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Aims, Sub-activities and Approach

Aims

    • focused on the analysis of historical and new ecosystem monitoring data coming from a series of LTER sites;
    • aims at evaluating the status, the trends and the cause-effect relationships at different spatial and temporal scales;
    • to provide statistical information for improving the network design (action A4 EnvEurope);
    • to use long-term ecological data to describe and analyse the main temporal and spatial changes in ecosystems and to define a set of key indicators.

Sub-activities

3.1 Metadata analysis

3.2 Assessment of method consistency

3.3 Status and trends (based on the identified indicators and their corresponding parameters) – to propose indicators for integration between different ecosystem types, integration at landscape level);

3.4 Driving factors of environment change 3.5 scaling up

 

Approach

A)    Parameters

work directly on a selection of parameters (see the draft for the report on selecting parameters- including a selection of parameters e.g. 12 selected parameters) addressing 4 proposed thematic areas


B)    Indicators

work on a selection of indicators also addressing the 4 thematic areas (or across thematic areas) – by using this approach we are in fact supporting the idea that biodiversity as a concept (but also in practice) could not be defined and explained by using very aggregated indices but by using a range of data and characteristics. This will allow also better communication with the decision makers;

C)    Meta-analysis

work with meta-analysis on a selection of complex topics (across thematic areas) allowing in this way a better integration and also a better linkage with the policy makers (better communication).


Expected Results

    • Status assessment
    • Trend analysis/
    • Time series analysis
    • Cross-site linkages

Research directions

1. Trend analysis (comparison) of selected parameters across sites

    • identification of trends
    • influence of  independent parameters on 3) structure and function of ecosystems/communities/populations

2. Comparison of different systems: aquatic, terrestrial, habitat types etc.
3. Examination of interactions between biotic and abiotic factors defined as key for a site
4. Effects of nutrient increase on phytoplankton/marine & inland or on plants/terrestrial, or increase of temperature on species dynamics
5. Modeling approaches

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