Criteria for National Networks within LTEREurope

1
Criteria for National Networks within LTER-Europe

• M. Mirtl (UBA), M. Frenzel (UFZ), E. Furman
  (SYKE), C. Ohl (UFZ), K. Krauze (ICE-PAS), C.
  Grünbühel (UBA/IFF)

2
What is it about?

• I. Levels within LTER-Europe
• National networks
• LTSER Platforms
• LTER Sites
• II. Criteria
• Accepted National Networks
• III. Status
• Commitment, activity, responsiveness
• IV. Decisions to be taken

3
Evolution of the criteria

• Process lasting for several years
• Task of the I3 group of ALTERNet
• Personal discussions / networking experiences
• Some more contributions?

4
Criteria applying National Networks

• Recognition by a government body or other
  institutional entity (national level)
• Existence of a national committee
• Sites / proposed sites (criteria for new sites)
• Statement of collective purpose (might include
  defined research or monitoring themes)
• Data management and accessibility policy within
  LTER-Europe
• Assurance for long-term nature of the national
  network
• Supply information about sites
• Meet LTER-Europe network criteria

5
Criteria accepted National Networks

• Conduct LTER research monitoring
• Conduct strategic LTER-Europe research
• Share data
• Maintain a website of the national network
• Response to LTER-Europe calls for action
• Foster capacity building
• Participation in the annual LTER-Europe
  Coordinating Committee meeting
• Information on national network structure
• Communication (lt 15 days to questions/requests
  (email))
• Update site information in LTER InfoBase
  (metadata)

6
Consequences Status of National networks

• Implementation status
• Formal LTER network adopted by ILTER
• In the process of implementation
• First concepts for a national network
• Initial phase of discussion on the national level
• Established national contact
• Activity status
• Fully active
• Consolidating established program and a
  reasonable research capacity, but limited
  capacity to respond to LTER-Europe activities and
  comply with mandatory criteria
• Inactive gt 2 years no response to LTER-Europe
  activities, no attendance in the LTER-Europe
  Co-ordinating Committee ? removal from
  LTER-Europe?

Rights Duties
7
Consequences Status of National networks

• Implementation status
• Formal LTER network adopted by ILTER
• In the process of implementation
• First concepts for a national network
• Initial phase of discussion on the national level
• Established national contact
• Activity status
• Fully active
• Consolidating established program and a
  reasonable research capacity, but limited
  capacity to respond to LTER-Europe activities and
  comply with mandatory criteria
• Inactive gt 2 years no response to LTER-Europe
  activities, no attendance in the LTER-Europe
  Co-ordinating Committee ? removal from
  LTER-Europe?

Rights Duties
8
Status of National networks
9
Status of National networks
Fully Active member
Consolidating member
Emerging member
Lack of commitment Lost of interest Lost of the
leader Country crisis
10
COMMITMENT LEVEL OF PARTNERS
Duties

• stay in contact
• maintain minimum activities guaranteed
• provide data on request
• participate to Network meetings

Rights

• be supported by Executive Committee
• participate to all Network meetings
• obtain all requested data
• be co-partner in special projects
• receive funds
• coordinate committees and w. groups

11
Decisions to be taken

• Purpose for first level mandatory criteria for
  National Networks
• (to be fulfilled immediately, at least by the end
  of 2008!)
• Participation in the annual LTER-Europe
  Coordinating Committee meeting
• Information on national network structure
• Communication (lt 15 days to questions/requests
  (email))
• Update site information in LTER InfoBase
  (metadata)
• Contact persons National representative up to
  2 deputies
• Organise annual national LTER meetings
• Annual status / progress report of national
  network to LTER-Europe

12

• Addition to mandatory criteria
• 8. A data management and accessibility policy
  including a commitment to begin the process of
  sharing and exchanging data and knowledge with
  other members of LTER-Europe

13
Consequences Status of LTSER platforms, LTER
sites

• Regular sites (explicit criteria fulfilled)
• Intermediate sites (e.g. no sufficient time
  series of long-term data, but promising for the
  future)
• Starting sites (newcomers, just starting to
  collect long-term data)