1. The Long Term Ecological Research Network LTER

2. LTER Network Vision, Mission and Goals Network Vision: A society in which exemplary science contributes to the advancement of the health, productivity, and welfare of the global environment that, in turn, advances the health, prosperity, welfare, and security of our nation. Network Mission: To provide the scientific community, policy makers, and society with the knowledge and predictive understanding necessary to conserve, protect, and manage the nation's ecosystems, their biodiversity, and the services they provide. Network Vision: A society in which exemplary science contributes to the advancement of the health, productivity, and welfare of the global environment that, in turn, advances the health, prosperity, welfare, and security of our nation. Network Mission: To provide the scientific community, policy makers, and society with the knowledge and predictive understanding necessary to conserve, protect, and manage the nation's ecosystems, their biodiversity, and the services they provide. The LTER Executive and Coordinating Committee have developed a set of Network Goals, and is creating a prioritized set of Objectives, Tasks and Metrics under each of those Goals. Understanding: To understand a diverse array of ecosystems at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Synthesis: To create general knowledge through long-term, interdisciplinary research, synthesis of information, and development of theory. Information: To inform the LTER and broader scientific community by creating well designed and well documented databases. Legacies: To create a legacy of well-designed and documented long-term observations, experiments, and archives of samples and specimens for future generations. Education: To promote training, teaching, and learning about long-term ecological research and the Earth’s ecosystems, and to educate a new generation of scientists. Outreach: To reach out to the broader scientific community, natural resource managers, policymakers, and the general public by providing decision support, information, recommendations and the knowledge and capability to address complex environmental challenges.

4. ARC BNZ HBR KBS VCR NTL AND CWT KNZ NIN NWT 1980 19851990199520002005 SGS OKE ILL CDR JRN HFR LUQ SEV Initial cohorts were funded primarily by the Division of Environmental Biology, but other Directorates added funding for specific sites. CAP BES SBE, EHR DEB PIE GCE SBC FCE GEO-OCE PAL MCM Polar 2010 CCE MCR

5. LTER Funding FY 04-05 From BIO/DEB: –04 Core funding$15,629,722 (81%) –04 Supplements $1,960,000 –05 Core request$18,000,000 (78%) –05 Supplement request $1,960,000 From the rest of NSF –04 Core funding $3,726,650 –04 Supplements $1,321,629 –05 Core request $4,871,000 –05 Supplement contributions ?

7. EMPHASIS Hypothesis-driven research Evaluations are based on research productivity Long-term monitoring encouraged, but no reward LTER’s are NOT research platforms

8. Long-term research is required to reveal: Slow processes or transients Episodic or infrequent events Trends Multi-factor responses Processes with major time lags

9. Duration of all observational and experimental studies From Tilman, D. 1989. Ecological experimentation: strengths and conceptual problems. pp. 136-157. In Likens, G.E. (ed). Long-Term Studies in Ecology. Springer-Verlag, New York. N = 623 Eighty percent of studies in the ecological literature last less than three years

10. LTER sites share a common commitment to long-term research on the following core topics: Pattern and control of primary production Spatial and temporal distribution of populations selected to represent trophic structure Pattern and control of organic matter accumulation in surface layers and sediments Patterns and movements of inorganic inputs through soils ground- and surface waters Patterns and frequency of disturbance

11. Comparisons among sites focus on fundamental ecological principles

12. Network Management Data Management Synthesis Climate Publications Social /Economic Sciences Education Graduate Student Technology International

13. Network Office Task Integration Acronyms: DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency SEEK – Science Environment for Ecological Knowledge KNB – Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity SDW – Spatial Data Workbench ASM – All Scientists Meeting DBI – Division of Biological Infrastructure SLTER – Schoolyard LTER ILTER – International Long Term Ecological Research Network RDIFS – Resource Discovery Initiative for Field Stations NIS – Network Information System Acronyms: DARPA – Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency SEEK – Science Environment for Ecological Knowledge KNB – Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity SDW – Spatial Data Workbench ASM – All Scientists Meeting DBI – Division of Biological Infrastructure SLTER – Schoolyard LTER ILTER – International Long Term Ecological Research Network RDIFS – Resource Discovery Initiative for Field Stations NIS – Network Information System The integration of the primary functions of the LTER Network Office with its core vision and mission is graphically depicted here. Supplements to the LNO Cooperative Agreement that support Core Task Areas overlap with the outer circle. Other funded grants stand outside the outer circle.

14. Increase the pace of synthesis through activities such as site volumes, network-wide synthesis projects, multi-site synthesis projects, and database development Increase experimental and comparative cross- site research Key goals for the next decade from LTER 2000-2010

15. What’s driving planning in the LTER Network LTER 2010 White Paper 20-Year Review Strategic Planning for Network and Network Office LTER bylaws NEON Other national networks (e.g. CLEANER, CUAHSI, Earthscope) Implementation of a 2004 planning grant

16. What’s happening now? Grand challenge science themes best addressed by LTER Science themes need to be identified and proposals written Governance needs to be reviewed if network-level funding becomes available Integration of education and research must be addressed Future planning must be addressed

17. A major challenge to the U.S. LTER network in the coming decade is the design and implementation of an information system that seamlessly facilitates intersite research. These binders contain 10 years of data collected in the Grassland section of the International Biosphere Programme, ca. 1978

18. Smart Sensor Web Sap Flow Sensor Array Minirhizotron Array Multiparameter Soil Probes ‘Smart Dust’ tagged Insects Automated E-tongue Sensor Clustered MEMS Insects RF Telemetry Macro-organisms Instrumenting the Environment Micro-weather Stations E-nose