Human Dimensions of LTER

Two LTER sites are located in urban areas (Baltimore, MD andPhoenix, AZ) where social and ecological sciences tend to be themost closely coupled. Yet all LTER sites incorporate humandimensions to some degree into their overall research programs.The Coweeta (North Carolina) and the North Temperate Lakes(Wisconsin) LTER sites each have major components of researchexploring the causes and consequences of land-use change andurbanization. Even the most remote sites examine the interplaybetween humans and the environment. For example, social sci-entists at the Bonanza Creek (Alaska) LTER site work with ecolo-gists and Alaskan Native communities to study the boreal forestas a coupled social-ecological system that responds to changesin climatic, social and economic forces. Their work is advancingknowledge in areas such as the role of human activities in forestfire regimes and understanding resilience to rapid social and envi-ronmental changes in northern high-latitude countries — researchwith important policy and practical implications for issues such asglobal climate change and globalization.

For more information, view the LTER Social Science Committeereports at http://lternet.edu/documents/committees/socialsciences.

International LTER Activities

Global scientific interest in developing long-term ecologicalresearch programs is expanding rapidly, reflecting an increasingappreciation of the importance of this type of approach in under-standing and resolving complex environmental issues everywherein the world. Formed in 1993, the International Long-TermEcological Research (ILTER) Network currently has 30 membercountries, with other nations actively establishing national pro-grams as a prelude to ILTER membership. ILTER is a global fed-eration of regional networks of sites where scientists collectivelyengage in multi- and interdisciplinary long-term and large spatialscale ecological observations and research emphasizing human-natural system interactions. US scientists and students regularlyparticipate in international research, education and training activi-ties as part of ILTER.

International research collaborations are critical for investigatingand resolving global environmental problems, and ILTER isassuming an important role in this arena. In only one example ofrecent ILTER activities, the Luquillo LTER site in Puerto Rico hasteamed with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to plan a work-shop addressing the relationships between land-use changesand their consequences for sustainable forest management in theAsian and American tropics. For more information about ILTER,visit the web site http://www.ilternet.edu/.

3rd graders examining insect anatomyat the Jornada Basin LTER, NewMexico. Photo: Chihuahuan DesertNature Park, Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Two elementary studentsexamine aquatic microorgan-isms as part of their sciencecurriculum on ecosystems insuburban Maryland. Photo:Barry Myers.

Broader Impacts of NSF’s Long-TermEcological Research Program

for Society

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program supports fundamentalresearch on ecological phenomena occurring over long time periods and across a wide range of geographicalscales. The LTER Program’s focus on integrated, multi-scientist investigations at every site leads to major synthesesand advances in the theoretical understanding of how ecosystems function. This brochure illustrates how, by apply-ing this theoretical understanding to real-world issues, LTER science is increasingly being used to address pressingenvironmental problems, the management of ecosystems for the sustainable production of essential goods andservices, and the education of future generations of scientists.

The LTER network comprises 26 field sites located primarily in the USA, with a geographic span from the poles tothe tropics. The sites represent most of the Earth’s major ecosystems and include deserts, grasslands, forests, tun-dra, urban areas, agricultural systems, freshwater lakes, coastal estuaries and salt marshes, coral reefs and coastalocean zones. Sites share a common research agenda in five areas, which allows for comparisons to be made acrossthe network and beyond. The five areas are (1) pattern and control of plant production, (2) spatial and temporal dis-tributions of representative populations of plants, animals, and microbes, (3) distribution and dynamics of organicmatter in surface soils, water, or sediments, (4) patterns of inputs and movements of inorganic nutrients and chem-icals through the ecosystems, and (5) patterns, frequencies and effects of disturbances such as hurricanes, land-use changes or forest harvesting.

For more examples of LTER research applications visit the websites of individual LTER sites or read 20 Years ofResearch — LTER Vignettes on the LTER website at http://www.lternet.edu

Prescribed fire at the Sevilleta LTER, NewMexico. Photo: Douglas Moore, University ofNew Mexico.

Children learning ecological concepts at the Niwot Ridge LTER, Colorado.Photo: Casey A. Cass, University of Colorado.

Researchers at three polar LTERsare detecting important responsesto global climate change used forpredictive modeling. Photo: NSF/USAP photo by Josh Landis, RPSC.

www.nsf.gov www.lternet.edu

http://schoolyard.Iternet.edu/

7th graders collecting zooplankton through the ice at the NorthTemperate Lakes LTER, Wisconsin. Photo: Center for Limnology,University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Middle school students collecting fish at the Coweeta Hydrologic LaboratoryLTER, North Carolina. Photo: Susan Steiner, University of Georgia.

My Water Comes from the Mountains, based on theNiwot Ridge LTER in Colorado, enhances ecologicalliteracy of local children. Book © 2004 by Roberts-Rinehart Publishers. Illustration © 2004 by DorothyEmerling.

6th graders at the Jornada Basin LTER, New Mexico, par-ticipating in long-term vegetation studies on plots adjacentto their school. Photo: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, LasCruces, New Mexico.

A class taking field notes at the Niwot Ridge LTER, Colorado.Photo: Jane Larson.

Both the NSF and U.S. Department ofAgriculture support the HubbardBrook Forest LTER in New Hampshire.Helicopters are used to apply nutri-ents to forest experiments. Photo:Hubbard Brook Research Foundation.

Participants at a teacher workshopat the Luquillo LTER, Puerto Rico.Photo: Luquillo Experimental ForestLTER.

Translating Science

A tree frog “coquí” at the Luquillo Forest LTER,Puerto Rico. Luquillo is forging partnerships toaddress sustainable forestry in the Asian andAmerican tropics. Photo: Aaron Shiels.

A university student explaining herresearch results at the BaltimoreLTER to a local citizen at an outreachevent. Photo: Jonathan M. Walsh.

Native Alaskan 10thgraders taking ice coresat the Arctic LTER.Photo: Törsten Sachs,Alfred Wegener Institutefor Polar and MarineResearch, Germany

The Central Arizona-Phoenix and Baltimore urban LTERstook a major leap forward in long-term ecological researchby focusing on humans as an essential component ofecosystems. Photo: Diane Hope.

Schoolyard LTER: Long-term K-12EducationalProgramshttp://schoolyard.lternet.edu/

Education is an integral part of the LTER program andprovides a forum where scientists and educatorsalike seek to share the significance of long-termresearch with, and improve the ecological literacy of,students at all levels as well as the general public. Thenon-traditional research approach of LTER is coupledwith long-term educational initiatives to facilitateunique ways of training the ecologists of the 21stcentury and for teaching and learning ecological concepts. Every LTER site has a K-12 “Schoolyard”program that promotes the learning of ecologicalprocesses through a wide range of activities, such asdevelopment of instructional materials based onLTER research data, professional development ofteachers, student and educator participation in LTERfieldwork, construction of web-based learning pro-grams, and publication of children’s books based onLTER science. Visit http://schoolyard.lternet.edu/ forexamples of site-specific Schoolyard activities.

NSF 05-33

Maintaining Insect BiodiversityAids Control of Agricultural PestsKellogg Biological Station LTER site, Michigan

http://lter.kbs.msu.edu/

First detected in 2000, the Asian soybean aphid (Aphis glycines)rapidly spread throughout the USA and Canada damaging crops,spreading plant viruses, and causing crop yield losses of up to 50percent. Researchers at the Kellogg Biological Station LTER sitein southwestern Michigan are using knowledge gained from 14years of experimental chemical applications that span the breadthof possible agricultural management practices to formulate andtest hypotheses about the impacts of predators and host plantquality on aphid populations. Results have revealed that predato-ry insects, such as lady beetles, are the dominant force control-ling aphid populations and that agronomic practices can be tai-lored to encourage optimal communities of predators, which maybe the most efficient way to manage aphid pests on farms. Theselong-term research results provide a firm basis for predicting howagricultural management options will affect aphid predator com-munities and, in turn, aid in achieving optimal aphid control.

Using Science to Engage UrbanCommunities and Decision-MakersBaltimore Ecosystem Study LTER site, Maryland

http://www.beslter.org/

Scientific research at the Baltimore Ecosystem LTER site hasbeen a boon to the area’s natural resource managers, plannersand decision-makers — as well as to the local community.Scientists regularly share expertise and produce data sets, mod-els and adaptive management tools to assist in the stewardshipand protection of the area’s natural resources. Research resultshave informed the development of policies and managementstrategies for issues such as forest buffers, stream contaminationand restoration, “green technology” control of hurricane andstormwater runoff, urban tree mortality, and improvement ofurban classification systems using remote imagery. The LTERresearch team regularly meets with urban designers and plannersto ensure positive ecological and sociological outcomes duringredevelopment at brownfield sites, where hazardous substancesmay pose problems, and at other urban revitalization projects inlow-income neighborhoods. LTER scientists also actively engageBaltimore’s citizens and decision-makers through annual openhouses, regular science meetings and “synergy workshops”, andare involved in a suite of targeted educational and outreach activ-ities throughout the greater Baltimore area.

Coastal Marine Reserves:Applying LTER Science toConservation and FisheriesPlanningSanta Barbara Coastal LTER site, California

http://sbc.lternet.edu/

Marine protected areas are critical to both biodiversity conservationand fisheries management in coastal ocean waters. Their estab-lishment and assessment require long-term data and sound scien-tific understanding. Recent changes in climate, physical and chem-ical conditions, and biological productivity of coastal oceans haveaffected recreational and commercial fisheries throughout southernCalifornia. Thirty years of data have enabled Santa Barbara CoastalLTER investigators and their collaborators to document a host ofchanges associated with long-term ocean warming. They foundthat many fish and invertebrate communities throughout the regionhave changed as a consequence of observed long-term phenom-ena, such as the proportion of southern species increasing relativeto that of northern species (see graph), and that these trends coin-cide with substantial declines in total fish abundance and produc-tivity. Their findings are consistent with an earlier prediction of anorthward shift in species’ ranges in response to ocean warming.This information provides the scientific basis for informed long-termplanning and design of the Marine Reserve Program currentlybeing implemented in California’s coastal waters. This LTER siteplays a vital role in developing and evaluating this multi-agency ini-tiative to preserve coastal resources while sustaining near-shoremarine fisheries to meet future demands.

Managing Wildlife and HumanDisease at the Urban-RuralInterfaceShortgrass Steppe LTER site, Colorado

http://sgs.cnr.colostate.edu/

The Shortgrass Steppe LTER site in north-central Colorado is ide-ally situated to conduct long-term monitoring of wildlife popula-tions living in close proximity to humans. Researchers studyingthe dynamics of plague (Yersinia pestis) in black-tailed prairie dog(Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies are taking advantage of long-term climatic and plant productivity data to predict fluctuations inprairie dog populations and build risk models for plague, a poten-tial disease threat to humans. Using over two decades worth ofdata, scientists have established a link between the local disap-pearance of prairie dog colonies caused by plague and climaticfluctuations associated with the periodic occurrence of ElNiño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. Although well-docu-mented evidence of disease fluctuations in wildlife is rare,researchers at the Sevilleta LTER site in New Mexico have estab-lished a similar link between changes in deer mouse (Peromyscusmaniculatus) populations that carry the Sin Nombre hantavirus,which can cause fatal disease in humans, and long-term climatefluctuations (http://sev.lternet.edu/).

Applying Science to MegascaleWater Management: Rejuvenating the EvergladesFlorida Coastal Everglades LTER site, Florida

http://fcelter.fiu.edu/

The $8.3 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan(CERP) depends upon credible scientific evidence to establishcritical conservation criteria and goals for reversing a multitude ofnegative environmental trends in the greater Everglades ecosys-tem of southern Florida. For CERP to be successful scientists andmanagers must determine the basic water and nutrient require-ments for a broad range of species and ecosystems, predict theeffects of intentionally changing the water and nutrient conditionsin the system, and then convert that knowledge into indicatorsuseful for monitoring restoration progress. A managementapproach that is both adaptable and sensitive to the science iscritical, and the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER site is proving tobe a critical “hub” for bringing together a diversity of scientific andmanagement “spokes.” It includes nearly 50 Ph.D.-level scientistsfrom academia and all major state and federal agencies involvedin Everglades restoration, and provides a neutral scientific venuefor interactions and collaborations. This ensures the incorporationof new scientific and technical information into ongoing restora-tion efforts while simultaneously helping to reduce future ecologi-cal and economic risks to the southern Florida region.

Forest Carbon Research UnveilsPotential Multi-Billion-DollarValue for Non-Timber Use of TreesH.J. Andrews Experimental Forest LTER site, Oregon

http://www.fsl.orst.edu/lterhome.html/

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases,including carbon dioxide, have been implicated as one of thecauses of ongoing global climate change. The burning of fossilfuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as do naturalprocesses such as the decay of leaves, roots and wood. Forestsremove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by absorbing it dur-ing photosynthesis, leading to new growth of leaves, roots andwood. The balance between growth and decay determineswhether a forest absorbs more atmospheric carbon dioxide thanit releases. Investigators at the H.J. Andrews Forest LTER sitefound that Oregon’s forests as a whole have been releasing morecarbon than they have been absorbing over the past half-centu-ry, due in part to forest management practices that have tendedto promote carbon dioxide release. However, the scientists alsodiscovered that there is a considerable potential to reverse thistrend by implementing alternative timber harvesting practices andby more rapidly replanting deforested areas. According to theirmodels, new management approaches could lead to Oregon’sforests doubling their carbon absorption capacity without reduc-ing the total volume of harvested timber, the latter being criticallyimportant to the Northwest timber industry. These research find-ings may have tremendous economic consequences for interna-tional carbon credit trading, which involves assigning a monetaryvalue to certain ecosystems depending on whether they releaseor absorb carbon. If a market for trading carbon credits develops,the enhanced carbon absorption capacity of Oregon’s forestscould translate into tradable carbon credits with values of up to$100 billion over the next 50 years.

Long-term experiments enabledthe Kellogg Biological StationLTER, Michigan, to better under-stand crop pests and the preda-tors that control them. Photo:Kellogg Biological Station.

Scientists sampling ground waterwells below the Mary MurphyMine in St. Elmo, Colorado.Photo: Larry Harwood, Universityof Colorado.

A sampling site at the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER. Photo: Victor H. Rivera-Monroy and Robert R. Twilley, Louisiana State University.

Long-term experiments at the Andrews Forest LTER in Oregon yieldeddata affecting the future economic outlook for the Northwest’s timberindustry. Photo: H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

30-year data on fish populations in south-ern California have enabled the SantaBarbara Coastal LTER scientists and col-laborators to play key roles in imple-menting California’s Marine ReserveProgram. Image: University of Californiaat Santa Barbara.

Predation by adult lady bee-tles is a major factor in con-trolling soybean aphid popu-lations. Photo: D.A. Landis,Michigan State University.

Study sites of the Florida CoastalEverglades LTER. Map: M. Rugge,Florida International UniversityLandsat image: South FloridaWater Management District.

A wetland ecologist samples asouthern Everglades mangroveecosystem. Photo: D. Childers,Florida International University.

A graduate student coringan old-growth Douglas-firat the Andrews LTER,Oregon. Photo: Jay Sexton.

A marine biologist sam-pling kelp beds at theSanta Barbara CoastalLTER in California.

Community groups are a central focus in the exten-sive socioeconomic research conducted at theBaltimore Ecosystem Study, an urban LTER inMaryland. Photo: Jonathan M. Walsh.

Sampling an urban stream at theBaltimore LTER, Maryland. Photo:Steward T.A. Pickett, Institute ofEcosystem Studies.

Acid mine drainage often leads to widespread environmental andhuman health problems and is especially problematic in theRocky Mountains, a high-elevation region containing an estimat-ed 100,000 acid mine drainage sites. At the Niwot Ridge alpinetundra LTER site in Colorado, research on surface-groundwaterinteractions led to the discovery of basic principles that are beingused to guide the use of innovative procedures to efficiently elim-inate or control acid mine drainage on a site-by-site basis.Challenges posed by the physical attributes of these sites areoften confounded by cultural attitudes, as in the case of Leadville,CO where mining artifacts (such as tailings and shafts) that would

normally have been removed or treated during remediation wereinstead declared historical landmarks and therefore rendered“untouchable”. Faced with such complexities, Niwot Ridge LTERscientists developed new tools now being used to guide remedi-ation at places like Leadville, which involves a multi-million dollarunderground construction project that is paving the way for thedecommissioning of an existing water treatment plant. The bene-fits to the town start with the elimination of the plant’s $1-million-a-year operational costs, and will lead to a healthier environmentfor the community.

Long-term studies of prairie dog populations at theShortgrass Steppe LTER, Colorado, revealed l inksbetween plague o u t b r e a k s i n prairie dogs and recur-ring climate events. Photo: To m a n d P a t Leeson.

Basic Science Guides Acid Mine Drainage RemediationNiwot Ridge LTER site, Colorado

http://culter.colorado.edu:1030/

Maintaining Insect BiodiversityAids Control of Agricultural PestsKellogg Biological Station LTER site, Michigan

http://lter.kbs.msu.edu/

First detected in 2000, the Asian soybean aphid (Aphis glycines)rapidly spread throughout the USA and Canada damaging crops,spreading plant viruses, and causing crop yield losses of up to 50percent. Researchers at the Kellogg Biological Station LTER sitein southwestern Michigan are using knowledge gained from 14years of experimental chemical applications that span the breadthof possible agricultural management practices to formulate andtest hypotheses about the impacts of predators and host plantquality on aphid populations. Results have revealed that predato-ry insects, such as lady beetles, are the dominant force control-ling aphid populations and that agronomic practices can be tai-lored to encourage optimal communities of predators, which maybe the most efficient way to manage aphid pests on farms. Theselong-term research results provide a firm basis for predicting howagricultural management options will affect aphid predator com-munities and, in turn, aid in achieving optimal aphid control.

Using Science to Engage UrbanCommunities and Decision-MakersBaltimore Ecosystem Study LTER site, Maryland

http://www.beslter.org/

Scientific research at the Baltimore Ecosystem LTER site hasbeen a boon to the area’s natural resource managers, plannersand decision-makers — as well as to the local community.Scientists regularly share expertise and produce data sets, mod-els and adaptive management tools to assist in the stewardshipand protection of the area’s natural resources. Research resultshave informed the development of policies and managementstrategies for issues such as forest buffers, stream contaminationand restoration, “green technology” control of hurricane andstormwater runoff, urban tree mortality, and improvement ofurban classification systems using remote imagery. The LTERresearch team regularly meets with urban designers and plannersto ensure positive ecological and sociological outcomes duringredevelopment at brownfield sites, where hazardous substancesmay pose problems, and at other urban revitalization projects inlow-income neighborhoods. LTER scientists also actively engageBaltimore’s citizens and decision-makers through annual openhouses, regular science meetings and “synergy workshops”, andare involved in a suite of targeted educational and outreach activ-ities throughout the greater Baltimore area.

Coastal Marine Reserves:Applying LTER Science toConservation and FisheriesPlanningSanta Barbara Coastal LTER site, California

http://sbc.lternet.edu/

Marine protected areas are critical to both biodiversity conservationand fisheries management in coastal ocean waters. Their estab-lishment and assessment require long-term data and sound scien-tific understanding. Recent changes in climate, physical and chem-ical conditions, and biological productivity of coastal oceans haveaffected recreational and commercial fisheries throughout southernCalifornia. Thirty years of data have enabled Santa Barbara CoastalLTER investigators and their collaborators to document a host ofchanges associated with long-term ocean warming. They foundthat many fish and invertebrate communities throughout the regionhave changed as a consequence of observed long-term phenom-ena, such as the proportion of southern species increasing relativeto that of northern species (see graph), and that these trends coin-cide with substantial declines in total fish abundance and produc-tivity. Their findings are consistent with an earlier prediction of anorthward shift in species’ ranges in response to ocean warming.This information provides the scientific basis for informed long-termplanning and design of the Marine Reserve Program currentlybeing implemented in California’s coastal waters. This LTER siteplays a vital role in developing and evaluating this multi-agency ini-tiative to preserve coastal resources while sustaining near-shoremarine fisheries to meet future demands.

Managing Wildlife and HumanDisease at the Urban-RuralInterfaceShortgrass Steppe LTER site, Colorado

http://sgs.cnr.colostate.edu/

The Shortgrass Steppe LTER site in north-central Colorado is ide-ally situated to conduct long-term monitoring of wildlife popula-tions living in close proximity to humans. Researchers studyingthe dynamics of plague (Yersinia pestis) in black-tailed prairie dog(Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies are taking advantage of long-term climatic and plant productivity data to predict fluctuations inprairie dog populations and build risk models for plague, a poten-tial disease threat to humans. Using over two decades worth ofdata, scientists have established a link between the local disap-pearance of prairie dog colonies caused by plague and climaticfluctuations associated with the periodic occurrence of ElNiño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. Although well-docu-mented evidence of disease fluctuations in wildlife is rare,researchers at the Sevilleta LTER site in New Mexico have estab-lished a similar link between changes in deer mouse (Peromyscusmaniculatus) populations that carry the Sin Nombre hantavirus,which can cause fatal disease in humans, and long-term climatefluctuations (http://sev.lternet.edu/).

Applying Science to MegascaleWater Management: Rejuvenating the EvergladesFlorida Coastal Everglades LTER site, Florida

http://fcelter.fiu.edu/

The $8.3 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan(CERP) depends upon credible scientific evidence to establishcritical conservation criteria and goals for reversing a multitude ofnegative environmental trends in the greater Everglades ecosys-tem of southern Florida. For CERP to be successful scientists andmanagers must determine the basic water and nutrient require-ments for a broad range of species and ecosystems, predict theeffects of intentionally changing the water and nutrient conditionsin the system, and then convert that knowledge into indicatorsuseful for monitoring restoration progress. A managementapproach that is both adaptable and sensitive to the science iscritical, and the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER site is proving tobe a critical “hub” for bringing together a diversity of scientific andmanagement “spokes.” It includes nearly 50 Ph.D.-level scientistsfrom academia and all major state and federal agencies involvedin Everglades restoration, and provides a neutral scientific venuefor interactions and collaborations. This ensures the incorporationof new scientific and technical information into ongoing restora-tion efforts while simultaneously helping to reduce future ecologi-cal and economic risks to the southern Florida region.

Forest Carbon Research UnveilsPotential Multi-Billion-DollarValue for Non-Timber Use of TreesH.J. Andrews Experimental Forest LTER site, Oregon

http://www.fsl.orst.edu/lterhome.html/

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases,including carbon dioxide, have been implicated as one of thecauses of ongoing global climate change. The burning of fossilfuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as do naturalprocesses such as the decay of leaves, roots and wood. Forestsremove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by absorbing it dur-ing photosynthesis, leading to new growth of leaves, roots andwood. The balance between growth and decay determineswhether a forest absorbs more atmospheric carbon dioxide thanit releases. Investigators at the H.J. Andrews Forest LTER sitefound that Oregon’s forests as a whole have been releasing morecarbon than they have been absorbing over the past half-centu-ry, due in part to forest management practices that have tendedto promote carbon dioxide release. However, the scientists alsodiscovered that there is a considerable potential to reverse thistrend by implementing alternative timber harvesting practices andby more rapidly replanting deforested areas. According to theirmodels, new management approaches could lead to Oregon’sforests doubling their carbon absorption capacity without reduc-ing the total volume of harvested timber, the latter being criticallyimportant to the Northwest timber industry. These research find-ings may have tremendous economic consequences for interna-tional carbon credit trading, which involves assigning a monetaryvalue to certain ecosystems depending on whether they releaseor absorb carbon. If a market for trading carbon credits develops,the enhanced carbon absorption capacity of Oregon’s forestscould translate into tradable carbon credits with values of up to$100 billion over the next 50 years.

Long-term experiments enabledthe Kellogg Biological StationLTER, Michigan, to better under-stand crop pests and the preda-tors that control them. Photo:Kellogg Biological Station.

Scientists sampling ground waterwells below the Mary MurphyMine in St. Elmo, Colorado.Photo: Larry Harwood, Universityof Colorado.

A sampling site at the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER. Photo: Victor H. Rivera-Monroy and Robert R. Twilley, Louisiana State University.

Long-term experiments at the Andrews Forest LTER in Oregon yieldeddata affecting the future economic outlook for the Northwest’s timberindustry. Photo: H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

30-year data on fish populations in south-ern California have enabled the SantaBarbara Coastal LTER scientists and col-laborators to play key roles in imple-menting California’s Marine ReserveProgram. Image: University of Californiaat Santa Barbara.

Predation by adult lady bee-tles is a major factor in con-trolling soybean aphid popu-lations. Photo: D.A. Landis,Michigan State University.

Study sites of the Florida CoastalEverglades LTER. Map: M. Rugge,Florida International UniversityLandsat image: South FloridaWater Management District.

A wetland ecologist samples asouthern Everglades mangroveecosystem. Photo: D. Childers,Florida International University.

A graduate student coringan old-growth Douglas-firat the Andrews LTER,Oregon. Photo: Jay Sexton.

A marine biologist sam-pling kelp beds at theSanta Barbara CoastalLTER in California.

Community groups are a central focus in the exten-sive socioeconomic research conducted at theBaltimore Ecosystem Study, an urban LTER inMaryland. Photo: Jonathan M. Walsh.

Sampling an urban stream at theBaltimore LTER, Maryland. Photo:Steward T.A. Pickett, Institute ofEcosystem Studies.

Acid mine drainage often leads to widespread environmental andhuman health problems and is especially problematic in theRocky Mountains, a high-elevation region containing an estimat-ed 100,000 acid mine drainage sites. At the Niwot Ridge alpinetundra LTER site in Colorado, research on surface-groundwaterinteractions led to the discovery of basic principles that are beingused to guide the use of innovative procedures to efficiently elim-inate or control acid mine drainage on a site-by-site basis.Challenges posed by the physical attributes of these sites areoften confounded by cultural attitudes, as in the case of Leadville,CO where mining artifacts (such as tailings and shafts) that would

normally have been removed or treated during remediation wereinstead declared historical landmarks and therefore rendered“untouchable”. Faced with such complexities, Niwot Ridge LTERscientists developed new tools now being used to guide remedi-ation at places like Leadville, which involves a multi-million dollarunderground construction project that is paving the way for thedecommissioning of an existing water treatment plant. The bene-fits to the town start with the elimination of the plant’s $1-million-a-year operational costs, and will lead to a healthier environmentfor the community.

Long-term studies of prairie dog populations at theShortgrass Steppe LTER, Colorado, revealed l inksbetween plague o u t b r e a k s i n prairie dogs and recur-ring climate events. Photo: To m a n d P a t Leeson.

Basic Science Guides Acid Mine Drainage RemediationNiwot Ridge LTER site, Colorado

http://culter.colorado.edu:1030/

Maintaining Insect BiodiversityAids Control of Agricultural PestsKellogg Biological Station LTER site, Michigan

http://lter.kbs.msu.edu/

First detected in 2000, the Asian soybean aphid (Aphis glycines)rapidly spread throughout the USA and Canada damaging crops,spreading plant viruses, and causing crop yield losses of up to 50percent. Researchers at the Kellogg Biological Station LTER sitein southwestern Michigan are using knowledge gained from 14years of experimental chemical applications that span the breadthof possible agricultural management practices to formulate andtest hypotheses about the impacts of predators and host plantquality on aphid populations. Results have revealed that predato-ry insects, such as lady beetles, are the dominant force control-ling aphid populations and that agronomic practices can be tai-lored to encourage optimal communities of predators, which maybe the most efficient way to manage aphid pests on farms. Theselong-term research results provide a firm basis for predicting howagricultural management options will affect aphid predator com-munities and, in turn, aid in achieving optimal aphid control.

Using Science to Engage UrbanCommunities and Decision-MakersBaltimore Ecosystem Study LTER site, Maryland

http://www.beslter.org/

Scientific research at the Baltimore Ecosystem LTER site hasbeen a boon to the area’s natural resource managers, plannersand decision-makers — as well as to the local community.Scientists regularly share expertise and produce data sets, mod-els and adaptive management tools to assist in the stewardshipand protection of the area’s natural resources. Research resultshave informed the development of policies and managementstrategies for issues such as forest buffers, stream contaminationand restoration, “green technology” control of hurricane andstormwater runoff, urban tree mortality, and improvement ofurban classification systems using remote imagery. The LTERresearch team regularly meets with urban designers and plannersto ensure positive ecological and sociological outcomes duringredevelopment at brownfield sites, where hazardous substancesmay pose problems, and at other urban revitalization projects inlow-income neighborhoods. LTER scientists also actively engageBaltimore’s citizens and decision-makers through annual openhouses, regular science meetings and “synergy workshops”, andare involved in a suite of targeted educational and outreach activ-ities throughout the greater Baltimore area.

Coastal Marine Reserves:Applying LTER Science toConservation and FisheriesPlanningSanta Barbara Coastal LTER site, California

http://sbc.lternet.edu/

Marine protected areas are critical to both biodiversity conservationand fisheries management in coastal ocean waters. Their estab-lishment and assessment require long-term data and sound scien-tific understanding. Recent changes in climate, physical and chem-ical conditions, and biological productivity of coastal oceans haveaffected recreational and commercial fisheries throughout southernCalifornia. Thirty years of data have enabled Santa Barbara CoastalLTER investigators and their collaborators to document a host ofchanges associated with long-term ocean warming. They foundthat many fish and invertebrate communities throughout the regionhave changed as a consequence of observed long-term phenom-ena, such as the proportion of southern species increasing relativeto that of northern species (see graph), and that these trends coin-cide with substantial declines in total fish abundance and produc-tivity. Their findings are consistent with an earlier prediction of anorthward shift in species’ ranges in response to ocean warming.This information provides the scientific basis for informed long-termplanning and design of the Marine Reserve Program currentlybeing implemented in California’s coastal waters. This LTER siteplays a vital role in developing and evaluating this multi-agency ini-tiative to preserve coastal resources while sustaining near-shoremarine fisheries to meet future demands.

Managing Wildlife and HumanDisease at the Urban-RuralInterfaceShortgrass Steppe LTER site, Colorado

http://sgs.cnr.colostate.edu/

The Shortgrass Steppe LTER site in north-central Colorado is ide-ally situated to conduct long-term monitoring of wildlife popula-tions living in close proximity to humans. Researchers studyingthe dynamics of plague (Yersinia pestis) in black-tailed prairie dog(Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies are taking advantage of long-term climatic and plant productivity data to predict fluctuations inprairie dog populations and build risk models for plague, a poten-tial disease threat to humans. Using over two decades worth ofdata, scientists have established a link between the local disap-pearance of prairie dog colonies caused by plague and climaticfluctuations associated with the periodic occurrence of ElNiño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. Although well-docu-mented evidence of disease fluctuations in wildlife is rare,researchers at the Sevilleta LTER site in New Mexico have estab-lished a similar link between changes in deer mouse (Peromyscusmaniculatus) populations that carry the Sin Nombre hantavirus,which can cause fatal disease in humans, and long-term climatefluctuations (http://sev.lternet.edu/).

Applying Science to MegascaleWater Management: Rejuvenating the EvergladesFlorida Coastal Everglades LTER site, Florida

http://fcelter.fiu.edu/

The $8.3 billion Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan(CERP) depends upon credible scientific evidence to establishcritical conservation criteria and goals for reversing a multitude ofnegative environmental trends in the greater Everglades ecosys-tem of southern Florida. For CERP to be successful scientists andmanagers must determine the basic water and nutrient require-ments for a broad range of species and ecosystems, predict theeffects of intentionally changing the water and nutrient conditionsin the system, and then convert that knowledge into indicatorsuseful for monitoring restoration progress. A managementapproach that is both adaptable and sensitive to the science iscritical, and the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER site is proving tobe a critical “hub” for bringing together a diversity of scientific andmanagement “spokes.” It includes nearly 50 Ph.D.-level scientistsfrom academia and all major state and federal agencies involvedin Everglades restoration, and provides a neutral scientific venuefor interactions and collaborations. This ensures the incorporationof new scientific and technical information into ongoing restora-tion efforts while simultaneously helping to reduce future ecologi-cal and economic risks to the southern Florida region.

Forest Carbon Research UnveilsPotential Multi-Billion-DollarValue for Non-Timber Use of TreesH.J. Andrews Experimental Forest LTER site, Oregon

http://www.fsl.orst.edu/lterhome.html/

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric greenhouse gases,including carbon dioxide, have been implicated as one of thecauses of ongoing global climate change. The burning of fossilfuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as do naturalprocesses such as the decay of leaves, roots and wood. Forestsremove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by absorbing it dur-ing photosynthesis, leading to new growth of leaves, roots andwood. The balance between growth and decay determineswhether a forest absorbs more atmospheric carbon dioxide thanit releases. Investigators at the H.J. Andrews Forest LTER sitefound that Oregon’s forests as a whole have been releasing morecarbon than they have been absorbing over the past half-centu-ry, due in part to forest management practices that have tendedto promote carbon dioxide release. However, the scientists alsodiscovered that there is a considerable potential to reverse thistrend by implementing alternative timber harvesting practices andby more rapidly replanting deforested areas. According to theirmodels, new management approaches could lead to Oregon’sforests doubling their carbon absorption capacity without reduc-ing the total volume of harvested timber, the latter being criticallyimportant to the Northwest timber industry. These research find-ings may have tremendous economic consequences for interna-tional carbon credit trading, which involves assigning a monetaryvalue to certain ecosystems depending on whether they releaseor absorb carbon. If a market for trading carbon credits develops,the enhanced carbon absorption capacity of Oregon’s forestscould translate into tradable carbon credits with values of up to$100 billion over the next 50 years.

Long-term experiments enabledthe Kellogg Biological StationLTER, Michigan, to better under-stand crop pests and the preda-tors that control them. Photo:Kellogg Biological Station.

Scientists sampling ground waterwells below the Mary MurphyMine in St. Elmo, Colorado.Photo: Larry Harwood, Universityof Colorado.

A sampling site at the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER. Photo: Victor H. Rivera-Monroy and Robert R. Twilley, Louisiana State University.

Long-term experiments at the Andrews Forest LTER in Oregon yieldeddata affecting the future economic outlook for the Northwest’s timberindustry. Photo: H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

30-year data on fish populations in south-ern California have enabled the SantaBarbara Coastal LTER scientists and col-laborators to play key roles in imple-menting California’s Marine ReserveProgram. Image: University of Californiaat Santa Barbara.

Predation by adult lady bee-tles is a major factor in con-trolling soybean aphid popu-lations. Photo: D.A. Landis,Michigan State University.

Study sites of the Florida CoastalEverglades LTER. Map: M. Rugge,Florida International UniversityLandsat image: South FloridaWater Management District.

A wetland ecologist samples asouthern Everglades mangroveecosystem. Photo: D. Childers,Florida International University.

A graduate student coringan old-growth Douglas-firat the Andrews LTER,Oregon. Photo: Jay Sexton.

A marine biologist sam-pling kelp beds at theSanta Barbara CoastalLTER in California.

Community groups are a central focus in the exten-sive socioeconomic research conducted at theBaltimore Ecosystem Study, an urban LTER inMaryland. Photo: Jonathan M. Walsh.

Sampling an urban stream at theBaltimore LTER, Maryland. Photo:Steward T.A. Pickett, Institute ofEcosystem Studies.

Acid mine drainage often leads to widespread environmental andhuman health problems and is especially problematic in theRocky Mountains, a high-elevation region containing an estimat-ed 100,000 acid mine drainage sites. At the Niwot Ridge alpinetundra LTER site in Colorado, research on surface-groundwaterinteractions led to the discovery of basic principles that are beingused to guide the use of innovative procedures to efficiently elim-inate or control acid mine drainage on a site-by-site basis.Challenges posed by the physical attributes of these sites areoften confounded by cultural attitudes, as in the case of Leadville,CO where mining artifacts (such as tailings and shafts) that would

normally have been removed or treated during remediation wereinstead declared historical landmarks and therefore rendered“untouchable”. Faced with such complexities, Niwot Ridge LTERscientists developed new tools now being used to guide remedi-ation at places like Leadville, which involves a multi-million dollarunderground construction project that is paving the way for thedecommissioning of an existing water treatment plant. The bene-fits to the town start with the elimination of the plant’s $1-million-a-year operational costs, and will lead to a healthier environmentfor the community.

Long-term studies of prairie dog populations at theShortgrass Steppe LTER, Colorado, revealed l inksbetween plague o u t b r e a k s i n prairie dogs and recur-ring climate events. Photo: To m a n d P a t Leeson.

Basic Science Guides Acid Mine Drainage RemediationNiwot Ridge LTER site, Colorado

http://culter.colorado.edu:1030/

Human Dimensions of LTER

Two LTER sites are located in urban areas (Baltimore, MD andPhoenix, AZ) where social and ecological sciences tend to be themost closely coupled. Yet all LTER sites incorporate humandimensions to some degree into their overall research programs.The Coweeta (North Carolina) and the North Temperate Lakes(Wisconsin) LTER sites each have major components of researchexploring the causes and consequences of land-use change andurbanization. Even the most remote sites examine the interplaybetween humans and the environment. For example, social sci-entists at the Bonanza Creek (Alaska) LTER site work with ecolo-gists and Alaskan Native communities to study the boreal forestas a coupled social-ecological system that responds to changesin climatic, social and economic forces. Their work is advancingknowledge in areas such as the role of human activities in forestfire regimes and understanding resilience to rapid social and envi-ronmental changes in northern high-latitude countries — researchwith important policy and practical implications for issues such asglobal climate change and globalization.

For more information, view the LTER Social Science Committeereports at http://lternet.edu/documents/committees/socialsciences.

International LTER Activities

Global scientific interest in developing long-term ecologicalresearch programs is expanding rapidly, reflecting an increasingappreciation of the importance of this type of approach in under-standing and resolving complex environmental issues everywherein the world. Formed in 1993, the International Long-TermEcological Research (ILTER) Network currently has 30 membercountries, with other nations actively establishing national pro-grams as a prelude to ILTER membership. ILTER is a global fed-eration of regional networks of sites where scientists collectivelyengage in multi- and interdisciplinary long-term and large spatialscale ecological observations and research emphasizing human-natural system interactions. US scientists and students regularlyparticipate in international research, education and training activi-ties as part of ILTER.

International research collaborations are critical for investigatingand resolving global environmental problems, and ILTER isassuming an important role in this arena. In only one example ofrecent ILTER activities, the Luquillo LTER site in Puerto Rico hasteamed with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to plan a work-shop addressing the relationships between land-use changesand their consequences for sustainable forest management in theAsian and American tropics. For more information about ILTER,visit the web site http://www.ilternet.edu/.

3rd graders examining insect anatomyat the Jornada Basin LTER, NewMexico. Photo: Chihuahuan DesertNature Park, Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Two elementary studentsexamine aquatic microorgan-isms as part of their sciencecurriculum on ecosystems insuburban Maryland. Photo:Barry Myers.

Broader Impacts of NSF’s Long-TermEcological Research Program

for Society

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program supports fundamentalresearch on ecological phenomena occurring over long time periods and across a wide range of geographicalscales. The LTER Program’s focus on integrated, multi-scientist investigations at every site leads to major synthesesand advances in the theoretical understanding of how ecosystems function. This brochure illustrates how, by apply-ing this theoretical understanding to real-world issues, LTER science is increasingly being used to address pressingenvironmental problems, the management of ecosystems for the sustainable production of essential goods andservices, and the education of future generations of scientists.

The LTER network comprises 26 field sites located primarily in the USA, with a geographic span from the poles tothe tropics. The sites represent most of the Earth’s major ecosystems and include deserts, grasslands, forests, tun-dra, urban areas, agricultural systems, freshwater lakes, coastal estuaries and salt marshes, coral reefs and coastalocean zones. Sites share a common research agenda in five areas, which allows for comparisons to be made acrossthe network and beyond. The five areas are (1) pattern and control of plant production, (2) spatial and temporal dis-tributions of representative populations of plants, animals, and microbes, (3) distribution and dynamics of organicmatter in surface soils, water, or sediments, (4) patterns of inputs and movements of inorganic nutrients and chem-icals through the ecosystems, and (5) patterns, frequencies and effects of disturbances such as hurricanes, land-use changes or forest harvesting.

For more examples of LTER research applications visit the websites of individual LTER sites or read 20 Years ofResearch — LTER Vignettes on the LTER website at http://www.lternet.edu

Prescribed fire at the Sevilleta LTER, NewMexico. Photo: Douglas Moore, University ofNew Mexico.

Children learning ecological concepts at the Niwot Ridge LTER, Colorado.Photo: Casey A. Cass, University of Colorado.

Researchers at three polar LTERsare detecting important responsesto global climate change used forpredictive modeling. Photo: NSF/USAP photo by Josh Landis, RPSC.

www.nsf.gov www.lternet.edu

http://schoolyard.Iternet.edu/

7th graders collecting zooplankton through the ice at the NorthTemperate Lakes LTER, Wisconsin. Photo: Center for Limnology,University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Middle school students collecting fish at the Coweeta Hydrologic LaboratoryLTER, North Carolina. Photo: Susan Steiner, University of Georgia.

My Water Comes from the Mountains, based on theNiwot Ridge LTER in Colorado, enhances ecologicalliteracy of local children. Book © 2004 by Roberts-Rinehart Publishers. Illustration © 2004 by DorothyEmerling.

6th graders at the Jornada Basin LTER, New Mexico, par-ticipating in long-term vegetation studies on plots adjacentto their school. Photo: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, LasCruces, New Mexico.

A class taking field notes at the Niwot Ridge LTER, Colorado.Photo: Jane Larson.

Both the NSF and U.S. Department ofAgriculture support the HubbardBrook Forest LTER in New Hampshire.Helicopters are used to apply nutri-ents to forest experiments. Photo:Hubbard Brook Research Foundation.

Participants at a teacher workshopat the Luquillo LTER, Puerto Rico.Photo: Luquillo Experimental ForestLTER.

Translating Science

A tree frog “coquí” at the Luquillo Forest LTER,Puerto Rico. Luquillo is forging partnerships toaddress sustainable forestry in the Asian andAmerican tropics. Photo: Aaron Shiels.

A university student explaining herresearch results at the BaltimoreLTER to a local citizen at an outreachevent. Photo: Jonathan M. Walsh.

Native Alaskan 10thgraders taking ice coresat the Arctic LTER.Photo: Törsten Sachs,Alfred Wegener Institutefor Polar and MarineResearch, Germany

The Central Arizona-Phoenix and Baltimore urban LTERstook a major leap forward in long-term ecological researchby focusing on humans as an essential component ofecosystems. Photo: Diane Hope.

Schoolyard LTER: Long-term K-12EducationalProgramshttp://schoolyard.lternet.edu/

Education is an integral part of the LTER program andprovides a forum where scientists and educatorsalike seek to share the significance of long-termresearch with, and improve the ecological literacy of,students at all levels as well as the general public. Thenon-traditional research approach of LTER is coupledwith long-term educational initiatives to facilitateunique ways of training the ecologists of the 21stcentury and for teaching and learning ecological concepts. Every LTER site has a K-12 “Schoolyard”program that promotes the learning of ecologicalprocesses through a wide range of activities, such asdevelopment of instructional materials based onLTER research data, professional development ofteachers, student and educator participation in LTERfieldwork, construction of web-based learning pro-grams, and publication of children’s books based onLTER science. Visit http://schoolyard.lternet.edu/ forexamples of site-specific Schoolyard activities.

NSF 05-33

Human Dimensions of LTER

Two LTER sites are located in urban areas (Baltimore, MD andPhoenix, AZ) where social and ecological sciences tend to be themost closely coupled. Yet all LTER sites incorporate humandimensions to some degree into their overall research programs.The Coweeta (North Carolina) and the North Temperate Lakes(Wisconsin) LTER sites each have major components of researchexploring the causes and consequences of land-use change andurbanization. Even the most remote sites examine the interplaybetween humans and the environment. For example, social sci-entists at the Bonanza Creek (Alaska) LTER site work with ecolo-gists and Alaskan Native communities to study the boreal forestas a coupled social-ecological system that responds to changesin climatic, social and economic forces. Their work is advancingknowledge in areas such as the role of human activities in forestfire regimes and understanding resilience to rapid social and envi-ronmental changes in northern high-latitude countries — researchwith important policy and practical implications for issues such asglobal climate change and globalization.

For more information, view the LTER Social Science Committeereports at http://lternet.edu/documents/committees/socialsciences.

International LTER Activities

Global scientific interest in developing long-term ecologicalresearch programs is expanding rapidly, reflecting an increasingappreciation of the importance of this type of approach in under-standing and resolving complex environmental issues everywherein the world. Formed in 1993, the International Long-TermEcological Research (ILTER) Network currently has 30 membercountries, with other nations actively establishing national pro-grams as a prelude to ILTER membership. ILTER is a global fed-eration of regional networks of sites where scientists collectivelyengage in multi- and interdisciplinary long-term and large spatialscale ecological observations and research emphasizing human-natural system interactions. US scientists and students regularlyparticipate in international research, education and training activi-ties as part of ILTER.

International research collaborations are critical for investigatingand resolving global environmental problems, and ILTER isassuming an important role in this arena. In only one example ofrecent ILTER activities, the Luquillo LTER site in Puerto Rico hasteamed with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to plan a work-shop addressing the relationships between land-use changesand their consequences for sustainable forest management in theAsian and American tropics. For more information about ILTER,visit the web site http://www.ilternet.edu/.

3rd graders examining insect anatomyat the Jornada Basin LTER, NewMexico. Photo: Chihuahuan DesertNature Park, Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Two elementary studentsexamine aquatic microorgan-isms as part of their sciencecurriculum on ecosystems insuburban Maryland. Photo:Barry Myers.

Broader Impacts of NSF’s Long-TermEcological Research Program

for Society

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program supports fundamentalresearch on ecological phenomena occurring over long time periods and across a wide range of geographicalscales. The LTER Program’s focus on integrated, multi-scientist investigations at every site leads to major synthesesand advances in the theoretical understanding of how ecosystems function. This brochure illustrates how, by apply-ing this theoretical understanding to real-world issues, LTER science is increasingly being used to address pressingenvironmental problems, the management of ecosystems for the sustainable production of essential goods andservices, and the education of future generations of scientists.

The LTER network comprises 26 field sites located primarily in the USA, with a geographic span from the poles tothe tropics. The sites represent most of the Earth’s major ecosystems and include deserts, grasslands, forests, tun-dra, urban areas, agricultural systems, freshwater lakes, coastal estuaries and salt marshes, coral reefs and coastalocean zones. Sites share a common research agenda in five areas, which allows for comparisons to be made acrossthe network and beyond. The five areas are (1) pattern and control of plant production, (2) spatial and temporal dis-tributions of representative populations of plants, animals, and microbes, (3) distribution and dynamics of organicmatter in surface soils, water, or sediments, (4) patterns of inputs and movements of inorganic nutrients and chem-icals through the ecosystems, and (5) patterns, frequencies and effects of disturbances such as hurricanes, land-use changes or forest harvesting.

For more examples of LTER research applications visit the websites of individual LTER sites or read 20 Years ofResearch — LTER Vignettes on the LTER website at http://www.lternet.edu

Prescribed fire at the Sevilleta LTER, NewMexico. Photo: Douglas Moore, University ofNew Mexico.

Children learning ecological concepts at the Niwot Ridge LTER, Colorado.Photo: Casey A. Cass, University of Colorado.

Researchers at three polar LTERsare detecting important responsesto global climate change used forpredictive modeling. Photo: NSF/USAP photo by Josh Landis, RPSC.

www.nsf.gov www.lternet.edu

http://schoolyard.Iternet.edu/

7th graders collecting zooplankton through the ice at the NorthTemperate Lakes LTER, Wisconsin. Photo: Center for Limnology,University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Middle school students collecting fish at the Coweeta Hydrologic LaboratoryLTER, North Carolina. Photo: Susan Steiner, University of Georgia.

My Water Comes from the Mountains, based on theNiwot Ridge LTER in Colorado, enhances ecologicalliteracy of local children. Book © 2004 by Roberts-Rinehart Publishers. Illustration © 2004 by DorothyEmerling.

6th graders at the Jornada Basin LTER, New Mexico, par-ticipating in long-term vegetation studies on plots adjacentto their school. Photo: Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park, LasCruces, New Mexico.

A class taking field notes at the Niwot Ridge LTER, Colorado.Photo: Jane Larson.

Both the NSF and U.S. Department ofAgriculture support the HubbardBrook Forest LTER in New Hampshire.Helicopters are used to apply nutri-ents to forest experiments. Photo:Hubbard Brook Research Foundation.

Participants at a teacher workshopat the Luquillo LTER, Puerto Rico.Photo: Luquillo Experimental ForestLTER.

Translating Science

A tree frog “coquí” at the Luquillo Forest LTER,Puerto Rico. Luquillo is forging partnerships toaddress sustainable forestry in the Asian andAmerican tropics. Photo: Aaron Shiels.

A university student explaining herresearch results at the BaltimoreLTER to a local citizen at an outreachevent. Photo: Jonathan M. Walsh.

Native Alaskan 10thgraders taking ice coresat the Arctic LTER.Photo: Törsten Sachs,Alfred Wegener Institutefor Polar and MarineResearch, Germany

The Central Arizona-Phoenix and Baltimore urban LTERstook a major leap forward in long-term ecological researchby focusing on humans as an essential component ofecosystems. Photo: Diane Hope.

Schoolyard LTER: Long-term K-12EducationalProgramshttp://schoolyard.lternet.edu/

Education is an integral part of the LTER program andprovides a forum where scientists and educatorsalike seek to share the significance of long-termresearch with, and improve the ecological literacy of,students at all levels as well as the general public. Thenon-traditional research approach of LTER is coupledwith long-term educational initiatives to facilitateunique ways of training the ecologists of the 21stcentury and for teaching and learning ecological concepts. Every LTER site has a K-12 “Schoolyard”program that promotes the learning of ecologicalprocesses through a wide range of activities, such asdevelopment of instructional materials based onLTER research data, professional development ofteachers, student and educator participation in LTERfieldwork, construction of web-based learning pro-grams, and publication of children’s books based onLTER science. Visit http://schoolyard.lternet.edu/ forexamples of site-specific Schoolyard activities.

NSF 05-33