The institute of Ecosystem Studies (IES) (address: New York Botanical Garden, Mary Flagler Cary Arboretum, Box AB, Millbrook, NY 12545) is making a major contribution to the ecological community with its Cary Conferences and related studies. The second Cary Conference was held in May on “Long-Term Studies in Ecology: Approaches and Alternatives”; It was designed to bring sustained ecological research to the forefront of current scientific investigation.
Topics addressed included importance and justification of long-term studies in ecology, the role of direct long-term observational studies, alternatives to long-term studies including retrospective and modeling approaches and space-for- time substitutions, and use of direct manipulations. Director Gene E. Likens of IES plans for publication of the proceedings.
Contributing to the discussions at the 1987 Cary Conference was the study published by IES in 1986 on “Long- Term Ecological Studies: An Illustrated Account of Their Design, Operation, and Importance to Ecology’ (IES Occasional Publication 1). This report, which is available on request from IES, provides valuable history and perspectives on long-term studies, particularly factors that have contributed to their success. Not surprisingly, leadership has been a key element in most successful long-term studies, although other factors, such as simple and robust experimental designs, have also contributed. This report is recommended reading for individuals who are or plan to become involved in long-term ecological studies.
A synopsis of the first Cary Conference on “Status and Future of Ecosystem Science” in 1985 has also been published by IES as their Occasional Publication 3.
Topics considered by conference participants included the importance of scale, evaluation and prediction of anthropogenic stresses, integration of population and ecosystem approaches, and opportunities to advance ecosystem science.