NSF – Global Fiducial Site Survey - NWT/LTER

Site Number/Name: Niwot Ridge/Green Lakes Valley 

GFL No.:

Name: Niwot Ridge/Green Lakes Valley 

State, Country: Colorado, USA       

Priority: 1

Site designation(s): LTER, MAB -  Biosphere Reserve (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO), an Experimental Ecology Reserve (USDA Forest Service), and an AmeriFlux site

Other sponsoring/interested agencies, if any:

NASA

DOE/NIGEC

University of Colorado

Location and size:

35 km west of Boulder, Colorado – approximately 56.18 square km

USGS Quad:  Monarch lake, Colorado & Ward, Colorado

Center 40.1, -105.6

NE corner: 40.0708, -105.5283

SE corner: 40.023, -105.5283

SW corner: 40.023, -105.6526

NW corner: 40.0708, -105.6526

Center elevation: above 3000 m

Size (N-S x E-W): Approximately 10.6 km E-W x 5.3 km N-S

Resource to be monitored:

Spatial and temporal patterns and controls of plant primary production, nutrient cycling, and landscape structure; trace gas dynamics; geomorphology; human effects on alpine and subalpine ecosystems

Detailed description, management issues (e.g. ecosystem represented):

Alpine tundra. fellfield; meadow; herbaceous and shrub tundras; cliffs and talus; glacial lakes; streams and wetlands; subalpine forests; the effects of anthropogenic nitrogen deposition on tundra and forest ecosystems.

Frequency and time(s) of collection:     [six-week window]

June 1 through September 30; every 2-3 weeks

Resolution/scale:

variable

Special characteristics (spectral values, thermal anomalies, underwater/ground, etc.):

 phenology

Existing maps of area (digital?): GIS data

Map showing major topographic features of the NWT LTER study area. The Saddle is the indentation in Niwot Ridge immediately below "Ridge" and D-1 is located immediately left of "Niwot". The Biosphere Reserve Boundary is indicated by the thick yellow line and the City of Boulder Watershed Boundary is indicated by the thick gray line.