"Toward a unified framework for inventory in and monitoring forest ecosystem resources” was the theme of the North American Science Symposium, which took place November 1-6 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The goal for the symposium was to build on the best science and technology available, assuring that data and information produced in future inventory and monitoring programs are comparable, quality assured, available, and adequate for their intended purposes. The data and information should be able to provide a reliable framework for characterization, assessment, and management of forest ecosystems in North America.
The symposium provided an excellent opportunity for interactions among US LTER, Canadian, and Mexican scientists.
US LTER speakers presented in two of the symposium sessions, “Long Term Ecological Research Monitoring” and “Information Management Systems.” The former session addressed issues and alternatives to integrate sites and monitoring programs into a comprehensive, integrated approach for forest ecosystems. In the latter, speakers addressed issues regarding information systems for supporting the needs of integrated/comprehensive inventory and monitoring as well as research. A report can be viewed at: http://www.lternet.edu/documents/Reports/ILTER/north_american_symposium-1998.htm.
Participants from the US LTER Network, the Canadian Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Network and the proposed Mexican LTER Network agreed to form the North American Regional LTER Network. Eventually other North American sites/networks will join. This regional network will join with regional networks in Asia Pacific, Latin America and Central Europe and other countries in the International LTER Network (ILTER) to increase international collaboration.
The North American Regional Network will meet initially in late 1999 (TBA) and again in association with the LTER All- Scientist and Ecological Society of America meetings at Snowbird, Utah in 2000. These meetings will focus on developing scientific questions and research necessary to develop regional-scale analyses, scientific exchanges/ interactions and training/education.