BLM OR WA Stimulating Transpiration and Net Photosynthesis of Douglas fir Stands in the Panther Creek Watershed, Oregon | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1) What is the purpose of this BLM funding opportunity?

The purpose is to support a focused natural-resources study in the Panther Creek Watershed in Oregon to improve understanding of how Douglas fir forest stand conditions influence two linked processes: (1) water use (via transpiration and related water-balance processes) and (2) carbon uptake and storage (via photosynthesis and net primary production). A core practical objective is to build and run a simulation model that converts forest structure and site conditions into defensible estimates of forest productivity and water use across the watershed.

2) What project area does this opportunity focus on?

The project focuses on the Panther Creek Watershed in Oregon, where forests are predominantly Douglas fir.

3) What forest type or species is emphasized in the study?

The study emphasizes Douglas fir stands and how their stand conditions relate to transpiration, photosynthesis, net primary production, and associated watershed-scale outcomes.

4) What are the main scientific questions being addressed?

The project is designed to improve understanding of how forest stand conditions affect (a) how much water Douglas fir stands use and (b) how much carbon they take up and store. These are treated as linked processes through ecophysiological modeling of photosynthesis, respiration, net primary production, and transpiration.

5) What is the main approach or method expected for this project?

The main approach is a modeling effort: building and running a simulation model that integrates multiple data sources to estimate net primary production and water use for Douglas fir stands across the Panther Creek Watershed.

6) What outputs or estimates is the modeling expected to produce?

The modeling is intended to produce estimates of net primary production and water use for Douglas fir stands across Panther Creek. Net primary production provides a basis for estimating carbon sequestration in forest components represented in the modeling framework (for example, live trees and other biomass pools). Water-use estimates support interpretation of how forest structure and site conditions influence watershed hydrology, especially during periods when water is limiting.

7) What ecosystem services or management uses are anticipated from the results?

The outputs are intended to improve BLM and partners' ability to interpret how forest condition, stand structure, and environmental variability affect carbon storage outcomes and related ecosystem services, including insights relevant to watershed hydrology when moisture is limiting.

8) What data sources are specifically mentioned as inputs to the project?

The opportunity highlights integrating multiple data sources, including: LiDAR-derived stand structural information, ground sampling to validate and refine remote-sensing interpretations, detailed soil pit information, and climatic information (temperature patterns, precipitation, and seasonal moisture dynamics).

9) How is LiDAR data used in the project?

LiDAR-derived stand structural information is used to characterize forest canopy height, density, and spatial variability over large areas. This stand-structure characterization supports watershed-scale modeling and is refined and validated through additional ground sampling.

10) Why is ground sampling included?

Ground sampling is included to validate and refine what remote-sensing data (including LiDAR) imply about actual stand conditions, strengthening the defensibility of model inputs and resulting estimates.

11) What soil information is included and why does it matter?

Detailed soil pit information is included to capture soil properties that strongly influence water availability and tree growth. Examples named in the opportunity include soil depth, texture, drainage characteristics, and likely water-holding capacity. These factors affect both transpiration and productivity-related processes.

12) What climate information is included and why?

Climatic information is incorporated to represent environmental drivers that control both photosynthesis and transpiration, including temperature patterns, precipitation, and seasonal moisture dynamics.

13) At what scales is the modeling intended to operate?

The project develops model components and parameters to simulate ecophysiological processes at both the stand scale and the watershed scale, with watershed-wide estimates of productivity and water use as a key aim.

14) What does net primary production (NPP) mean in the context of this opportunity?

In this opportunity, net primary production is described as an indicator of how much carbon is being converted into biomass after accounting for plant respiration. It is used as a basis for estimating carbon sequestration in forest components represented in the modeling framework.

15) What does the opportunity mean by "water use" in Douglas fir stands?

Water use is discussed in terms of transpiration and related water-balance processes, with outputs intended to help interpret how forest structure and site conditions influence watershed hydrology, especially when water is limiting.

16) What type of funding instrument is this opportunity?

The funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement. The description indicates this involves substantial involvement or collaboration with the agency rather than a simple pass-through grant.

17) What agency is offering this opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

18) What is the activity category and CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The activity category is Natural Resources. The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.231, Fish, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Resource Management.

19) What is the Funding Opportunity Number and title?

The Funding Opportunity Number is L11AS00018. The title is "BLM OR WA Stimulating Transpiration and Net Photosynthesis of Douglas fir Stands in the Panther Creek Watershed, Oregon."

20) How much funding was expected to be available?

The estimated total funding amount was $65,000.

21) What were the award ceiling and award floor?

The award ceiling was $65,000. The minimum award floor was listed as $1.

22) How many awards did BLM anticipate making?

BLM anticipated making one award.

23) Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching was required.

24) Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was described as unrestricted, meaning it was open to any applicant type, subject to any clarifications that may have been included in the full announcement on Grants.gov.

25) When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The opportunity was posted on January 31, 2011. The original and final closing date was February 28, 2011.

26) What is the archive date for this opportunity?

The opportunity was archived on March 31, 2011.

27) Where could applicants find the full announcement details?

The information indicates the full announcement was available on Grants.gov, and applicants could also contact the listed point of contact for help accessing it.

28) Who is the point of contact for questions about the announcement?

The listed point of contact is Teresa E. Spickerman, Grants Management Officer at BLM.

29) How can the point of contact be reached?

Teresa E. Spickerman can be reached by phone at 503-808-6243 or by email at teresaespickerman@blm.gov.

30) What makes this opportunity different from a standard grant?

It is identified as a cooperative agreement, which the description characterizes as involving substantial involvement or collaboration with the agency, rather than functioning as a simple pass-through funding mechanism.