NOVUS RCN

The primary goal of the Novus RCN is to unify records of disturbance and ecosystem response over multiple timescales. Disturbances (discrete events that reduce biomass) are important components of almost all ecosystems on Earth. They have dramatic consequences for landscape function, plant composition, stream chemistry, and elemental cycling. In particular, disturbance is a critical component of carbon and nitrogen cycles on local to global scales. There is evidence that the type, magnitude, and frequency of disturbance events are changing in the 21st century. However, it has been surprisingly difficult to study the long-term biogeochemical consequences of disturbance. To address this, we integrate approaches and knowledge from two separate research groups: paleoecologists and ecosystem ecologists.