Northern Arizona University has great depth of human expertise in the environmental science field and strong relationships with agency offices and the community. NAU has nationally respected departments /schools in Forestry, Biology, Engineering and Environmental Sciences (see NAU's Environmental Courses page ). Laura Huenneke, the lead scientist for this proposal, is the Dean of the College of Engineering and Natural Science and co-Chair of the NEON education committee. Several centers at NAU and local partner institutions can contribute to a broad base of support for the NEON domain core site (Table 3). The Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research has coordinated NAU's participation in NEON discussions for the past six years. NAU has expertise in population, community, and ecosystem ecology, molecular genetic analyses, stable isotope analyses, forest ecophysiology, aquatic ecology, remote sensing, GIS, as well as database design/management, environmental engineering and wireless sensor development/deployment (LeRoy et al., 2006; Simonin, et al., 2006; Whitham et al., 2006; Hungate et al., 2003; Brown et al., 2001). Biological and paleo-ecological collections are also available. Many faculty and agency researchers already conduct research in the Beaver Creek Watershed and use the site to support undergraduate and graduate education. The Ecological Restoration Institute is a national leader in restoration applications and fire ecology, and is interested in initiating experimental restoration treatments and incorporating landscape analysis and planning tools (Forest Ecosystem Restoration Analysis).

Facility/Research Group	Expertise	Contact(s)
Ecological Restoration Institute	Ecology  & Restoration of Ponderosa Pine Ecosystems	W. Covington, P. Fulé, D. Huffman
Flux Tower Study Group	Operate 3 Eddy Flux Towers in Ponderosa pine habitats	T, Kolb, S. Hart, G. Koch, B. Hungate
Pinyon Ecology Research Group	Ecology (Population, Ecosystem, Community, Evolution)	K. Gehring, T. Whitham, G. Koch
Soil Ecology Group	Ecology (Ponderosa, Pinyon-Juniper, Grassland)	S. Hart, D. Anderson, N. Johnson, K. Gehring
Aquatic Ecology Group	Algae, Diatoms, Invertebrates, Fishes, and Water Quality	J. Marks, M. Watwood, J. Shannon
Cottonwood Evolutionary Ecology Group	Riparian ecology, genetics, restoration	T. Whitham
Colorado Plateau Stable Isotope Lab	Full Spectrum Ecological Isotope Analyses	R. Doucett, B. Hungate, R. Foust
Environmental Genetics & Genomics Lab (ENGGEN)	Complete Genetic Analyses	P. Keim, G Allen, T. Whitham, K. Gehring
Geospatial Research and Information Lab (GRAIL)	GIS & Remote Sensing	P. Heinrich
WiSardNet	Wireless Sensor Technology Development & Deployment	P. Flikkema
ForestERA	GIS & Remote Sensing, Focused on Ponderosa Pine	T. Sisk
Colorado Plateau Biodiversity Center	Natural History Collections, Conservation Genetics, Informatics	S. Sommer
Merriam-Powell Research Station	Environmental Research Support (Logistics, Planning, Coordination)	A. Whipple
Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research	Integrate Environmental Research, Education & Outreach	N. Cobb, A. Whipple, T. Whitham
Center for Climate Change	DOE funded climate change research	B. Hungate, G. Koch
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals	Native American Environmental Research-Education	M. Khatabi
Center for Sustainable Environments	Human Ecology	G. Nabhan
DIRENet	Ecology of drought impacts on SW Forests and woodlands	N Cobb, E. Doerry
	NAU FLAGSTAFF PARTNER INSTITUIONS
The Arboretum at Flagstaff	Botany, Education Outreach	K. Haskins
Rocky Mountain Research Station (USFS)	Ecology, Hydrology, Wildlife	C. Edminster
National Park Service Inventory & Monitoring SCPN	Vascular Plant, Aquatic, and Vertebrate Monitoring	L. Thomas
Flagstaff Field Center (USGS)	Remote Sensing Hydrology, Climatology, Geology	B. Reed
Southwest Biological Science Center (USGS)	Ecology, Paleoecology	M. Sogge, K. Cole
Museum of Northern Arizona	Education Outreach	R. Breunig