Northeast Siberia Plant and Soil Data: Plant Composition and Cover, Plant and Soil Carbon Pools, and Thaw Depth

The Polaris Project II seeks to amplify the impact of Polaris I (now in its third and final year) through its extension, expansion, and enhancement. The three overarching objectives of Polaris II are to 1) train the next generation of arctic researchers, 2) advance scientific understanding of the Arctic, and 3) expand public awareness of the feedbacks between the Arctic and the global climate system. These objectives will be accomplished through a multi-faceted effort that includes a summer field course/research experience in the Siberian Arctic, a series of on-campus arctic-focused courses, and a wide range of outreach activities. While undergraduate students remain the primary focus of Polaris II, participation in the annual field course will be expanded to include a K-12 teacher, graduate student, postdoctoral researcher, and visiting faculty member each year. Outreach activities will target K-12 students and teachers, undergraduate students and faculty, and a diverse public audience. The unifying scientific theme of the Polaris Project is the transport and transformation of carbon and nutrients as they move with water from terrestrial uplands to the Arctic Ocean. Research conducted by the interdisciplinary Polaris Project team of faculty and students will make fundamental contributions to the scientific understanding of this topic, a central issue in arctic system science. While continued scientific advances are essential for arctic system understanding, prediction, and protection, tackling the climate change challenge is also a matter of education. Polaris II offers a unique experience in undergraduate research that will inspire and prepare a new generation of arctic researchers. Further, it will convey the importance of the Arctic to the public and to policy-makers, providing them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. The Polaris Project will achieve a broad and lasting impact by linking interdisciplinary scientific research to innovative undergraduate education and imaginative public outreach. In addition to providing a transformative experience for the participants in the annual Siberian field course, Polaris II will educate large numbers of undergraduate students who complete the Polaris-affiliated on-campus courses. The project will also engage K-12 students and teachers through direct and sustained interactions with Polaris PIs and broad dissemination of education and outreach materials. Finally, Polaris II will inform a diverse public audience about the state of the Arctic, ecosystems research, and global climate change. Approaches to project outreach include expansion of the Polaris website and associated blog (www.thepolarisproject.org) and the development of an online seminar series for undergraduates, K-12 teachers, and public participants. The production and wide distribution of multimedia videos addressing key arctic science themes will further expand the reach of the project, as will the inclusion of a writer in the 2011 field course with the objective of publishing a book about the Arctic, climate change, and the Polaris Project experience. As a resource for the scientific and education communities, Polaris data will be freely available through the project website and the Advanced Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service (ACADIS). Please cite this dataset as: Kathryn Heard, Susan Natali, Andrew Bunn, Heather D. Alexander (2015). Northeast Siberia Plant and Soil Data: Plant Composition and Cover, Plant and Soil Carbon Pools, and Thaw Depth. UCAR/NCAR - CISL - ACADIS, Dataset. http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.5065/D6NG4NP0

北极星计划II（Polaris Project II）旨在通过拓展、扩容与优化工作，放大北极星计划I（Polaris I，目前已进入第三年即最后一年）的项目影响力。北极星计划II的三大核心目标为：1）培养下一代北极研究人员；2）深化对北极地区的科学认知；3）提升公众对北极与全球气候系统间反馈机制的认知水平。上述目标将通过多维度工作体系实现，包括在西伯利亚北极地区（Siberian Arctic）开展的夏季野外课程与研究实践、一系列聚焦北极主题的校内课程，以及覆盖范围广泛的公众科普活动。尽管本科生仍是北极星计划II的核心服务群体，但年度野外课程的参与名额将逐年扩容，每年纳入1名K-12阶段教师、1名研究生、1名博士后研究人员与1名访问学者。本次公众科普活动的受众涵盖K-12阶段师生、本科生与教职员工，以及多元公众群体。北极星计划的统一科学主题为：碳与营养物质随水流从陆地高地向北冰洋运移与转化的过程。由跨学科教职员工与学生组成的北极星计划团队开展的相关研究，将为这一北极系统科学的核心议题提供基础性科学认知。持续的科学进步对于北极系统的认知、预测与保护至关重要，而应对气候变化挑战同样离不开教育支撑。北极星计划II为本科生科研提供了独特实践机会，能够激励并培养新一代北极研究人员。此外，该项目将向公众与政策制定者传递北极地区的重要性，为他们制定科学决策提供必要的知识基础。北极星计划通过将跨学科科学研究与创新性本科生教育、富有创意的公众科普活动相结合，实现了广泛且持久的项目影响力。除了为年度西伯利亚北极地区野外课程的参与者提供变革性实践体验外，北极星计划II还将为选修北极星计划关联校内课程的大量本科生提供优质教育资源。该项目还将通过与北极星计划首席研究员（PIs）的直接持续互动，以及广泛分发教育与科普材料，吸引K-12阶段师生参与。最后，北极星计划II将向多元公众群体介绍北极地区现状、生态系统研究进展以及全球气候变化相关内容。项目的科普推广举措包括：升级北极星计划官方网站及其配套博客（www.thepolarisproject.org），面向本科生、K-12教师与公众群体打造在线研讨会系列；制作并广泛分发聚焦核心北极科学主题的多媒体视频，以进一步扩大项目影响力；2011年野外课程将邀请一名作家随行，旨在出版一本关于北极、气候变化与北极星计划实践经历的书籍。作为科研与教育界的共享资源，北极星计划相关数据将通过项目官网与高级合作北极数据与信息服务（Advanced Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service，ACADIS）免费对外开放。本数据集引用格式如下：
Kathryn Heard, Susan Natali, Andrew Bunn, Heather D. Alexander (2015). 东北西伯利亚植物与土壤数据：植物组成与盖度、植物与土壤碳库以及解冻深度. UCAR/NCAR - CISL - ACADIS, 数据集. http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.5065/D6NG4NP0