The first meeting of the LTER National Advisory Board (NAB) will take place December 10 and 11 at the Sevilleta LTER site, near Socorro, New Mexico. The NAB comprises a group of nationally known researchers whose task is to provide an outside perspective on the major research and synthesis activities of the LTER Network. The NAB also acts as an oversight board for the LTER Network Office.
The National Advisory Board members were chosen to ensure a broad representation of ecological disciplines. Members include:
- Ann Bartuska, USDA Forest Service
- Bill Murdoch, Department of Biology, UC Santa Barbara
- James H. Beach, Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research, University of Kansas
- James A. MacMahon, Utah State University
- Leonard Krishtalka, Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Research, University of Kansas
- Mary K. Firestone, Dept of Environmental Science Policy and Management, UC Berkeley
- O. W. Heal, former Director of the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, UK
- Paul G. Risser, President, Oregon State University
- Ron Pulliam, University of Georgia, Institute of Ecology
- Robert J. Robbins, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
- Rebecca R. Sharitz, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
The NAB will review the recommendations of the 1993 "Ten-year Review of the National Science Foundation Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program" and evaluate progress towards meeting those recommendations. Several LTER and associated scientists will present status reports on all major foci of LTER, including synthesis, research, education, and international networking. During the five-year period since the previous review, LTER scientists have continued to produce an extensive literature describing many significant ecological processes and characteristics, and documenting the status and trends of key environmental conditions from the 21 sites. In addition, the LTER program has established interactions with and provided guidance to help establish related programs in many other countries through the development of the International LTER Network.