. A large benefit of this National Science Foundation program is the maintenance of support over a very long period of time. With the advent of a National Ecological Observatory Network, continuing collection of climate and environmental information over the coming decades at the local and regional scales, and maintenance of protocols of measurement, it is hoped that a more meaningfully integrated urban climatology with urban ecology will emerge. This will better prepare scientists to gage the impending rapid global warming expected not only of natural environments, but also of burgeoning urban places around the world.