Jess Pelaez’s scientific contributions

Innovative interdisciplinary research is critical to understanding the varied and relatively well-preserved environments that are National Preserves. Blueprint Earth is conducting interdisciplinary research in a 1km² area within the Cane Spring system in the Mojave National Preserve, a site chosen for its relative inaccessibility to the general public and for the apparent biodiversity present in the spring ecosystem. Since 2014, we have been investigating area geology, hydrology, biology, and atmosphere. Preliminary research findings include previously undocumented areas of surface water expression. We present our hydrologic and geologic findings to date, along with results of our ongoing spatial phylogenetic analyses. These will be used to compare and potentially correlate phylogenetic diversity and endemism with georeferenced observations in hydrology, geology, and atmosphere from the study area to look for new and informative connections among these traditionally separate research fields

Identifying and understanding areas of great biodiversity and the processes and conditions that support them is essential for environmental research and conservation within an interdisciplinary geosciences context. Blueprint Earth is currently mapping spatial patterns of biodiversity and endemism within a hydrogeologically complex 1 km² section of the Cane Spring area of Mojave National Preserve. These spatial biodiversity patterns will then be compared to the patterns of other collected spatial data spanning geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric observations. We aim to understand the interconnected and cross-disciplinary relationships present in this unique desert study site. Spatial phylogenetics, an emerging field that quantifies and maps patterns of biodiversity in targeted sites, allows us to visualize biodiversity patterns for all the site’s biological observations, starting with the vascular flora. Biodiversity will be explored through several informative indices including phylogenetic diversity, relative phylogenetic diversity, neo- and paleo-endemism, and range-restricted phylogenetic diversity. Testing for correlation between these and geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric spatial information will highlight important ecosystem processes and connections that may be overlooked in traditional disciplinary approaches. We present our preliminary results from the first phase of contextual spatial phylogenetic analysis identifying areas of high diversity and endemism in the 1 km² field site in the Mojave National Preserve Cane Spring area. Geocuration is organized in a manner ready for public dissemination upon completion of data analysis.

Identifying and understanding areas of great biodiversity and the processes and conditions that support them is essential for environmental research and conservation within an interdisciplinary geosciences context. Blueprint Earth is currently mapping spatial patterns of biodiversity and endemism within a hydrogeologically complex 1 km² section of the Cane Spring area of Mojave National Preserve. These spatial biodiversity patterns will then be compared to the patterns of other collected spatial data spanning geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric observations. We aim to understand the interconnected and cross-disciplinary relationships present in this unique desert study site. Spatial phylogenetics, an emerging field that quantifies and maps patterns of biodiversity in targeted sites, allows us to visualize biodiversity patterns for all the site’s biological observations, starting with the vascular flora. Biodiversity will be explored through several informative indices including phylogenetic diversity, relative phylogenetic diversity, neo- and paleo-endemism, and range-restricted phylogenetic diversity. Testing for correlation between these and geologic, hydrologic, and atmospheric spatial information will highlight important ecosystem processes and connections that may be overlooked in traditional disciplinary approaches. We present our preliminary results from the first phase of contextual spatial phylogenetic analysis identifying areas of high diversity and endemism in the 1 km² field site in the Mojave National Preserve Cane Spring area. Geocuration is organized in a manner ready for public dissemination upon completion of data analysis.

New scientific discoveries that require collaboration across scientific disciplines will need strong data models to resolve data complexity. Blueprint Earth is pioneering the use of a new data model that is pushing the limits of data collection and analysis. This data model was created using the agile development model most commonly found in business, where development occurs in small, regressive cyclical phases to design, test, and improve development. Using data collected in the field from 4 broad scientific disciplines and numerous other subdisciplines, the new data architecture was developed in parallel with maturing data collection processes. This new paradigm emphasizes practical application and testing of the data model, instead of using traditional waterfall methods that can be slow and often miss the mark. This flexible data development paradigm allows for complex data from interdisciplinary scientific fields to be collected within a data set that can accommodate future unknowns. This approach to data model development produces a more useful data model with an alacrity that allows science to focus on science as opposed to data integration, data loss, and over-engineering of data solutions.