International Workshop on the Northern Eurasia Mountain Ecosystems


September 8-15, 2009
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Preface


The NEESPI research initiative has a strong component of regional focus within high elevation mountain regions of northern Eurasia and therefore aims at studying multi-scale variability of climate, hydrological, energy cycles, and their contribution to water resources and land degradation in mountain areas. One of the first priority issues that the Workshop will address is the successful coordination and implementation of research and capacity building in the NEESPI HE domain.

Background

The mountainous regions of northern Eurasia have a common cultural and economic character, and share similar natural habitats. The main natural features include high elevated ridges, alpine meadows and forest, foothill shrubs and steppes, vast deserts, rivers originating in high mountains, and a range of lakes fed by these rivers. The mountains are especially important since they are rich in water and hydroelectric potential. Conditioned by mountain relief, atmospheric activity and precipitation, the relationship between the mountains and the surrounded plains provides the most important link for the moisture exchange mechanism over the large land masses. The mountain’s river basins are highly vulnerable to the changes in energy and mass fluxes at the land surface and to the near-surface physical conditions (e.g., snow cover extent, glacier mass balance and thermal state of glaciers, freshwater, and so on). Current and future expected retreat of seasonal snow cover and glaciers and the changes in precipitation partitioned among land surface storage significantly affect river runoff, permafrost state, and ground water reservoirs. Mountain ecosystems support the unique multitude of plants and animals. Forests and shrubs play a crucial role in stabilizing the land.

However, the majority of mountain river basins are characterized by complex social and economic problems ensuing from extensive resource consumption; natural responses to climate change; growing anthropogenic pressure; inappropriate location of hydropower and industrial facilities; and inefficiencies of agricultural and industrial production practices. Human activity has been identified as contributing to land degradation via poorly constructed and maintained irrigation systems, especially distribution canals on steep, unstable slopes; poor soil and water management for crop production; salinisation of irrigated lands; poor pasture management, in particular the overgrazing of pastures; and over reliance on fuel-wood, shrubs, dung, and peat to meet household energy needs. Among the potentially harmful feedback effects of natural and anthropogenic land changes are: extended desertification, increased wind erosion, atmospheric contamination and dust loading (which also accelerate snow and glacier melt), reduction in yield, contamination of surface and ground waters due to extensive use of agricultural chemicals, and increasing human mortality rates. To formulate integral and effective mitigation approaches the root causes of negative environmental changes have to be properly evaluated and projected.

Since 2004 about 30 projects have been funded through and/or joined the NEESP Initiative to study mountainous regions of the Northern Eurasia, including Alps, Carpathians, Caucasus, Ural, eastern and central Siberia, Altai-Sayan, Tien Shan, and Pamir. The ongoing projects study potential consequences of climate variability and global change on very sensitive mountainous ecosystems, water resources, and land degradation in Northern Eurasia. Most projects are also intended to provide a comprehensive and objective environmental management setting for sustainable development in mountainous regions. Interest in High Elevation Areas research within the MAIRS community is also high and one of four major MAIRS research themes is “Multiple stresses on ecosystems and biophysical resources in high Mountain Zones”.

Purpose of the Workshop

Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI) together with the Central Asia Institute for Applied Geosciences (CAIAG), German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), the University of Idaho, (UofI), Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IG RAS), and Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory of Roshydromet will hold a seven-day-long scientific and educational workshop on the Northern Eurasia Mountain Ecosystems and Regional High Elevation NEESPI projects. The Workshop will be held in Ak Keme Hotel and in the Institute for Applied Geo-sciences (CAIAG) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

This Workshop will (1) provide a venue for researchers to discuss their research in the region, (2) improve coordination of ongoing studies, including those conducted within the Monsoon Asia Integrated Regional Study (MAIRS), and (3) promote future research development in high elevation mountain regions of the NEESPI domain. The NEESPI (HE) Workshop science discussions will include the following topics:

  • Dynamics and feedbacks of changes in climate and low-troposphere moisture transfer and surface water resources redistribution between natural stores of waters (seasonal snow cover, glaciers, permafrost, lakes, rivers and aquifers);
  • Changes in mountain ecosystems affecting downstream areas (de-glaciation, biodiversity, forests and shrubs, land degradation, land use and hazards, water quality, and socio-economical consequences);
  • State-of-the-art methods of field research, remote sensing, and modeling and their application to assist in meeting the NEESPI (HE) reserach scientific objectives;
  • Long-term data accessibility and analysis for the NEESPI mountainous area (data control, data calibration, validation, and modeling).

There will be three main sections to the workshop:

  • International Young Scientists School on Environmental Studies at High Elevations; Sept. 8-9, 2009; lectures in Russian;
  • Regional NEESPI Science Team Research Workshop to discuss existing projects and development of new research within mountain regions of the NEESPI domain. September 9-11, 2009; working sessions in English;
  • International Workshop devoted to Climatic, Environmental, Land Cover-Land Use Change Studies at High Elevations. Sept. 12-13, 2009. Working sessions in English.

Oral and poster sessions have been planned, along with breakout group discussion sessions. The topics of discussions or objectives have one keynote speaker who will illuminate the problem and present an overview of relevant research and possible approaches to new proposed research and solutions. Presenters at the International Workshop invited from the worldwide scientific community involved in High Elevation Areas research, while presentations at the NEESPI Workshop being reserved for the NEESPI Science Team members.

NASA funds for the Workshop organization will primarily support key presenters, and young early career scientists. The rest of US, EU and JAPAN participants will cover their participation (travel and other related to the Workshop expenses) from their funded projects.

Workshop outcome

The NEESPI/HE Workshop discussions and conclusions will illuminate new approaches to study the sustainability, vulnerability, and resilience of mountain ecosystems affected by climate variability and anthropogenic impacts. The Workshop will present research results regarding the NEESPI High Elevation mountain areas in the framework of climate change study and highlight the role of high elevations in the NEESPI, MAIRS, CEOP-HE and NASA LCLUC programs. The Workshop will focus on advanced research of the NEESPI projects related to the High Elevation Areas in Northern Eurasia (UofI, HE), assessment of the current state of understanding of processes that control regional environmental changes, and planning of the future NEESPI studies. Particular attention (a special session) will be dedicated to the current and planned activities of the Central Asia Institute for Applied Geosciences in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and will define key scientific questions in developing and coordinating a strategy for research capacity building in high elevation areas. The interdisciplinary group of both senior and young scientists from diverse backgrounds in the physical and socio-economic sciences will discuss the status of High Elevation Environment studies, current gaps of knowledge, and the priorities of further research.

The selected papers and presentations will be published in scientific peer-reviewed journals in English.

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