Understanding the Fundamental Principles of Ecosystems through a Global Network of Long-Term Ecological Research Sites

Abstract

The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network served as a catalyst to promote cooperation among multi-national research programs and networks. The chapter describes the strategic planning process in the 1990s that led to the creation of the International Long Term Ecological Research (ILTER) Network, which expanded rapidly in the late-1990s with support of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Especially under the leadership of James Gosz, cooperative arrangements were made with countries worldwide and 23 LTER networks had formed by 2003. Many U.S. LTER scientists and information management specialists contributed to the expansion of the ILTER Network through site visits and workshops. After NSF scaled back its support, ILTER reorganized its governance structure and grew into a robust, self-sustaining network of networks. The chapter reviews examples of collaborations in research and information management. The ILTER Network today aims to become part of a global infrastructure to address continental and global socio-ecological problems through partnerships with other international networks. Concerns about climate change, biodiversity loss, and the scarcity of research sites producing long-term data led to the creation of the U.S. LTER Network and hence ILTER, and the legacies of data, information, and long-term measurements that have resulted are a critical contribution to resolving current global problems.