Preparing the LTER Network for Collaborative Science, Education and Synthesis: A Planning Proposal

随着人类引起的环境变化的持续，社会正面临着越来越多的紧迫的环境挑战。应对这些复杂挑战的办法必须通过协调的、长期的、跨学科的研究。经过20年非常成功的科学研究、培训和推广工作，长期生态研究网络（LTER）准备提出一系列新的倡议，以应对这些环境“重大挑战”。正是这一背景为在上一次LTER全体科学家会议（2003年9月）上开始的密集的全网络规划活动奠定了基础，并将根据这一建议继续进行24个月。这项规划工作有三个具体目标：(1)制定LTER网络级科学、技术和培训计划；(2)探索管理LTER网络科学的替代治理、规划和评估结构；(3)设想和规划教育、培训、推广和知识交流活动，将LTER科学与应用需求联系起来。更广泛的影响:这一规划活动将为LTER网络创建必要的框架，以(1)增加应对一些生态重大研究挑战所需的活动规模和范围，(2)在研究地点之间实现更高水平的协调和互补，(3)将新的、使能的技术纳入LTER研究，(4)广泛培训下一代生态学家，以及(5)改善和增加科学、管理人员和政策制定者之间的知识交流。在这样做的过程中，LTER网络将积极追求新的协作、综合和一体化水平，以解决现在和将来具有挑战性的生态问题。

As human-induced environmental change continues, society is facing an increasing array of pressing environmental challenges. Answers to these complex challenges must be informed by coordinated, long-term, interdisciplinary research. Following a very successful two decades of science, training and outreach, the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network is poised to address a set of new initiatives to be pursued in response to these environmental "Grand Challenges." It is this background that sets the stage for intensive Network-wide planning activities that started at the last LTER All-Scientists Meeting (September 2003), and that would continue under this proposal for another 24 months. This planning effort has three specific objectives: (1) Develop a plan for LTER network-level science, technology, and training, (2) Explore alternative governance, planning and evaluation structures for managing LTER Network science, and (3) Envision and plan for education, training, outreach, and knowledge exchange activities to link LTER science with application needs.Broader Impacts: This planning activity will create the framework necessary for theLTER Network to (1) increase the scale and scope of activity needed to address a number of ecological Grand Research Challenges, (2) achieve a higher level of coordination and complementarity among the research sites, (3) incorporate new, enabling technologies into LTER research, (4) broadly train the next generation of ecologists, and (5) improve and increase the exchange of knowledge between science, managers and policy makers. In doing so, the LTER Network will actively pursue a new level of collaboration, synthesis and integration to address challenging ecological questions now and in the future.