Studies in mountainous terrain related to ecology and hydrology often use interpolated climate products because of a lack of local observations. One data set frequently used to develop plot‐to‐watershed‐scale climatologies is PRISM (Parameter‐elevation Regression on Independent Slopes Model) temperature. Benefits of this approach include geographically weighted station observations and topographic positioning modifiers, which become important factors for predicting temperature in complex topography. Because of the paucity of long‐term climate records in mountain environments, validation of PRISM algorithms across diverse regions remains challenging, with end users instead relying on atmospheric relationships derived in sometimes distant geographic settings. Presented here are results from testing observations of daily temperature maximum (T_MAX) and minimum (T_MIN) on 16 sites in the Walker Basin, California‐Nevada, located on open woodland slopes ranging from 1967 to 3111 m in elevation. Individual site mean absolute error varied from 1.1 to 3.7°C with better performance observed during summertime as opposed to winter. We observed a consistent cool bias in T_MIN for all seasons across all sites, with cool bias in T_MAX varying with season. Model error for T_MIN was associated with elevation, whereas model error for T_MAX was associated with topographic radiative indices (solar exposure and heat loading). These results demonstrate that temperature conditions across mountain woodland slopes are more heterogeneous than interpolated models (such as PRISM) predict, that drivers of these differences are complex and localized in nature, and that scientific application of atmospheric/climate models in mountains requires additional attention to model assumptions and source data.

The mountain research community is still contending with the need to monitor ecosystems, both to improve local management practices and to address regional and global science questions related to the Future Earth themes of Dynamic Planet, Global Sustainable Development, and Transformations Towards Sustainability. How such efforts may be designed and coordinated remains an open question. Historical climate and ecological observatories and networks typically have not represented the scope or spatial and topographic distribution of near-surface processes in mountains, creating knowledge gaps. Grassroots, in situ investigations have revealed the existence of topoclimates that are not linearly related to general atmospheric conditions, and are also not adequately represented in gridded model products. In this paper, we describe how some of the disconnects between data, models, and applications in mountains can be addressed using a combination of gradient monitoring, uniform observational siting and standards, ...

Precipitation [P: mm] controls forest and woodland dynamics in the southwestern United States (SWUS) by altering soil moisture [θ: mm³ mm⁻³] availability, but the influence of P on θ is complex, varying across space and time. We evaluated seasonal P and θ relationships at shallow (0–20 cm) and intermediate (50 cm) soil depths for nine semiarid forest and woodland sites (56 total years), which comprised three elevation gradients in the SWUS. We developed time‐varying definitions of winter (snow accumulation), spring (moisture recharge), and summer (moisture deficit), and determined how these sites exhibited similar P influence on θ across depths in the soil profile, between seasons, and in seasons with above‐ and below‐average P. Higher elevation sites (>2,800 m) experienced greater winter P, longer springs, and shorter summers compared to lower elevation sites (<2,500 m). Seasons with above‐ and below‐average P reduced elevation‐associated differences. θ at 0–20 cm was generally decoupled from θ at 50 cm in seasons with average and below‐average P, imparted by differences in spring and summer rainfall versus winter snowfall. Notably, across‐season influence of θ (e.g., a season’s similarity to subsequent seasons) was high when the first season experienced above‐ or below‐average P, and the subsequent season experienced average P, illustrating an important temporal connection initiated by wet and dry conditions. These results illustrate similarities in P‐θ relationships across widely differing ecosystems in the SWUS, and elucidate how these relationships may be altered in a changing climate.

Greater integration of advanced vehicle technologies is commonly discussed as a component of developing smart cities, potentially leading to a host of benefits. Final impacts of such benefits are uncertain, though, given research that illustrates induced travel by initial adopters of emerging vehicle technologies and services and mixed effects in transit use and active transportation. The locations within cities where interventions of advanced vehicle technologies are envisioned, geographic scope and extent of integration, and the characteristics of these areas are all likely to influence these effects, and these relationships have received limited investigative attention. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive review of proposals submitted by 78 midsized cities in the United States to create a typology that considers (1) the geographic scope of intervention and (2) the degree of integration of connected and automated vehicles, generating five distinct types of projects. Characteristics of the areas within cities identified for intervention are compared to those of their U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). We identified indicators of comprehensive planning efforts as they relate to sustainability and resilience outcomes in each city. Results show that areas identified by cities for advanced vehicle technology interventions differ in important ways from each city’s broader population that warrant attention relative to known demographic characteristics and behavior of early adopters of transportation technologies. There is also variation in project motivation and municipal planning indicators across typology classifications. These are essential considerations as smart city–aligned transportation interventions continue to develop. Key Words: automated vehicle, connected vehicle, smart city, typology.

This study investigated near surface hydrologic processes and plant response over a 1600 m mountain-valley gradient located in the Great Basin of North America (Nevada, U.S.A.) as part of a long-term climate assessment study. The goal was to assess shifts in precipitation, soil water status and associated drainage with elevation and how this influenced evapotranspiration and plant cover/health estimated by a satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), all to better understand how water is partitioned in a mountain valley system. Data were acquired during a three-year period from meteorological stations located in five plant communities ranging in elevation from 1756 m (salt desert shrubland zone) to 3355 m (subalpine zone). The analysis also included groundwater depths measured at the Salt Desert Shrub West site, mine water flow near the Pinyon-Juniper West site and drainage estimates using drainage flux meters at the four higher elevation sites. Annual precipitation increased with elevation in a linear fashion (R² = 0.93, p < 0.001) with an average increase of 2.9 cm for every 100 m in elevation. Reference evapotranspiration (ET_ref) declined in a highly linear fashion with elevation (R² = 0.95, p < 0.001) with an average 4.0 cm decline for every 100 m rise in elevation. Drainage occurred only at the Montane West and Subalpine West sites and not at the lower elevations. No drainage occurred after Julian day 160. Growing degree days were found to be negatively associated with the time of peak drainage (R² = 0.97, p < 0.001), the date drainage first occurred (R² = 0.90, p < 0.001), drainage duration (R² = 0.79, p < 0.001) and total drainage volume (R² = 0.59, p < 0.001). It was estimated that 27% of precipitation at the Montane West site (years 1, 2 and 3) and 66 % at the Subalpine West site (40% without year 1) contributed to drainage at the local site level, indicating possible strong recharge contribution from the higher elevation plant communities. Percent vegetation cover and ET_ref accounted for 94% of the variation in NDVI and 90% of the variation in ET totals when data from all sites were combined. Such data will be extremely valuable to collect and compare over time to assess shifts associated with potential climate warming and/or basin water diversion.