The GTOS planning and working groups plan to collaborate as closely as possible and to share data and information with all other international, regional and national efforts to identify, monitor and quantize changes in terrestrial ecosystems
Several international agencies are collaborating in the organization and implementation of three programs which focus on monitoring change in different interrelated portions of the Earth system—the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), the Global Ocean Observing System (GO OS), and the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS).
Under the sponsorship of four agencies of the United Nations (Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization, World Meteorological Organization) and the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), in 1993 an Ad Hoc GTOS Scientific and Technical Planning Group, chaired by David Norse, Overseas Development Institute, London, and consisting of 22 international scientists, was requested to define and develop plans for implementing a GTOS which can provide essential documented information for identifying kinds and quantizing rates of change in all terrestrial ecosystems of the Earth system in both the near and distant future. The Planning Group was requested by the sponsors to complete its study by mid-1995 and submit its report on a definition of what GTOS should be and plans for GTOS implementation.
Working Group 1
The initial organizational meeting of the GTOS Working Group was held in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 1993. From that meeting three smaller Working Groups were formed. Working Group 1, chaired by Marion F. Baumgardner, Purdue University, is focusing on GTOS data management, access and harmonization. Group 1 held its initial meeting, hosted by the office of Harmonization of Environmental Measurements (HEMUNEP), in Munich, Germany June 7-10, 1994. The major accomplishments of the meeting were:
- The formulation of a set of principles for the structure and operation of GTOS
- The identification of essential near-term action items
- The development of a priority list of important research questions which should be addressed in support of GTOS
The next meeting of this eight-member working group was scheduled for November 2-4 ,1994 at the University of Maryland.
Working Group 2
Working Group 2 has the responsibility to develop operational and organizational aspects of GTOS. Under the chairmanship of Jean-Claude Menaut, Laboratoire d’Ecologie, Paris, France, this group will had its initial meeting in Trondheim, Norway, September 12-14, 1994. (John Vande Castle attended for the Network Office.)
Working Group 3
Working Group 3 (WG3) will consider national needs related to GTOS and incentives for participation in and implementation of GTOS. Under the chairmanship of Hamid Narjisse, Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II, Rabat, Morocco, this group had its initial meeting in Birmensdorf, Switzerland in September 1994.
It is the intent of the GTOS Planning Group and Working Groups to collaborate as closely as possible and to share data and information with all other international, regional and national efforts which have related interests and activities in identifying, monitoring and quantizing changes in terrestrial ecosystems.
Marion F. Baumgardner, Vice-Chair Ad Hoc GTOS Scientific and Technical Planning Group