1. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe ILTER LTER-Europe Regional Group at ILTER, SK 5th LTER-Europe NNRC, 18th Aug 2008 Michael Mirtl (UBA) LTER-Europe – interim check before the big endspurt...

2. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe PART A MONDAY 18th, 10:30-17:30

3. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe Who are WE? Bodies of LTER-Europe Scientific Site Co-ordinator Conference (SSCC) National Networks Representatives Conference (NNRC) Co-ordinating Committee (CC) EC Structure? Governance?

4. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe LTER-Europe: Main fields of activity This meeting: selection of issues relevant for National Networks: Information Decisions Planning Division of tasks Resulting ToDo-list

5. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe Taking up the thread... All documents and products of Sevilla/Donana and the processes since then: http://www.lter-spain.net/lter- europe/products.htm http://www.lter-spain.net/lter- europe/products.htm 4 sections  switch to WEB browser

6. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe By the end of the MONDAY (4th NNRC, Sevilla) We survived Bylaws adopted Status of national networks assessed (implementation, activity) Mind map of national networks checked First level criteria for LTER-Europe members adopted Editorial groups for Letters of Support & Commitment Overview of strategic environm. of LTER-Europe achieved Priority workflows for LTER-Europe adopted (incl. proj.proposals) Agreed structure of the WEB site and national informations Standard observations/parameter: agreed list for further specification by SSCC and following national review Expert group: LTER-Europe research agenda List of responsibles for the interface with other networks Adopted working plan 2008 (as nat. netwerks concerned) 40 filled individual brainstormings (conference questionnairs)

7. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe Background documents (printouts in LTER-Europe regional group folder) Agenda Minutes of the 4th LTER-Europe NNRC (Sevilla) Protocol of the 2nd LTER-Europe SSCC (Donana) 5th NNRC conference questionnaire LTER-Europe 2007/2008: Extract of ALTER- Net annual report Bylaws, version 9: results of final checks

8. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe Some highlights Participation statistics of this meeting: 14/16/18/43 Ecoinformatics confernece (EEA, US-EPA) & Interface with SEIS LifeWatch start-up LTEM and LTER EEA IM ALTER-NAC, EC review LTER process, LTSER Planning meeting in Rome Interface with UNECE/BR (Sept. 08) DivEurope Spain, Portugal (quality!) Bulgaria

9. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe LTER-Europe: January 2008 Discussion started First concepts Network implementation Formal ILTER member ALTER-I3/ M. Mirtl Lobbying initiated

10. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe LTER-Europe: August 2008 Discussion started First concepts Network implementation Formal ILTER member ALTER-I3/ M. Mirtl Lobbying initiated

11. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe How far have we gone from the starting point?

12. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 1a: National meetings outcome SEE QUESTIONNAIRE and..... Who has designated SSC for his sites? Who is able to send his SSC to one annual meeting? feedback European coverage feedback standard observations Announcement: best examples report Announcement: best practice report Announcement: next meeting (date)

13. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 1: Will & Reality Answers from Sevilla NNRC questionnaire (2008-01) Available information to LTER-Europe EC (2008- 08) Qualified feed-back to questions: zero

14. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 1: Another interesting result with regard to the LTER-Europe management plan... Answers from Sevilla NNRC questionnaire (2008-01)

15. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 2: Completion of the LTER Infobase Delivered national updates (4!) Constraints in efforts to centrally fill the ILTER site database with European data Further discussion & decisions under item 7 (European ecological ontology; Peterseil) item 15 (ToDo-lists for NN)

16. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 3: LTER-Europe 6th NNRC & 3rd SSCC, Dec. 2008 December 1-5, 2008 (Monday-Friday) Palma de Mallorca RIU Palace Bonanza Playa Target groups National reps & deputies Site coordinators Platform managers Co-ordinators of scientific project proposals (LTSER, IDR) Key people involved in the LTSER concept development ALTER-Net expert groups fitting into the LTER-Europe expert panels

17. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 3: LTER-Europe Dec.2008: Venue „RIU Palace Bonanza Playa“, Palma de Mallorca

18. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 3: Basic structure Res.AgendaCommunication HarmonisationLTSER TechnologyInfo Managem. Site-Manag Structure of SSC Conferences Plenary ? Scientific LTER Conf. NNRC CC

19. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 3: Program overview Program: Open space: Scientific projects meet site/platform responsibles (1 day) LTSER focus (1 day) Scientific strategy (0,5 day) NNRC (1 day) Excursion (0,5 day) LTER core group (1 day)

20. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 3: Development of LTER/LTSER projects Format: open space Invitations/announcements EURECO (folder in the conference map) EC web site National ecological societies (request for spreading the information) LTER National Networks!! Other aspects/ideas: Possible continuation of ALARM projects with LTER in place of FSN xxx

21. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 3: LTSER-focus LTSER expert panel needs to fill that with live Furman, Singh, Fischer, Krauze, Mirtl Contributions from LTSER management & training workshop (October, Zdenka) Links with IDR goal of ALTER-Net Workshop in October (18-22) in Edinburgh Contents Conceptual state of the art Proof of concpets (LTSER Projects) Lessons learned from LTSER platform implementations Required frame (funding, organisation of the science area)

22. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 3: NNRC (National Net Reps Conference) Key notes EC: further expectations from LTER LifeWatch: LTER as a component of the European observatories infrastructure EEA/UNECE: coupling with environmental monitoring Ramsar – possible cooperation and networking experience Status of NNs and reports Strategic partnerships Established and required partnerships Priorisation of interfaces Funding mechanisms LTER-Europe secreatariat Membership dues?

23. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 3: LTER core group Work package I3 meeting Wrapping up Division of tasks Editorial work on LTER-Europe management plan

24. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 3: Preparation MM: preparatory trip/ negotiations with hotels Local travel agency ? Donana team Who else? DISCUSSION AND FURTHER BRAINSTORMING IN THE END TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE IDEAS FROM THE MEETING

25. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 4, 5, 6, 7 4: "LTER-Europe best examples book" and "LTER- Europe best practice guidelines" (s. emails sent by K. Krauze) 5: Experiences with the Multi-site trampling experiment (MSE) and the 2008 vegetation re- survey work (Klotz; Parr/Groner) 6: Status of the Meta-analysis to test the hypothesis about changes in community composition (Groner/Krauze) 7: European ecological ontology (SERONTO) and how to contribute to the global ontology process (Peterseil), including LTER Infobase and reporting discipline

26. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 8: Update on level of activity of NNs Intended to be a brief evaluation of the filled questionnaires Main messages now in Flip charts filled in the beginning

27. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 9-12 9: Key note presentation by RO “Starting to organize the national LTERs in complyance with the structures of LTER- Europe” (Vadineanu) 10: WEB site presentation (Krauze/ Mirtl) 11: Logo discussion & decision (Krauze) 12: LTER-projects: proposals, initiatives, ideas...: Life+/DivEurope (Petriccione)

28. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 13: Lifewatch is... is a formal network of networks network of observatories (“sites”) from different realms (marine, terrestric, aquatic) will promote a network of data producers and collections has a focus on data management and provision will provide access to distributed data sources, also building on GBIF will provide analytical and modeling tools PLUS computational capacity develop infrastructure for improved biodiversity and ecosystem research will – as also for the other planned large European infrastructures - mainly be based on joint national funding in accordance with LifeWatch concepts depends on the lobbying for national LifeWatch networks and their consideration in the respective national ESFRI road maps will estimate the realistic costs and work on a legal framework enabling all the above 9 work packages, complex structure, comprising national networks and topical networks (ALTER, MARBEF) represented in the policy and science board

29. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 13: Lifewatch needs use cases... What do potential clients of LifeWatch expect of LifeWach products and services in the mid- and long term? (e.g.: what data search, access and analytical support should LifeWatch have enabled? For what purposes?) What infrastructural and technical framework shall LifeWatch have conceptualized (pilot phase) and implemented (after 2010)? What interaction between the networked elements and their data/knowledge shall be enabled?

30. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 13: LifeWatch & LTER on the national level... Significant overlap with the national mind maps of LTER (as recently updated at the LTER conference in Spain) Most of these national LifeWatch consortia are currently established Might be highly synergistic if the national LTER representatives contacted the LifeWatch responsibles in their countries List of national LifeWatch contacts will be provided The implementation of LifeWatch will mainly be realised through national fundings according to concepts developed on the European level For that reason it is crucial to achieve a good recognition and consideration of LifeWatch in the national ESFRI roadmaps as ESFRI projects are competing amongst each other – a clear incentive to join forces with all other LifeWatch relevant actors in your countries.

31. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 14: UNESCO/BiosphereReserves – LTER: Brainstorming on interface UNESCO/BiosphereReserves – LTER: preparatory action for the complementary exercise in the ILTER part (strategic partnerships) (Mirtl)

32. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 15: ToDo List for National Networks (NN) All national meetings 2008 before ILTER conf Fill the draft of the “questionnaire” or better standard LTER-Europe national report BEFORE Mallorca2008 PLUS evaluate the standard report itself Feedback on European coverage of LTER (LTER-SER) Feedback on proposed standard observations Secure national contributions to “Best examples report” Secure national contributions to “Best practice manual” WEB sites Check and comment on draft LTER-Europe WEB site in the one-week testing time (will be duely announced) National WEB sites to which the LTER-Europe WEB site can link (smooth hand- over point, considering whats already on the LTER-Europe WEB site) Provide appropriate references News, events and projects that should be put on the WEB site Designated SSC for all sites Next LTER-conference (1-5 December) Beyond March 2009: Who is able to send his SSC to one annual meeting? Who can host the LTER-Europe conference 2009 (8th NNRC)

33. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 15: Proposed issues that should not be touched by next NN meetings LTER-Europe criteria LTER-Europe bylaws

34. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 16: Beyond 2009-03 16.1 LTER-Europen conference 2009: when? (later in the year, as we will meet 2009-03 at the final ALTER conference), where? 16.2 LTER-Europe management plan draft to be finished asap an circulated for comments well elaborated draft to be worked on in Mallorca 2008-12

35. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 17: Other business: Necessary clarifications OPEN (t. b. put in next questionnaire): Role of NNRs in the communication Should information in any case go through the NNRs to avoid gaps and delays in the updating of mailing lists on the European level Should this happen in parallel? How to deal with feed-backs from the community (through NNRs, directly to LTER-Europe, in parallel)? DECIDED: How to organize national reporting/ feed- backs? Questionnaire with standard questions on issues relevant for LTER-Europe and onging processes (PLUS: changes in time traceable) Indiv. reports Aditional: Oral reporting

36. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 17: Other issues: Critical points I LTER-Europe process needs more engaged AND ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTING people (bigger core group rather than a few key persons)

37. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 17: Critical questions I WHY DO WE EXIST AS INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS? What is the main purpose of LTER-Europe and ILTER from your very national perspective? Central services are not used (see also: ALTER WEB site) There are hardly any multi-site projects (difficult to establish, even if pushed and financed...): Why? Do we need an umbrella to do/continue our small projects at small sites with a few people? (but may be with a broader horizon and a bit differently, which makes the big difference)

38. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe Postponed for an ad hoc meeting later in the week 1-hour session on best examples book, focussing on the European dimension and brainstorming [item 4] Agree on timeplan containing the national activities as decided by the 5th NNRC (10 min in above session) [item 15] Voting for LTER-Europe logo (ticks on printouts on the wall: 1 per country) [item 11] Quick vote on the final changes of the bylaws [item 1] LTER-Europe IT and information management issues [item 7]

39. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe ILTER LTER-Europe Regional Group at ILTER, SK 5th LTER-Europe NNRC, 18th Aug 2008 Michael Mirtl (UBA) LTER-Europe – interim check before the big endspurt...

40. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe PART B TUESDAY 19th, 18:30-19:30

41. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe Items which need to be finished 4: "LTER-Europe best examples book" and "LTER- Europe best practice guidelines" (s. emails sent by K. Krauze) 7: European ecological ontology (SERONTO) and how to contribute to the global ontology process (Peterseil), including LTER Infobase and reporting discipline 11: Logo results of voting 12: LTER-projects: announcement of meeting: Life+/DivEurope group: 21:15 in lobby 14: Brainstorming on interface UNESCO/BiosphereReserves – LTER: 15: ToDo List for National Networks (NN) and timeplan 17: Other business: communication paths substantial contributions to the intense working phase until March 2009

42. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 17/1: Other business: Necessary clarifications OPEN (t. b. put in next questionnaire): Role of NNRs in the communication Should information in any case go through the NNRs to avoid gaps and delays in the updating of mailing lists on the European level Should this happen in parallel? How to deal with feed-backs from the community (through NNRs, directly to LTER-Europe, in parallel)?

43. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 17/2: Other business: Involvement in LTER core team until March 2009 Preparation of LTER-conference in Mallorca Open space event: „Science meets sites“ LTSER-day Best examples book Best practice manual LTER-Europe management plan Core team meetings

44. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe To end with the positive: Some highlights! Participation statistics of this meeting: 14 formal members (1 passed vote in addition) 18 members by the end of the weeks (16 present) 9 countries from former west, 9 from former central/east 43 participants from Europe!! Ecoinformatics confernece (EEA, US-EPA) & Interface with SEIS LifeWatch start-up LTEM and LTER EEA IM ALTER-NAC, EC review LTER process, LTSER Planning meeting in Rome Interface with UNECE/BR (Sept. 08) DivEurope Spain, Portugal (quality!) Bulgaria

45. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 11: Logo: 15 votes 7 1 2 4

46. Federal Environment Agency ILTER M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe 11: Logo 1