Potential LTER Project on Mississippi River Basin

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Potential LTER Project on Mississippi River Basin

• Presented by Daryl Lund

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What is an LTER?

• The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network
  is a collaborative effort involving more than
  1800 scientists and students investigating
  ecological processes over long temporal and broad
  spatial scales.

• The Network promotes synthesis and comparative
  research across sites and ecosystems and among
  other related national and international research
  programs. 

• The National Science Foundation established the
  LTER program in 1980 to support research on
  long-term ecological phenomena in the United
  States.

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Mission of the LTER Network

• Understanding ecological phenomena over long
  temporal and large spatial scales
• Creating a legacy of well-designed and documented
  long-term experiments and observations for future
  generations
• Conducting major synthetic and theoretical
  efforts
• Providing information for the identification and
  solution of ecological problems

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Core Research Areas

• Pattern and control of primary production 
• Spatial and temporal distribution of populations
  selected to represent trophic structures
• Pattern and control of organic matter
  accumulation and decomposition in surface layers
  and sediments
• Patterns of inorganic inputs and movements of
  nutrients through soils, groundwater and surface
  waters
• Patterns and frequency of disturbances

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LTER Sites

• The 24 LTER sites represent diverse ecosystems
  and research emphases

• Each LTER site encompasses unique ecosystems and
  research approaches, investigators, students and
  management systems. Each of the 24 sites works as
  part of the Network sharing expertise, data and a
  common mission.

• The LTER Network Office coordinates
  communication, network publications, and
  research-planning activities.

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The 24 LTER Sites

• 1. Andrews LTER (AND)
• 2. Arctic LTER (ARC)
• 3. Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES)
• 4. Bonanza Creek LTER (BNZ) 
• 5. Central Arizona - Phoenix (CAP) 
• 6. Cedar Creek LTER (CDR)
• 7. Coweeta LTER (CWT)
• 8. Harvard Forest (HFR)
• 9. Hubbard Brook LTER (HBR) 
• 10. Jornada Basin (JRN)
• 11. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS)
• 12. Konza LTER (KNZ)
• 13. Luquillo LTER (LUQ)

14. McMurdo Dry Valleys (MCM) 15. Niwot Ridge
LTER (NWT) 16. North Temperate Lakes (NTL) 17.
Palmer Station (PAL)  18. Plum Island Ecosystem
(PIE)  19. Sevilleta LTER (SEV) 20. Shortgrass
Steppe (SGS) 21. Virginia Coast Reserve (VCR)
22. Florida Coastal Everglades (FCE) 23.
Georgia Coastal Ecosystems (GCE) 24. Santa
Barbara Coastal (SBC) LTER Network Office
(NET)
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Information Links

• LTER Website http//lternet.edu/index.html
• LTER Sites http//lternet.edu/sites/
• LTER National Office http//www.lternet.edu/sites
  /net/
• Source LTER Website