Early Career Perspectives to Broaden the Scope of Critical Zone Science

Warix, Sara; Johnson, Keira; Adamchak, Clifford; Dumont, Marc; Kerins, Devon; Knapp, Abigail; Sarup, Ojas; Miller, Hannah; Newman, Connor; D'Arcy, Sophie; Graup, Louis; Swift Bird, Kenneth; Yilangai, Rahila

doi:10.1029/2024EF005238

Early Career Perspectives to Broaden the Scope of Critical Zone Science

Journal Article · Wed Feb 19 00:00:00 EST 2025 · Earth's Future

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024EF005238· OSTI ID:2520185

^[1]; ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[4]; ^[5]; ^[6]; Sarup, Ojas ^[7]; Miller, Hannah ^[3]; ^[4]; ^[4]; Graup, Louis ^[7]; ^[4]; ^[3]

University of Utah Department of Geology and Geophysics Salt Lake City UT USA, Colorado School of Mines Hydrologic Science and Engineering Golden CO USA
Oregon State University College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science Corvallis OR USA
University of Colorado, Boulder Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Boulder CO USA
Colorado School of Mines Hydrologic Science and Engineering Golden CO USA
University College Dublin, School of Civil Engineering Dublin Ireland, Pennsylvania State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University Park PA USA
Pennsylvania State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University Park PA USA
University of California, Santa Barbara, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management Santa Barbara CA USA

Abstract

Critical Zone (CZ) scientists have advanced understanding of Earth's surface through process‐based research that quantifies water, energy, and mass fluxes in predominantly undisturbed systems. However, the CZ is being increasingly altered by humans through climate and land use change. Expanding the scope of CZ science to include both human‐ and non‐human controls on the CZ is important for understanding anthropogenic impacts to Earth's surface processes and ecosystem services. Here, we share perspectives from predominantly U.S.‐based, early career CZ scientists centered around broadening the scope of CZ science to focus on societally relevant science through a transdisciplinary science framework. We call for increased training on transdisciplinary methods and collaboration opportunities across disciplines and with stakeholders to foster a scientific community that values transdisciplinary science alongside physical science. Here, we build on existing transdisciplinary research frameworks by highlighting the need for institutional support to include and educate graduate students throughout the research processes. We also call for graduate‐student‐led initiatives to increase their own exposure to transdisciplinary science through activities such as transdisciplinary‐focused seminars and symposiums, volunteering with local conservation groups, and participating in internships outside academia.

View Journal Article

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0023312

OSTI ID:: 2520185

Journal Information:: Earth's Future, Journal Name: Earth's Future Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 13; ISSN 2328-4277

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (50)

Environmental governance in an increasingly complex world: Reflections on transdisciplinary collaborations for knowledge coproduction and learning Rodela, Romina; Gerger Swartling, Åsa Environmental Policy and Governance, Vol. 29, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1842	journal	February 2019
Growing new generations of critical zone scientists: MULTIGENERATIONAL CRITICAL ZONE SCIENCE Wymore, Adam S.; West, Nicole R.; Maher, Kate Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Vol. 42, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4196	journal	July 2017
Communication, Relationships, and Relatability Influence Stakeholder Perceptions of Credible Science Runnebaum, Jocelyn M.; Maxwell, Elisabeth A.; Stoll, Joshua S. Fisheries, Vol. 44, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10214	journal	April 2019
Geoscience data publication: Practices and perspectives on enabling the FAIR guiding principles Kinkade, Danie; Shepherd, Adam Geoscience Data Journal https://doi.org/10.1002/gdj3.120	journal	May 2021
Transdisciplinary soil hydrology Hopmans, Jan W. Vadose Zone Journal, Vol. 19, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20085	journal	January 2020
The Discourse of Transdisciplinarity: An Expanding Global Field Klein, Julie Thompson Transdisciplinarity: Joint Problem Solving among Science, Technology, and Society https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-8419-8_4	book	January 2001
Forest Ecosystems: Insights, Adaptations, and Mitigation Strategies to Climate Change Srivastava, Damya Forests and Climate Change https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-3905-9_19	book	January 2024
Critical transition in critical zone of intensively managed landscapes Kumar, Praveen; Le, Phong V. V.; Papanicolaou, A. N. Thanos Anthropocene, Vol. 22 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2018.04.002	journal	June 2018
Transdisciplinary global change research: the co-creation of knowledge for sustainability Mauser, Wolfram; Klepper, Gernot; Rice, Martin Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Vol. 5, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2013.07.001	journal	September 2013
Transdisciplinarity: Between mainstreaming and marginalization Jahn, Thomas; Bergmann, Matthias; Keil, Florian Ecological Economics, Vol. 79 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.04.017	journal	July 2012
What type of value information is most valuable to stakeholders? Multi-sector perspectives on the utility and relevance of water valuation information Handmaker, O.; Keeler, B. L.; Milz, D. Environmental Science & Policy, Vol. 115 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.10.006	journal	January 2021
Transforming research and relationships through collaborative tribal-university partnerships on Manoomin (wild rice) Matson, Laura; Ng, G. -H. Crystal; Dockry, Michael Environmental Science & Policy, Vol. 115 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.10.010	journal	January 2021
Strategies for building and managing ‘trust’ to enable knowledge exchange at the interface of environmental science and policy Cvitanovic, C.; Shellock, R. J.; Mackay, M. Environmental Science & Policy, Vol. 123 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2021.05.020	journal	September 2021
Power dynamics in transdisciplinary research for sustainable urban transitions Kareem, Buyana; McClure, Alice; Walubwa, Jacqueline Environmental Science & Policy, Vol. 131 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2022.02.001	journal	May 2022
Transdisciplinary collaboration in environmental research Pohl, Christian Futures, Vol. 37, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2005.02.009	journal	December 2005
Transdisciplinary research: characteristics, quandaries and quality Wickson, F.; Carew, A. L.; Russell, A. W. Futures, Vol. 38, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2006.02.011	journal	November 2006
Discourses of transdisciplinarity: Looking Back to the Future Klein, Julie Thompson Futures, Vol. 63 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2014.08.008	journal	November 2014
Transdisciplinary co-production: Designing and testing a transdisciplinary research framework for societal problem solving Polk, Merritt Futures, Vol. 65 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2014.11.001	journal	January 2015
Taking power seriously: Towards a power-sensitive approach for transdisciplinary action research Strumińska-Kutra, Marta; Scholl, Christian Futures, Vol. 135 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2021.102881	journal	January 2022
The expanding role of anthropogeomorphology in critical zone studies in the Anthropocene Aguilar, Raquel Granados; Owens, Rebecca; Giardino, John R. Geomorphology, Vol. 366 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2020.107165	journal	October 2020
Building Cross-Site and Cross-Network collaborations in critical zone science Arora, Bhavna; Kuppel, Sylvain; Wellen, Christopher Journal of Hydrology, Vol. 618 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.129248	journal	March 2023
Policy relevance of Critical Zone Science Montanarella, Luca; Panagos, Panos Land Use Policy, Vol. 49 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2015.07.019	journal	December 2015
Characteristics, potentials, and challenges of transdisciplinary research Lawrence, Mark G.; Williams, Stephen; Nanz, Patrizia One Earth, Vol. 5, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.12.010	journal	January 2022
The time for ambitious action is now: Science-based recommendations for plastic chemicals to inform an effective global plastic treaty Brander, Susanne M.; Senathirajah, Kala; Fernandez, Marina O. Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 949 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174881	journal	November 2024
The Honest Broker Pielke, Jr, Roger A. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511818110	book	January 2007
From Open Data to Open Science Ramachandran, Rahul; Bugbee, Kaylin; Murphy, Kevin Earth and Space Science, Vol. 8, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EA001562	journal	May 2021
Equity, Diversity, and Community as the Basis for Critical Zone Science and Education Perdrial, J. N.; Kincaid, D. W.; Wheaton, D. Earth's Future, Vol. 11, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF002812	journal	January 2023
Achieving Sustainable Earth Futures in the Anthropocene by Including Local Communities in Critical Zone Science Naylor, Larissa A.; Dungait, Jennifer A. J.; Zheng, Ying Earth's Future, Vol. 11, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF003448	journal	September 2023
Bringing Social Science Into Critical Zone Science: Exploring Smallholder Farmers' Learning Preferences in Chinese Human‐Modified Critical Zones Naylor, Larissa A.; Zheng, Ying; Munro, Neil Earth's Future, Vol. 11, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF003472	journal	September 2023
Expanding the Spatial Reach and Human Impacts of Critical Zone Science Singha, Kamini; Sullivan, Pamela L.; Billings, Sharon A. Earth's Future, Vol. 12, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1029/2023EF003971	journal	March 2024
The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship Wilkinson, Mark D.; Dumontier, Michel; Aalbersberg, IJsbrand Jan Scientific Data, Vol. 3, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2016.18	journal	March 2016
A design framework and exemplar metrics for FAIRness Wilkinson, Mark D.; Sansone, Susanna-Assunta; Schultes, Erik Scientific Data, Vol. 5, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.118	journal	June 2018
Effect of bicarbonate and phosphate on arsenic release from mining-impacted sediments in the Cheyenne River watershed, South Dakota, USA DeVore, Cherie L.; Rodriguez-Freire, Lucia; Mehdi-Ali, Abdul Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, Vol. 21, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1039/C8EM00461G	journal	January 2019
The importance of the Montreal Protocol in protecting climate Velders, G. J. M.; Andersen, S. O.; Daniel, J. S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 104, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0610328104	journal	March 2007
Knowledge systems for sustainable development Cash, David W.; Clark, William C.; Alcock, Frank Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 100, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1231332100	journal	May 2003
The Diversity–Innovation Paradox in Science Hofstra, Bas; Kulkarni, Vivek V.; Munoz-Najar Galvez, Sebastian Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 117, Issue 17 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1915378117	journal	April 2020
Stakeholder engagement in water governance as social learning: lessons from practice Wehn, Uta; Collins, Kevin; Anema, Kim Water International, Vol. 43, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2018.1403083	journal	November 2017
Science, Communication and Stakeholder Participation for Integrated Natural Resource Management Johnson, Andrew; Walker, Daniel Australasian Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 7, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1080/14486563.2000.10648488	journal	January 2000
The Three Rs: How Community-Based Participatory Research Strengthens the Rigor, Relevance, and Reach of Science Balazs, Carolina L.; Morello-Frosch, Rachel Environmental Justice, Vol. 6, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1089/env.2012.0017	journal	February 2013
Community Perspectives and Environmental Justice in California's San Joaquin Valley Flores-Landeros, Humberto; Pells, Chantelise; Campos-Martinez, Miriam S. Environmental Justice, Vol. 15, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1089/env.2021.0005	journal	December 2022
Beyond the digital divide: Towards a situated approach to open data Bezuidenhout, Louise M.; Leonelli, Sabina; Kelly, Ann H. Science and Public Policy, Vol. 44, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scw036	journal	July 2017
Dynamics of cumulative advantage and threats to equity in open science: a scoping review Ross-Hellauer, Tony; Reichmann, Stefan; Cole, Nicki Lisa Royal Society Open Science, Vol. 9, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211032	journal	January 2022
Toward equitable open research: stakeholder co-created recommendations for research institutions, funders and researchers Cole, Nicki Lisa; Reichmann, Stefan; Ross-Hellauer, Tony Royal Society Open Science, Vol. 10, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.221460	journal	February 2023
Critical Zone Science in the Anthropocene: Opportunities for biogeographic and ecological theory and praxis to drive earth science integration Minor, Jesse; Pearl, Jessie K.; Barnes, Mallory L. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment, Vol. 44, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1177/0309133319864268	journal	July 2019
What is co-production? Conceptualising and understanding co-production of knowledge and policy across different theoretical perspectives Bandola-Gill, Justyna; Arthur, Megan; Leng, Rhodri Ivor Evidence & Policy, Vol. 19, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1332/174426421X16420955772641	journal	May 2023
Soil Biogeochemical Processes within the Critical Zone Chorover, J.; Kretzschmar, R.; Garcia-Pichel, F. Elements, Vol. 3, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.3.5.321	journal	October 2007
Critical Zone Research and Observatories: Current Status and Future Perspectives Guo, Li; Lin, Henry Vadose Zone Journal, Vol. 15, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2016.06.0050	journal	January 2016
Perspective: The Power (Dynamics) of Open Data in Citizen Science Cooper, Caren B.; Rasmussen, Lisa M.; Jones, Elizabeth D. Frontiers in Climate, Vol. 3 https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2021.637037	journal	July 2021
When to Use Transdisciplinary Approaches for Environmental Research Kiatkoski Kim, Milena; Douglas, Michael M.; Pannell, David Frontiers in Environmental Science, Vol. 10 https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.840569	journal	May 2022
A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Understand Hydrologic and Geochemical Processes at Koiliaris Critical Zone Observatory Lilli, Maria A.; Efstathiou, Dionissis; Moraetis, Daniel Water, Vol. 12, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092474	journal	September 2020

Similar Records

Statistical mentoring at early training and career stages

Journal Article · Sun Jun 26 20:00:00 EDT 2016 · American Statistician · OSTI ID:1312573

Collaborative Research: Louis Stokes Regional Center of Excellence: Louis Stokes Midwest Regional Center of Excellence (LSMRCE) for Broadening Participation in STEM

Technical Report · Thu Oct 10 20:00:00 EDT 2024 · OSTI ID:2466204

2021 LLNL Nuclear Science and Security Summer Internship Program

Technical Report · Wed Nov 17 23:00:00 EST 2021 · OSTI ID:1832322

Early Career Perspectives to Broaden the Scope of Critical Zone Science

Citation Formats

References (50)

Similar Records

Related Subjects