In our last issue (The Network News Vol. 17 No. 2 Fall 2004), Scott Collins described the award of a 2-year NSF grant to enable network wide planning activities. This activity has since taken off and the following article gives a brief update of these efforts.
The first step in the planning process was the formation of a "Meeting of 100"; LTER and non-LTER scientists, which took place in Florida in November 2004. This group of scientists was chosen by the Science Task Force (STF) following nominations from the LTER community and other sources including
- Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUASHI)
- Collaborative Large-Scale Engineering Analysis Network for Environmental Research (CLEANER)
- Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS)
- National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
- Other relevant networks
The STF consists of five LTER scientists with various backgrounds and areas of expertise---namely, Barbara Benson, Daniel Childers, Scott Collins, James Gosz, and Allison Whitmer. STF used the recommendations from the Meeting of 100 as input for the next phase of the planning process, which focused on the Grand Challenge research questions and established four Network Science Working Groups (NSWGs). The NSWGs will generate specific research projects and their implementation plans, specific research designs, and assess the technologies and resources needed to meet these Grand Challenges. Figure 1 shows how the whole framework is conceptualized.
The NSWGs include four conceptual domains:
- Biotic Structure (chair: Jim Rusak)
- Altered Biogeochemistry (chair: Indy Burke)
- Altered Climate Change (chair: Mark Williams)
- Human-Natural Systems (chair: Ted Gragson).
Two other groups---Education, Outreach, and Training (chair: John Moore) and Governance (chair: Ann Zimmerman) —were formed to help develop the conceptual domains to accomplish the overall goals of the planning process.
All the conceptual groups met in January and February 2005 to generate cross-cutting and novel questions for purposes of the planning grant. The results of their efforts were assessed at the recent STF/Advisory Committee joint meeting in late March 2005. An All Hands Meeting that includes STF and NSWG chairs, among others, is planned for June 2005. The All Hands Meeting will pull together the conceptual domains and narrow the focus for scientific ideas generated by the planning process. Future meetings will continue to narrow the focus and further develop the science under the planning grant theme.
Caleb Hickman
Science Assistant, LTER Planning Grant, LNO
For more information on the progress of the LTER planning activities see the working Wiki website at: http://intranet.lternet.edu/planning/index.php/Main_Page