FOCUS: Focal Center Utility Study for the United States
What is FOCUS?
- FOCUS is a project of NADP’s Critical Loads Atmospheric Deposition (CLAD) Science Committee.
- FOCUS was initiated in the fall of 2010 to develop a national critical loads database and coordinate input from members of the critical loads’ research community.
- FOCUS is a multi-stakeholder effort to obtain, map and document ecosystem response to deposition through the use of critical loads.
- The resulting database is being used to assist sponsoring federal agencies with further implementation of critical loads in their programs.
Strategic Vision for FOCUS
National-scale critical loads (CL) data developed by participants are refined, collated, improved, modeled, mapped and made accessible in a publically available database.
FOCUS Phase 1
Phase 1 was completed in 2011 with release of the first version of the critical load database (March 2011) and Phase I report (September 2011).
FOCUS Phase II Goals
- Expand and improve the resolution of national-scale critical loads database that was created in Phase I, and make it more widely accessible.
- Bring together scientists and practitioners with expertise to improve modeling and empirical critical loads estimates, especially with regard to defining the uncertainties surrounding those estimates (and other issues uncovered during Phase I).
- Identify gaps in data necessary for estimating critical loads and validating and parameterizing deposition and critical load models. Strategize, prioritize and initiate ways to address these gaps.
- Identify and define US critical loads database and related infrastructure needs and suggest solutions.
FOCUS Documentation
Work Groups have been formed to address a series of specific objectives. If you are interested in participating in a group, please contact Cindy Huber (FOCUS project manager) at clad.focus@gmail.com.
Current status of the FOCUS project was presented to the CLAD Science Committee at the Fall 2012 NADP Meeting in Portland, ME.
Detailed Documentation is available for the CLAD U.S. Critical Loads of Sulfur and Nitrogen Access Database, version 15.03.11 (pdf)
