The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network are set to hold the 7th annual LTER Mini-symposium at NSF headquarters in Arlington, VA, on February 28, 2008.
The annual mini-symposium brings together scientists and educators at NSF to share with agency peers and policy makers the status of ongoing LTER research, important findings, and future plans. The theme for this year's forum is "Social-ecological systems in a changing world: Perspectives from long-term ecological research," which mirrors a major theme of the recently released Decadal Plan for LTER (http://www.lternet.edu/decadalplan/).
The meeting will be presided over by Stuart Chapin (University of Alaska), David Foster (Harvard University), and Steward Pickett (Institute of Ecosystem Studies), and moderated by Phil Robertson, chair of the LTER Executive Board and Science Council. A complete agenda for the event is available at http://intranet.lternet.edu/modules.php?name=UpDownload&req=getit&lid=590
Presentations from previous mini-symposia are available at http://www.lternet.edu/NSFminisym/
For more information or an entry pass to the NSF building, please contact Cheryl Dybas, NSF (703) 292-7734 cdybas@nsf.gov or Lily Whiteman, NSF (703) 292-8310 lwhitema@nsf.gov
The LTER Network comprises 26 sites funded by NSF to pursue basic research in ecology and environmental science. Since 1980 the sites have conducted research to better understand ecological phenomena in both natural and managed ecosystems. A broad variety of ecosystems are represented in the Network, including tundra, forest, grassland, desert, urban, and marine sites, among others. For further information, including a list of current sites and principal investigators, see www.lternet.edu.