Development, potentials, and challenges of the International Long‐Term Ecological Research (ILTER) Network

Abstract

In order to review the development, the potentials, and the challenges of the International Long‐Term Ecological Research (ILTER) Network, the necessity for the development of the ILTER Network, the development of ILTER activities in the world, and the body structures of ILTER Network are described. As an example for showing the potentials of ILTER activities, exemplary results of tree growth studies carried out by the author utilizing long‐term daily weather data at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA are presented and future potentials are discussed. At this time, as the ILTER Network is situated at a critical point, challenges for the ILTER Network are discussed with regard to its further development. In this review, the author tries to maintain that as the long‐term ecological research, whose results can secure comparability in the dimension of time and space, can provide us with a fundamental basis for sound understanding and management of ecosystems, we can publicize the activities and findings from the ILTER Network to the public, on from local to international levels, to continue further efforts around the world for our sustainable future.

Global environmental changes in terrestrial ecosystems. International issues and strategic solutions: introduction

“…The papers deal very largely, although not exclusively, with terrestrial ecosystems. The paper by Kim (2006), who is much involved with LTER studies, discusses the important roles and goals of long-term ecological research networks.…”

KNLTER Network: Facilitating Global Data-Sharing

“…LTER began with a program created by the United in 1980 and international LTER (ILTER) was organized in 1993, in order to facilitate cooperation among scientists engaged in long-term ecological research [1][2][3]. Long-term data archiving and reuse and reliable data curation and publication for data sharing are becoming very important in data-based international collaborative research, Global data exchange is composed of diverse fields and networks of complex structures; therefore, further nationwide interests, such as those from data centers, are needed.…”

Building African Ecosystem Research Network for sustaining local ecosystem goods and services

“…Apart from climate hazards that can wipe out incredibly biological diversity in a short time, most of the other threats leading to biodiversity loss emerge rather slowly over decades or centuries, making it impossible to sense the symptoms with any precision (Kim, 2006). On the other hand, the unpredictability of the temporal and spatial scales of most climate-related disasters makes it difficult to obtain real time data on the phenomenon to study its manifestation, consequences and the response of biotic and abiotic factors.…”

“…On the other hand, the unpredictability of the temporal and spatial scales of most climate-related disasters makes it difficult to obtain real time data on the phenomenon to study its manifestation, consequences and the response of biotic and abiotic factors. Therefore, extensive research and careful analyses of relevant data over a longer period of time are required for a better understanding and the sustainable management of the biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems (Kim, 2006). A new form of producing and sharing knowledge has emerged as an international research collaboration known as the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network (Vihervaara et al, 2013).…”

“…With over 2000 scientists, technicians and graduate students engaged in its activities, CERN is one of the largest national networks worldwide and an important member of the International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) Network created in 1993. The ILTER is a ′network of networks′, in terms of a global network of research sites (Kim, 2006;Fu et al, 2010;Vihervaara et al, 2013).…”