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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

MtnSEON and social–ecological systems science in complex mountain landscapes

The Mountain Social Ecological Observatory Network (Mtn SEON ) is a US National Science Foundation‐funded Research Coordination Network that focuses on social–ecological systems ( SES ) science approaches to understanding the vulnerability, resilience, and sustainability of complex mountain landscapes. Papers from members of several Mtn SEON working groups are presented in this Special Issue, with topics ranging from applying an SES conceptual approach to social–ecological observatories to dealing with the human aspects of predator–livestock interactions in the American West. All of these articles portray varying degrees of integration of social and ecological sciences and methodologies in order to better address both complex and “wicked” problems inherent to many coupled natural and human systems. The diversity of approaches presented here reflect the different project histories, disciplines being integrated, fields of expertise, and nature of the environmental problems and issues being addressed.

Alessa, Lilian↗
DOE OSTI2023

Ecosystem-Level Biomimicry for the Built Environment: Adopting Systems Ecology Principles for the Control of Heterogeneous Energy Systems

This paper presents, to our knowledge, the first system-level engineering study to bio-mimic the cybernetics and flow dynamics of energy resources in natural ecosystems for the control of heterogeneous energy infrastructures in the built environment. To this end, we introduce a novel Biomimetic Pulsing State (BPS) control that functionally mimics mature ecosystems. A preliminary Modelica-based case study features a single-family residential building with electrical and HVAC subsystems. The BPS control objective is to minimize the energy exchange between the building and the grid for the purposes of future self-supporting buildings and grid stability. The building contains PV, a wind turbine, a battery storage system, and a fan coil/heat pump HVAC system served by an ambient district energy network. Evaluating the control performance (BPS vs. constant setpoint) over several renewable energy scenarios (net importer, net zero, net exporter), simulation results show how the building's HVAC system can dynamically adjust its electrical load and temperatures to the electrical system's net energy status in real-time with BPS control. As a net importer, the heat pump consumed 29% less energy and its peak power reduced by 15% with BPS control compared to the constant setpoint case, with the zone air temperature 1 degree C lower on average. As a net exporter, the heat pump effectively consumed the same energy, but the peak power increased by 34% with BPS control, while the zone air temperature was 1 degree C higher when renewable energy was abundant, preheating the home. BPS and constant setpoint control produced comparable results under a net zero scenario. While further evaluation is essential, BPS control may help communities meet their sustainability and resiliency targets as they transition towards fully distributed and renewable energy grids.

biomimicry↗
DOE OSTI2021

Parallel Battery: The Framework and Process for an Intelligent and Ecological Battery System and Related Services

The concept, framework, process methodology and applications of parallel battery were proposed from both virtual and real aspects.The parallel battery was an application of ACP-based parallel intelligence in battery and related energy system areas.The real battery system was running with its equivalent, and the artificial battery system was in a virtual space, in a parallel and interactive manner.The artificial battery system contained the descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive functions on the real battery and related energy systems.There was a closed-loop workflow between the real battery system and the artificial battery system, which iteratively optimizes the battery and related energy systems, leading to a new paradigm of intelligent and ecological parallel battery system management.

ACP approach↗
DOE OSTI2025

MSD CoP Webinar: "Generative agents: A new frontier for representing human actors and their behavior in MSD models"

Context: This webinar was hosted by the MultiSector Dynamics Community of Practice (MSD CoP; https://multisectordynamics.org). Talk #1: Behavioral Generative Agents for Energy Operations Presenter: Dr. Cong Chen (Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College) Abstract: Accurately modeling consumer behavior in energy operations remains challenging due to inherent uncertainties, behavioral complexities, and limited empirical data. This talk introduces a novel approach leveraging generative agents--artificial agents powered by large language models--to realistically simulate customer decision-making in dynamic energy operations. Talk #2: Simulating multiple human perspectives in socio-ecological systems using large language models Presenter: Dr. Yongchao Zeng (Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany) Abstract: Understanding socio-ecological systems requires insights from diverse stakeholder perspectives. This talk describes a novel simulation system called HoPeS (Human-oriented Perspective Shifting). HoPeS enables model users to not only explore simulated socio-ecological systems (SESs) from a third-person observer's perspective but also take any of the simulated stakeholder roles, like playing an RPG game. By shifting multiple perspectives, model users can reflect and integrate the situated knowledge learned through the participatory simulation, approximating a more holistic and less biased understanding of SESs. Moderators: Jim Yoon (MSD CoP Human Systems Modeling Working Group Co-Chair); Stefano Galelli (MSD CoP Using AI to Enhance MSD Research Working Group Co-Chair); Patrick M. Reed (MSD CoP Facilitation Team) This webinar was held on: November 13th, 2025 from 12-1 PM EST.

Artificial Intelligence↗
DOE OSTI2021

Potential ecological impacts of climate intervention by reflecting sunlight to cool Earth

As the effects of anthropogenic climate change become more severe, several approaches for deliberate climate intervention to reduce or stabilize Earth’s surface temperature have been proposed. Solar radiation modification (SRM) is one potential approach to partially counteract anthropogenic warming by reflecting a small proportion of the incoming solar radiation to increase Earth’s albedo. While climate science research has focused on the predicted climate effects of SRM, almost no studies have investigated the impacts that SRM would have on ecological systems. The impacts and risks posed by SRM would vary by implementation scenario, anthropogenic climate effects, geographic region, and by ecosystem, community, population, and organism. Complex interactions among Earth’s climate system and living systems would further affect SRM impacts and risks. We focus here on stratospheric aerosol intervention (SAI), a well-studied and relatively feasible SRM scheme that is likely to have a large impact on Earth’s surface temperature. We outline current gaps in knowledge about both helpful and harmful predicted effects of SAI on ecological systems. Desired ecological outcomes might also inform development of future SAI implementation scenarios. In addition to filling these knowledge gaps, increased collaboration between ecologists and climate scientists would identify a common set of SAI research goals and improve the communication about potential SAI impacts and risks with the public. Without this collaboration, forecasts of SAI impacts will overlook potential effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services for humanity.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Using mixed methods to construct and analyze a participatory agent-based model of a complex Zimbabwean agro-pastoral system

Complex social-ecological systems can be difficult to study and manage. Simulation models can facilitate exploration of system behavior under novel conditions, and participatory modeling can involve stakeholders in developing appropriate management processes. Participatory modeling already typically involves qualitative structural validation of models with stakeholders, but with increased data and more sophisticated models, quantitative behavioral validation may be possible as well. In this study, we created a novel agent-basedmodel applied to a specific context: Zimbabwean non-governmental organization the Muonde Trust has been collecting data on their agro-pastoral system for the last 35 years and had concerns about land-use planning and the effectiveness of management interventions in the face of climate change. We collaboratively created an agent-based model of their system using their data archive, qualitatively calibrating it to the observed behavior of the real system without tuning any parameters to match specific quantitative outputs. We then behaviorally validated the model using quantitative community-based data and conducted a sensitivity analysis to determine the relative impact of underlying parameter assumptions, Indigenous management interventions, and different rainfall variation scenarios. We found that our process resulted in a model which was successfully structurally validated and sufficiently realistic to be useful for Muonde researchers as a discussion tool. The model was inconsistently behaviorally validated, however, with some model variables matching field data better than others. We observed increased model system instability due to increasing variability in underlying drivers (rainfall), and also due to management interventions that broke feedbacks between the components of the system. Interventions that smoothed year-to-year variation rather than exaggerating it tended to improve sustainability. The Muonde trust has used the model to successfully advocate to local leaders for changes in land-use planning policy that will increase the sustainability of their system.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Weak-form inference for hybrid dynamical systems in ecology

Species subject to predation and environmental threats commonly exhibit variable periods of population boom and bust over long timescales. Understanding and predicting such behaviour, especially given the inherent heterogeneity and stochasticity of exogenous driving factors over short timescales, is an ongoing challenge. A modelling paradigm gaining popularity in the ecological sciences for such multi-scale effects is to couple short-term continuous dynamics to long-term discrete updates. We develop a data-driven method utilizing weak-form equation learning to extract such hybrid governing equations for population dynamics and to estimate the requisite parameters using sparse intermittent measurements of the discrete and continuous variables. The method produces a set of short-term continuous dynamical system equations parametrized by long-term variables, and long-term discrete equations parametrized by short-term variables, allowing direct assessment of interdependencies between the two timescales. We demonstrate the utility of the method on a variety of ecological scenarios and provide extensive tests using models previously derived for epizootics experienced by the North American spongy moth ( Lymantria dispar dispar ).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Risk Assessment Information System Compendium of Ecological Screening Benchmarks for Chemicals and Radionuclides (2025) (Volume I – Text, Radionuclides for all Media, Chemicals for Air and Biota)

The Risk Assessment Information System Ecological Benchmark Tool compiles screening level benchmark values for assessing potential ecological risks posed by chemical and radionuclide contaminants. Drawing from a wide array of federal, state, and international sources, it consolidates benchmarks across environmental media, including soil, water, sediment, air, and biota, and presents values for a broad range of receptors and exposure pathways. The tool includes both effect-based and no-effect thresholds, with media- and organism-specific guidance derived from peer-reviewed literature and regulatory frameworks. By integrating diverse benchmark types into a unified reference, the tool supports consistent, scientifically grounded evaluations in ecological risk assessments and environmental management practices.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Can Common Pool Resource Theory Catalyze Stakeholder-Driven Solutions to the Freshwater Salinization Syndrome?

Freshwater salinity is rising across many regions of the United States as well as globally, a phenomenon called the freshwater salinization syndrome (FSS). The FSS mobilizes organic carbon, nutrients, heavy metals, and other contaminants sequestered in soils and freshwater sediments, alters the structures and functions of soils, streams, and riparian ecosystems, threatens drinking water supplies, and undermines progress toward many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. There is an urgent need to leverage the current understanding of salinization’s causes and consequences–in partnership with engineers, social scientists, policymakers, and other stakeholders–into locally tailored approaches for balancing our nation’s salt budget. In this feature, we propose that the FSS can be understood as a common pool resource problem and explore Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom’s social-ecological systems framework as an approach for identifying the conditions under which local actors may work collectively to manage the FSS in the absence of top-down regulatory controls. We adopt as a case study rising sodium concentrations in the Occoquan Reservoir, a critical water supply for up to one million residents in Northern Virginia (USA), to illustrate emerging impacts, underlying causes, possible solutions, and critical research needs.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Land-use history, fire regime, and large-mammal herbivory affect deer-preferred plant diversity in longleaf pine woodlands

Since ecological systems often experience multiple disturbances, understanding changes in important ecological interactions, such as plant-herbivore interactions, may require studies capable of disentangling the unique and interactive effects of multiple forms of disturbance. For example, understanding how mammalian herbivores affect plant communities may require understanding how widespread past disturbances, such as agricultural land use, interact with contemporary disturbances, such as prescribed fire. Here, we tested if past agricultural land use and contemporary fire regime modified the effects of mammalian herbivory on focal plant communities by measuring the richness of plant species preferred by deer at 26 longleaf pine woodlands containing paired open and large-mammal exclusion plots. Land-use history significantly affected the community composition of deer-preferred species, and focal species were 8.19 times more likely to be present in post-agricultural sites than non-agricultural sites. Large-mammal herbivory only affected plant species richness in woodlands with low fire frequencies wherein focal species were on average 2.23 times more likely to be present in exclusion plots than open plots. These results suggest that past and present disturbances can mediate contemporary plant-animal interactions and may explain spatial patterns in the intensity of large-mammal herbivory. Our findings also suggest that common management practices, such as use of prescribed burns, may indirectly promote plant species richness by reducing deer herbivory.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

Predicting impacts of chemicals from organisms to ecosystem service delivery: A case study of insecticide impacts on a freshwater lake

Assessing and managing risks of anthropogenic activities to ecological systems is necessary to ensure sustained delivery of ecosystem services for future generations. Ecological models provide a means of quantitatively linking measured risk assessment endpoints with protection goals, by integrating potential chemical effects with species life history, ecological interactions, environmental drivers and other potential stressors. In this work we demonstrate how an ecosystem modeling approach can be used to quantify insecticide-induced impacts on ecosystem services provided by a lake from toxicity data for organism-level endpoints. We used a publicly available aquatic ecosystem model AQUATOX that integrates environmental fate of chemicals and their impacts on food webs in aquatic environments. By simulating a range of exposure patterns, we illustrated how exposure to a hypothetical insecticide could affect aquatic species populations (e.g., recreational fish abundance) and environmental properties (e.g., water clarity) that would in turn affect delivery of ecosystem services. Different results were observed for different species of fish, thus the decision to manage the use of the insecticide for ecosystem services derived by anglers depends upon the favored species of fish. In our hypothetical shallow reservoir, water clarity was mostly driven by changes in food web dynamics, specifically the presence of zooplankton. In contrast to the complex response by fishing value, water clarity increased with reduced insecticide use, which produced a monotonic increase in value by waders and swimmers. Our research clearly showed the importance of considering nonlinear ecosystem feedbacks where the presence of insecticide changed the modeled food-web dynamics in unexpected ways. Our study introduces one of the main advantages of using ecological models for risk assessment, namely the ability to generalize to meaningful levels of organization and to facilitate quantitative comparisons among alternative scenarios and associated trade-offs among them while explicitly accounting for different groups of beneficiaries.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

2024 OES-Environmental 2024 State of the Science Report, Chapter 3: Marine Renewable Energy: Stressor-Receptor Interactions

Determining the potential effects of marine renewable energy (MRE) development on the ocean requires consideration of how each component of a tidal, wave, riverine, or other MRE system might affect marine animals, habitats that support marine communities, or processes that make up essential oceanographic and ecological systems. Researchers around the world have been assessing the potential effects of MRE deployments and operations using a variety of instruments, models, analytical methods, and approaches. The most common approach, and the one followed throughout this report, is the framework of stressor-receptor interactions (Boehlert & Gill 2010), where stressors are the components of an MRE device and associated system that may cause stress, injury, or death to a marine animal, habitat, or ecosystem. The receptors are the species, their habitats, and the oceanographic and ecological processes that support them.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗
DOE OSTI2019

Techno-Ecological Synergies of Solar Energy for Global Sustainability

The strategic engineering of solar energy technologies - from individual rooftop modules to large solar energy power plants - can confer significant synergistic outcomes across industrial and ecological boundaries. Here, we propose techno-ecological synergy (TES), a framework for engineering mutually beneficial relationships between technological and ecological systems, as an approach to augment the sustainability of solar energy across a diverse suite of recipient environments, including land, food, water, and built-up systems. We provide a conceptual model and framework to describe 16 TESs of solar energy and characterize 20 potential techno-ecological synergistic outcomes of their use. For each solar energy TES, we also introduce metrics and illustrative assessments to demonstrate techno-ecological potential across multiple dimensions. The numerous applications of TES to solar energy technologies are unique among energy systems and represent a powerful frontier in sustainable engineering to minimize unintended consequences on nature associated with a rapid energy transition.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Community‐based observing for social–ecological science: lessons from the Arctic

Environmental monitoring and observation by members of local communities have become increasingly common in the US and Canada over the past several decades. During the same period, social–ecological systems ( SES ) science has been developed to explain and predict human and environmental interactions, but empirical methods to generate matched social and ecological datasets are uncommon. Community‐based observing ( CBO ) methodologies were developed in the Arctic to allow for production of environmental data in a social context and are also well suited to provide empirical data for SES science. Community‐based observing networks and systems ( CBONS ) and community observer forums ( COF ) are methodologies developed from collaborations between community members, researchers, and government agencies. Here, we describe CBONS and COF methodologies, provide examples of their usage, and suggest ways in which they can benefit empirical SES science. We conclude by outlining efforts to expand the use of CBO to new knowledge and geographic domains.

Griffith, David L.↗