The annual business meeting of the International LTER Network was held on August 16th at Kruger Park, South Africa, with ten member countries represented. It was followed by a symposium on LTER and a national planning workshop organized by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. The NRF is promoting the development of a South African network and is communicating with the neighboring countries of Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia to encourage their efforts at a national and regional level. Representatives from those countries were present for the ILTER meeting and other events.
GTOS Update -- John Vande Castle (U.S. LTER Network Office) presented an update on GTOS initiatives and the arrangements for the Net Primary Productivity demonstration project. ILTER members reported that China, Israel, Korea, Costa Rica, Venezuela, South Africa, Hungary, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, and the United States have already nominated sites which want to be involved in this project. Jim Gosz will provide instructions to the group and liaison with GTOS.
IBOY/NOLIMITS/Y2K-ASM -- Many members also expressed interest in participating in other international projects described by Jim and others. These included the International Biodiversity Observing Year sponsored by DIVERSITAS; representatives from Canada, China, South Africa and the UK have agreed to design a multi-scale project on the relationship between avifaunal diversity and NPP. After sending their draft plans to all ILTER members, the other countries may decide to participate later.
The group also discussed a number of ideas for ILTER workshops at the LTER All Scientists Meeting (ASM) in August 2000. These included a Canadian proposal on how to involve the public and students at LTER sites, one by Mexico on a North American LTER graduate training program, and one from Taiwan on disturbance effects. The ASM will be the venue for the next ILTER business meeting.
Growth of the ILTER Network-Focus on Regions -- Scientists and networks in a region are in a good position to assist neighboring countries with network development as they are likely to face similar political and economic situations. They are also likely to find relevant and efficient opportunities for cross-site research.
Central Europe -- Several regional represent-atives reported network develop-ments. Tadeusz Prus of Poland reported on ILTER meetings in Poland and Hungary. Central European countries that were not yet ILTER members were invited, and communication continued with those scientists. As a result, the Ukraine has now formally applied for membership in ILTER and Slovakia is actively discussing a national network and pursuing official endorsements. The meetings provided further impetus to the plans for a multinational research project in the Carpathian mountains that will involve several networks in the region. Scientists from the US LTER network who have expressed interest in collaborating with Central European partners were able to obtain support from NSF to participate in research planning discussions at both meetings.
East Asia -- Hen-biau King of Taiwan reported that the region expects to have five members soon, and already has more than 40 sites. Scientists from Taiwan are working with partners at H. J. Andrews and Luquillo in the U.S. to develop a cross-site research project on the effects of disturbance. They are also encouraging regional involvement in a project on Decomposition Processes in cooperation with H J Andrews site. China will send a scientist to Andrews to work with staff there. The aim is to develop a longitudinal profile through East Asia. Eun-Shik Kim of Korea is organizing the November regional meeting in Seoul; there will be a research-planning workshop associated with it that will involve a group of US LTER scientists funded by NSF.
North American Regional Network -- see NAR Article.
Latin America -- A small working group formed at the last regional meeting is charged with drafting an outline for a regional pilot project on the influence of El Nino in the region. Government funding and approvals have just been provided in Brazil that will greatly accelerate the consolidation of an operational network there.
Uruguayan and Brazilian LTER scientists are planning cross-site research on coastal processes. Venezuelan sites are initiating research on the impact of cattle grazing on grassland systems, and other topics. Site selection is underway in Colombia, and the next regional meeting will be held there. Argentina may soon have an ILTER network. Bolivia and Paraguay also have expressed interest and have sent representatives to regional meetings.
Other Regions -- The assembled members unanimously accepted formal requests for ILTER membership from the Ukraine and Namibia. This brings network membership to nineteen countries, as reflected in the updated map on the ILTER web site at http://www.ilternet.edu/member-networks.
New Publications -- A new brochure summarizing the objectives of the ILTER network and the characteristics of the national member networks will be published with the help of the U.S. LTER Network Office, using US LTER network brochure as a model. In addition, the group agreed that the increase in member countries, the addition of new sites in some countries, and the evolution of regional network interactions justify an update to the 1998 book about the members of ILTER network. The book will also describe ILTER research initiatives now being planned and initiated at the regional and worldwide level.
Future Meetings -- The ILTER 2001 meeting will be in London, in conjunction with a meeting on "Detecting Environmental Change" organized by the UK’s Environmental Change Network. The 2002 meeting in Canada, associated with the annual meeting of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Network.
