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<br />9 <br /> <br />Additional water should be applied to replicated plots in a pattern. that <br />simulates the incremental precipitation likely to result from weather <br />modification. Substantial engineering and construction problems m~~t <br />be solved. <br /> <br />Field studies are needed of the adaptations of individual plant <br />and animal species to climatic conditions, especially near the limits of.their <br />ranges, and of the genetic structure of these populations in relation <br />to their adaptation. Related studies of the responses of individual <br />plant and animal species to simulated climatic variables should be <br />carried out in controlled environment facilities ("biotron"). Caution is <br />necessary in interpreting the results of these experiments, because of <br />the integrated system nature of the response of natural plant and animal <br />communities to w~ather (128). . <br /> <br />Snowpacks <br /> <br />In view of the emphasis'weather modification planning is giving to <br />alteration of snowpacks, extensive research is needed on the present <br />and anticipated dis tribution and properties of snow, and the influence of <br />snow on plant and animal communities. This should include (a) development <br />of efficient portable electronic equipment for measuring depth and 'water <br />content of snow in place; (b) field observations and photogrammetric <br />studies of snow distribution under various conditions of topography and <br />total snowfall; (c) development of mathematic-al models of the distribution <br />of snow in space and time as a function of topography, total snow aJlIlOunt, <br />wind, solar radiation, temperature, vegetation, and other pertinent variables; <br />(d) statistical studies of the data from the Cooperative Federal-St,ate, . <br />Snow Surveys, to establish regional patterns of snow depth in relat:lon <br />to total fall; (e) additional studies of animal behavior, particula:rly <br />of big game animals, in relation to depth and character OfSllOW (129). <br /> <br />StatisticaZ AnaZysis <br /> <br />A small university research team should be engaged to nk~ke a <br />preliminary national inventory of biological field data gathered by <br />government agencies for administrative purposes, and to assess the <br />desirability of an extensive statistical screening project toextrac:t <br />patterns from these relevant to predicting ecological effects of <br />weather modification. Survey data collected over long periods of <br />time using sampling procedures having a low. 'level of repeat ab ili ty <br />are of value chiefly because of the large n~ber of observations. <br />Computer methods make it possible in some instances to extract meani.ng- <br />ful patterns from noisy data. There is some question whether this <br />approach will be worthwhile in the present case, but the possibility <br />should be thoroughly investigated (138). <br />