Table Of Content

Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. Reserve aGB658 .7 .083 1994 _J USDA - ARS Hydrology Laboratory Program Review September 28 - 30, 1994 Hydrology Laboratory Natural Resources Institute Agricultural Research Service U.S. Department of Agriculture Beltsville, Maryland 20705 U.S.D.A., NA TABLE OF CONTENTS DEC - 2 1998 Page Agenda 2 USDA-ARS Organizational Background 3 Definition of Terms, Abbreviations and Acronyms used in ARS 3 USDA Organizational Chart 4 ARS Organizational Chart 5 ARS - Area Organization 6 Beltsville Organizational Chart 7 Review team 8 Hydrology Laboratory Background 9 Problem 9 Mission 9 Research Accomplishments Macropore Characterization 10 Herbicide Environmental Fate 10 Climate Change Effects on Water Supply 10 Vegetation Correction Algorithm for Microwave Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture 11 New Antenna Technology Evaluated for Soil Moisture Applications 11 Measuring Landscape Properties Using An Airborne Laser Altimeter 11 Satellite Measurements of Water Quality 12 Estimation of Surface Soil Moisture 12 Spatially Distributed Basin Fluxes 13 Estimating Surface Temperatures Remotely 13 Data Management System 13 ARS Water Data Base 14 Scientific Personnel and Expertise 15 Support Personnel 16 Visiting Scientist 17 Cooperative Research Agreements 18 Productivity Summary 19 Old CRIS Summary 20 New CRIS Summary 21 Distribution of Scientific Personnel Across CRIS Projects 22 Summary of Financial Resources 23 Position Staffing Plan 24 High Priority Research Needs 25 Managerial Problems and Opportunities 26 Safety and Health Report 27 Response to Previous Review 27 Contributions from Scientists 28 Tim Gish 28 Karen Humes 33 Tom Jackson 38 Bill Kustas 43 Albert Rango 50 Walter Rawls 56 Jerry Ritchie 61 Ralph Roberts 67 Tom Schmugge 71 Jane Thurman 76 1 AGENDA September 28, 1994 Room 020 Building 003, BARC-W 8:15 PRE REVIEW "BREAK" GET ACQUAINTED SESSION AND SNACKS 8:30 P. KEARNEY INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 8:40 W. J. RAWLS LAB OVERVIEW AND ISSUES 9:20 EXECUTIVE SESSION 10:20 BREAK 10:30 TOUR OF FACILITIES 11:15 WALTER RAWLS 12:15 LUNCH Room 006 Building 007, BARC-W 1:15 TIM GISH 2:15 AL RANGO 3:15 BREAK 3:30 JERRY RITCHIE 4:30 REVIEW TEAM DISCUSSION SEPTEMBER 29, 1994 Room 006 Building 007, BARC-W 8:00 TOM JACKSON 9:00 BILL KUSTAS 10:00 BREAK 10:15 KAREN HUMES 11:15 MEETING WITH SUPPORT STAFF ' 12:15 LUNCH 1:15 JANE THURMAN 2:15 RALPH ROBERTS 3:15 REVIEW TEAM DISCUSSION AND REPORT DRAFTING SEPTEMBER 30, 1994 Room 006, Building 007, BARC-W 8:30 EXECUTIVE SESSION 10:30 END OF REVIEW 2 USDA-ARS ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND DEFINITION OF SOME TERMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS USED IN ARS ARS: Agricultural Research Service. An Agency in the Science and Education branch of USDA. ARS has about 8,000 employees, including about 2,500 senior scientists. The Agency conducts research at 127 locations in the U.S. ARS is led by an Administrator and is divided geographically into eight Areas, which are led by Area Directors. BA: The Beltsville Area includes the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, the U.S. National Arboretum, and the Glenn Dale Plant Distribution Station. The Beltsville Area, at 6,600 acres, is the Smallest Area geographically, but the largest in terms of personnel and budget. About 1,450 employees, including about 440 scientists, work in the BA. NPS: National Program Staff. Members are called National Program Leaders and each is a subject matter specialist. NPS serves the Administrator of ARS in developing and coordinating research plans and strategies on a national basis. NPS sets National Program directions, establishes priorities, allocates resources, including this review, and acts as a clearing house for decision making. Considerable interaction between Area managers and NPS is required to fulfill our respective roles. INSTITUTES: The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center is composed of four Institutes (see Appendix): The Plant Sciences Institute, the Livestock and Poultry Sciences Institute, the Natural Resources Institute, and the Product Quality and Development Institute. LABORATORIES: Laboratories are units located in the Institutes. Laboratories are led, both scientifically and administratively, by Research Leaders. Typically, a Laboratory is comprised of 8-10 scientists, a scientific and clerical support staff and several temporary student and postdoctoral employees. The program and mission of a Laboratory of this size must obviously be limited. In reviewing a Laboratory, bear in mind that what appear to be discipline or program gaps are often filled by collaboration with other Laboratories in the BA or elsewhere. CRIS: Current Research Information System. This is an electronic system for the filing and retrieval of information about individual agricultural research projects. In ARS, the terms "CRIS Work Unit" or the acronym "CRIS" are used synonymously with "research project" or "project." New projects are planned in coordination with NPS and are subjected to peer-review. The normal life of a project in ARS is 3 to 5 years. SY: Scientist Year. This is the effort of a research scientist for 1 year. Fractional efforts (e.g., 0.5 SY) in a given project are possible when a scientist works in more than one project during the course of a fiscal year. The term is also used in ARS as a synonym for a research scientist [e.g., "I have six SYs (research scientists) in my Laboratory"). OTHER KINDS OF SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL: Research scientists are responsible for all phases of research. ARS also employs research associates ("postdocs"), support scientists (who have responsibility for some portion of a project), technicians, students, and in some operations, nonresearch scientific personnel who perform work involving service to the public or to other government agencies. AM: Administrative Management. This branch of ARS manages support activities, such as procurement, facilities, fiscal allocations and personnel operations at all levels in ARS. 3