Disturbance events are a primary driver of ecosystem dynamics through their influence on both structure and function. The type, severity, extent, and frequency of the disturbance events that ecosystems experience are all changing in response to anthropogenic influence. Research networks provide unique opportunities to study the range of ecosystem responses to a wide range of disturbance events. Improved understanding these events and their effects on a broad array of ecological patterns and processes is essential to accurately represent disturbances in ecosystem and earth system models.

In this session, we seek submissions from researchers using environmental research networks to understand and predict the effects of disturbances on ecosystem structure and function. This interdisciplinary session will be broad in scope, with submissions highlighting an array of experimental, observational, and modeling studies using research networks to address questions in the biogeosciences.