NASA’s Terrestrial Ecology Program (now subsumed in the NASA Biosphere research sphere) has a long and rich history of successfully mounting intensive field campaigns, including BOREAS, LBA-ECO, and the Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE). In ROSES 2022 the Terrestrial Ecology Program solicited proposals for scoping studies to 1) identify the scientific questions, (2) develop an initial study design, and (3) propose an implementation concept for a new field campaign that could be implemented on a six- to nine-year time frame. In 2023, two scoping studies were selected: PAN tropical investigation of bioGeochemistry and Ecological Adaptation (PANGEA) and Adaptation and Response in Drylands (ARID).
In 2026, the NASA Biosphere research sphere funded the PANGEA Science Definition Team to develop a Concise Experiment Plan to refine the scope, assess feasibility, and align NASA-supported components with anticipated budgets, with an initial focus on Central Africa, aiming for a campaign in late 2028 or early 2029. The PANGEA Science Definition Team is led by Dr Elsa Ordway at the University of California. The first PANGEA campaign is envisioned to support all four research themes in the NASA Biosphere research sphere; Terrestrial Ecology, Biological Diversity, Land Cover Land Use Change, and Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry.
The ARID team will continue to coordinate existing research activities across academic and US federal agencies, especially within the Department of Interior (e.g., US Geological Survey, Bureau of Land Management) and the Department of War in preparation for a likely airborne campaign in 2030 or later.
