The International Long Term Ecological Research (ILTER) Network was created during the LTER's Annual Scientists Meeting (ASM) in 1993, with the goal of developing a "network of networks" that would conduct long-term studies on ecosystems around the world.
In the ensuing years, ILTER has steadily expanded its membership and fledged from its US LTER-centric early beginnings to a vibrant international multi-centric organization. It now boasts 40 member networks and numerous regional sub-groups with their own regular meetings. The latest to join are Spain and Portugal during ILTER's annual meeting this past August in Stará Lesná, Slovakia. In addition to member networks ILTER is working with nascent networks, such as Chile, which attended this year’s meeting as an observer.
A map of ILTER member countries can be found on the new ILTER website (http://www.ilternet.edu) hosted by the UK Environmental Change Network, the home institution of ILTER Chairman Terry Parr (term 2007-2011).
ILTER has extended its research role by forming partnerships with other international organizations, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with whom ILTER has an MOU regarding the establishment of a Global Climate Change Adaptation Network. Under this arrangement, ILTER research sites will collaborate with regional and international centers to supply information on climate change impacts. The goal of the new network is to minimize global change-related stresses--such as water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and climate-related disasters--on developing countries.
ILTER has applied to become a formal partner in GEO (Group on Earth Observations), a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations that is coordinating efforts to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The Network is active in the GEO/GEOSS plans to develop a global biodiversity observation network (GEOBON). ILTER Chair Terry Parr is on the GEOBON organizing committee and David Blankman, Director of Information Management for LTER-Israel, is leading its information technology implementation group.
The ILTER Science subcommittee is leading a research initiative to investigate how cultural differences in the perception and use of ecosystem services constrain the resilience of social-ecological systems. The work is being conducted by developing site-specific feedback models for one selected site representing a biome in each member network.
Information management is central to the success of the ILTER, and the Network is taking steps to create an ILTER-wide information management system. In Stará Lesná, ILTER adopted Ecological Metadata Language (EML) as the ILTER metadata standard. All participating country networks agreed to provide basic discovery level metadata in English to a centralized metadata cache. ILTER also endorsed the ILTER Network Data Access Policy, Data Access Requirements, and General Data Use Agreement, a document modelled on the US LTER’s data policy.
There are lots of opportunities for US LTER scientists to contribute to the strengthening of long-term ecological research around the world. Irrespective of whether or not you have ongoing international projects or are hoping to initiate some, the US LTER International committee is willing to help and learn about your activities. For more information contact committee co-chair Patrick Bourgeron.