Long-term, international collaborative research to achieve global ecological solutions

Printer-friendly version

The rapid pace of large-scale environmental changes around the globe has underscored the value of long-term data sets for understanding the context of scientific observations and forecasting future conditions, as we are entering an era of large-scale, interdisciplinary science fueled by large data sets that will be analyzed by current and future generations of scientists. Natural, managed, and socioeconomic systems are subject to complex interacting stresses that play out over extended periods of time and space (USGCRP 2013, NRC 2007, 2011) and requir integrated data frameworks, as well as targeted and coordinated research efforts to develop global ecological solutions with strong scientific basis. Global societal need for environmental observatories has never been greater (PCAST 2011, 2013), but these observatories are not currently poised to provide the historical context provided by long-term research networks to understand system and global change. Long-term, international collaborative research can address global environmental challenges to achieve global ecological solutions.

In this session, a series of six, 10 min presentations will describe some of these networks and ongoing activities including those of the international LTER Network. Group discussion and next steps will follow this set of presentations. The group will identify new “champions” to enhance the role of the US LTER in global ecological research and solicit new US-led initiatives. 

Welcome

Working group goals and anticipated outcomes

International LTER Network, activities and US participation - Tiffany Troxler, Florida International University and Bill McDowell, NH Water Resources Research Center and University of New Hampshire (UNH)

The ILTER Nitrogen Initiative - Bill McDowell, UNH

BGEU initiative - science questions and concepts - Jim Tang, The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory

Discussion

Identifying an experimental framework for assessing global ecological teleconnections, Sparkle Malone, USDA Forest Service

Bottom-up networks and Drought Net - Melinda Smith, Colorado State University

A culture for networks of networks - Arika Virapongse, Center for Resilient Communities, University of Idaho

Discussion

Summary and Next Steps