Network Name: The Arab Centre for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands Monitoring Network (ACSAD)
Aims:
To improve the understanding of ecological systems and environmental degradation processes.
Scope and geographical coverage:
Four sites have been established in 1997. The number of sites will increase to seven sites in 1998 and between 12 and 14 sites in 1999. They are located east of the Mediterranean in SW Asia and south of the Mediterranean north of the Sahara (N. Africa).
Needs from a global network:
Capacity building;
Equipment mainly meteorological;
Expertise in remote sensing, information systems, meteorology;
Financial contributions to workshops.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
Could initiate contribution to biodiversity and desertification in 1998 and start its contribution to GTOS and GCOS in 1999.
Training needs:
A fundamental need in instrumentation data collection, processing and management.
Data policy:
URL:
Contact:
Dr Jean Khouri
The Arab Centre for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands
PO Box 2440
DAMASCUS, Syria
Tel: +963 11 5323087
Fax: +963 11 5323063
Network Name: Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)
Aims:
The objectives of AMAP are:
To monitor, assess and report the status of Arctic environment;
To document levels and trends of pollutants;
To document and assess the sources and effects of anthropogenic pollutants, including impact of pollutant fluxes from the lower latitudes, on the Arctic environment;
To recognize the importance of the use of the Arctic flora and fauna by indigenous peoples and to assess their relationship to human health;
To recommend actions for protecting the Arctic environment.
Scope and geographical coverage:
The geographical area covered by AMAP is essentially the circumpolar terrestrial/freshwater and marine areas north of the Arctic Circle, and, as determined by each of the participating countries, further south between the Arctic Circle and 60N.
Needs from a global network:
Data, information and expertise, relevant to the AMAP objectives, from the following global network sub-systems:
Climate terrestrial observation system;
Pollution terrestrial observation system.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
Terrestrial/freshwater pollution data and other relevant information for the geographical area covered by AMAP.
Data policy:
All data supplied to AMAP TDCs are subject to an AMAP data ownership agreement that guarantees that these data will only be used for AMAP assessment process purposes, unless otherwise directed by data originators. The restrictions on access to the data are applied specifically to ensure that data originators retain first rights to their (unpublished) data.
URL:
http://www.grida.no/amap
Contact:
Prof. Vitaly Kimstach
AMAP Secretariat
Strømsveien 96
PO Box 8100 Dep.
N-0032 OSLO, Norway
Tel: +47 22573634
Fax: +47 22676706
Email: [email protected]
Network Name: Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN)
Aims:
The primary goals of CERN are:
To monitor environmental change;
To study the structure, function, dynamics and management of ecosystems;
To provide the managerial models of sustainable use of ecosystems at the local level;
To provide the scientific basis for decision-making process at the provincial and national levels.
Scope and geographical coverage:
CERN is a national scale network dealing with the key ecosystems located in different eco-regions. It consists of 29 ecosystems, research stations (16 agricultural, 7 forest, 2 grassland, 2 lake and 2 estuaries), five disciplinary data centres (water, soils, atmosphere, biology, and aquatic ecosystems) and a synthesis research centre. About 900 scientists and graduate students are involved.
Needs from a global network:
Sharing data;
Joining international research projects;
Learning from foreign scientists and improving our work on observations, research and network management;
Getting funds from international funding agencies and support for our activities.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
Data on ecosystems, environment and some socio-economics of China;
Human resources, including scientists and technicians working in different fields at various levels;
Facilities including field stations, labs, computers and equipment. They could be used for joint projects under agreements. Some could be used for training.
Training needs:
General training on data management and network management;
Specific training on remote sensing, modelling under the framework of the demo project;
Could also provide trainers in some fields.
Data policy:
Data produced in three tiers of CERN, field stations, subcentres and synthesis centre, must be entered into the data network according to CERN's principles and policies of data management. CERN field stations, subcentres, and the synthesis centre have specific responsibilities for collecting observational data and for providing those data to all other entities in CERN. In exchange, each member of CERN has the right to access data generated in the network. The Data Management Committee will have authority in determining specific responsibilities and rights. CERN data will be shared among three tiers of CERN and relevant home institutes. CERN will also promote data exchange with other institutions and data centres at home and abroad concerned with eco-environment research and will create operational mechanisms and a research environment favorable to data sharing and data exchange. CERN is a non-profit, open network and its data are available within CERN, to other CAS institutions, and to non-CAS institutions domestically and internationally. CERN will charge recovery costs for producing data. Access to data may also be subject to the terms of data sharing protocols for recipients, not members of CERN.
A copy of the complete data policy is available from the GTOS secretariat.
URL:
Contact:
Prof. Shidong Zhao
CERN Secretariat
Commission for Integrated Survey of Natural Resources
Chinese Academy of Sciences
3, Datun Road, PO Box 9717
BEIJING 100101, China
Tel: +86 10 64931980
Fax: +86 10 64931970
Email: [email protected]
Network Name: Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
Aims:
Research on sustainable agricultural development;
Research Themes - Germplasm development, Natural Resource Management, Biodiversity Protection, Farmer Participatory Research.
Scope and geographical coverage:
CGIAR globally, over 80 permanent experimental sites, many are research stations, some are farm research networks. Natural resource management study areas are large sites with multiple land use, typically up to 200,000 hectres.
CIAT has 6 experimental stations in a range of agroecosystems in Colombia, 6 reserve management study areas in acid hillsides, savannas and forest margins in Honduras, Colombia, Brazil and Peru.
Needs from a global network:
Assistance with the ability to use GIS facilities to monitor agricultural and environment for problem identification, research planning and extrapolation from our study areas;
Risk analysis, land use modelling and policy analysis.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
Detailed land use characterization from resource management sites;
General GIS coverages of land use, crop distribution, soil degradation and interpolated climate surfaces. Daily climate data from research stations;
Land cover/land use data from resource management sites are available for use by the demonstration project;
Metadata, yield data from selected farming systems are available;
Currently not taken but might be available LAI, phenology and primary productivity estimates in pastures and forest margin ecosystems.
Training needs:
None immediately
Data policy:
URL:
CGIAR http://www.worldbank.org/html/cgiar/HomePage.html
CIAT http://www.ciat.cgiar.org
Contact:
Dr Peter Jones
CIAT
AA 67-13
CALI, Colombia
Tel: +57 2 4450000
Fax: +57 2 4450073
Email: [email protected]
Network name: FLUXNET
Aims:
The FLUXNET will address the following specific goals:
To characterize fluxes and energy exchange at the surface in order to provide useful parameters to global and regional climate modellers and to analyze the variables that determine energy partitioning by ecosystems in different climatic conditions, including extreme events and stress limitations;
To determine the sink strength of forests for carbon and analyze the variables that determine the gains and the losses of carbon from forests of differing vegetation composition and in different climate regions;
To analyze the response of water and carbon fluxes from ecosystems to climatic factors in order to aid regional scale modelling designed to predict impacts of global environmental change on forest ecosystem function;
To provide objective data for the validation of models, related to growth, partitioning of primary production, water cycling and hydrology;
To provide information for the development and testing of schemes designed to elaborate forest-atmosphere interactions based on remotely sensed data;
To recommend management strategies for the conservation of carbon stores in different ecosystems.
Scope and geographical coverage:
These are the major networks linked within FLUXNET:
EUROFLUX: 17 stations encompassing various countries in Europe, mainly focussed on forests, ongoing
AMERIFLUX: 13 stations in North America, including grasslands and rangelands, ongoing
LBA: 5 stations operating from 1998 in Amazonia
MEDEFLU: 5 stations operating from 1998 in Mediterranean region
GAME: 2 stations operating in Siberia (tundra and taiga) from 1998
OZFLUX: 5 stations operating in Australia from 1998
OTHERS: 5 stations in various countries in South-East Asia
Needs from a global network:
Access to comparative data from a wider range of sites to improve the interpretation of flux data and to broaden relevance;
Development of contacts between scientists to improve the use and interpretation of data;
To implement new sites in cooperation with existing programmes.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
Interannual variability of carbon uptakes and release;
Global terrestrial carbon budget data;
Improvement of management for carbon storage in disturbed ecosystems.
Training needs:
The FLUXNET programme can contribute in the following ways:
General training on data management and network management;
Specific training on remote sensing, modelling under the framework of the demo project;
Could also provide trainers in some fields.
Data policy:
Fluxnet database will be organized in Oak Ridge CDC and available to external community trough Internet.
URL:
http://www.unitus.it/eflux/euro.html
Contact:
Dr Riccardo Valentini
Department of Forest Science and Resources
University of Tuscia
Via S. Camillo de Lellis
01100 VITERBO, Italy
Tel: +39 761 357394
Fax: +39 761 357389
Email: [email protected]
or
Dr Steven Running
School of Forestry/NTSG
The University of Montana
MISSOULA, MT 59812, USA
Tel: +1 406 2436311
Fax: +1 406 2434510
E-mail: [email protected]
Network name: International Cooperative Programme on Integrated Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Ecosystems
Aims:
To monitor the state of ecosystems (catchments/plots) and provide an explanation of changes in terms of causative environmental factors, in order to provide a scientific basis for emission control;
To develop and validate models for the simulation of ecosystem responses;
To carry out biomonitoring for detecting natural changes, in particular to assess effects of air pollutants and climate change;
In a more long-term perspective the IM concept is useful among other things in monitoring ecosystem effects of climate change, ozone depletion and changes in biodiversity.
Scope and geographical coverage:
The multidisciplinary Integrated Monitoring Programme is part of the effects monitoring strategy of the UN/ECE (United Nation's Economic Commission for Europe) Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP). The IM sites (mostly catchments) are reference sites, located in undisturbed areas. Monitoring is divided into a number of compartmental subprogrammes carried out at the sites. The IM database presently contains data from 59 sites in 23 countries in the ECE region. The international programme centre is at the Finnish Environment Institute. Monitoring is funded by national agencies and organisations.
Needs from a global network:
Participation in GTOS would extend the present use of the IM data towards other issues of regional/global concern. This would facilitate the long-term national funding of the monitoring and research activities carried out at the sites. Moreover, participation would enhance the transfer of knowledge on new methods and data to the participating institutes and scientists;
Some of the countries in the eastern parts of Europe are running their IM sites under a very difficult financial situation. Capacity building in these countries would facilitate the implementation and further development of the programme.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
Several of the priority tasks of GTOS (pollution and toxicity, climate change, biodiversity) are included in the ICP IM programme aims (see above). ICP IM can provide time series of many of the priority variables included in the GHOST strategy (vegetation, soil properties, hydrology, element pools and fluxes, etc.) from sites throughout the ECE region. These reference sites have been set up with the specific task of providing long-term data. The data have already been used for site-specific modelling and assessment of the effects of air pollutants and climate change. The data are being used in the effects assessment work under the framework of the UN/ECE LRTAP convention.
Some of the IM sites could contribute to the planned demonstration project by providing data on land cover, meteorology, soil properties and biomass increment. LAI and NPP measurements would require implementation of new techniques.
Training needs:
The inclusion of new measurements related to the modelling and assessment of carbon fluxes (LAI, NPP, etc.) would require training of the responsible scientists in many of the participating countries.
Data policy:
The use of the data stored in the international database is restricted for work under the LRTAP convention. However, permission to use the data for other purposes can be given by the Programme Task Force or the National Focal Point concerned. Since the GTOS aims and organizational structure are closely linked to those of the ICP IM, it is most likely that such permission would be given regarding the GTOS needs.
URL:
http://www.vyh.fi/fei/organiz/ird/im.htm
Contact:
Dr Martin Forsius (Programme Manager, ICP IM)
Finnish Environment Institute
P.O. Box 140
FIN-00251 HELSINKI
Finland
Phone: +358 9 40 300 308
Fax: +358 9 40 300 390
Email: [email protected]
Network Name: Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales (OAPN)
Aims:
Representation of the main ecosystems and regions;
Protection of areas with singular scientific, cultural, educational, aesthetic, landscape and recreational interest;
Contribution to endangered communities or species survival, by habitats conservation and species restoration plans;
Collaboration on international programmes of wilderness and wildlife conservation.
Scope and geographical coverage:
The main natural systems of Spain, and the 10 National Parks declared there, are:
Eurosiberian region: Ordesa y Monte Perdido N.P., Picos de Europa N.P.
Mediterranean region: Tablas de Daimiel N.P., Cabañeros N.P., Doñana N.P., Cabrera Maritime-Terrestrial N.P.
Macaronesian region: Teide N.P., Caldera de Taburiente N.P., Garajonay N.P., and Timanfaya N.P.
Also, at the moment, 6 more sites are managed:
Chafarinas Islands (Mediterranean sea, north coast of Morocco);
Almoraima (in the main Quercus suber forest of Europe);
Quintos de Mora (Mediterranean scrub formation);
Valsaín;
Lugar Nuevo (Mediterranean scrub formation);
Santoña (intertidal marshes and northern Quercus ilex formations).
Needs from a global network:
Sharing and exchange data and information to compare similar sites on issues of common interest. Predictions on conservation status and trends;
Encourage broader use of OAPN data and make a visible input into international issues as a means of consolidating support for OAPN at the national level;
Expertise in remote sensing, information systems;
Learning and improving our work on observations and network management;
Capacity building in the implementation and further development by the network demo project;
Improved accessibility to data sources, especially space-bound data; access to the analyses done for the entire GTOS;
Increased opportunities for training in other networks.
Training needs:
Training on new measurements related to demo project;
Workshop and training course on processing and management data technology, use of new satellite data;
On line version of training package;
Support by Email after training.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
Since the eighties, Spanish National Parks have developed an important number of research works, inventories, etc. to support skilful management of natural resources. Much of the data that has been collected may be used by the demonstration project. By 1998, we will be in a reasonable position to participate in the demonstration project and in GTOS -Net.
Data Policy:
URL:
Contact:
Dr F. Javier Zapata
Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales
Gran Vía de San Francisco, 4, 2ª planta
E-28005 MADRID (Spain)
Phone +34 1 3476174
Fax +34 1 3476301
E-mail: [email protected]
Network Name: The World Network of Biosphere Reserves
Aims:
To explore and demonstrate approaches to in situ biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of its components;
To provide support for demonstration projects, environmental education and training and research and monitoring related to local, regional, national and global issues of conservation and development.
Scope and geographical coverage:
As of April 1996 there were 337 reserves in 85 countries representing all major biomes. There are approximately 160 biosphere reserves in developing countries.
Needs from a global network:
Initiatives for international scientific cooperation, collaborative studies, coordinated monitoring activities;
Scientific advice, updated methodologies;
Improved accessibility to data sources, especially space-bound data.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
An intergovernmental mechanism to facilitate development of GTOS/GCOS dedicated activities;
A large group of sites where scientific and facilities do exist focusing on biodiversity and ecosystem research;
Long-term records and data collection in many related disciplines. (See ACCESS 96 as an example.)
A short list of sites may be identified to participate in the demonstration project especially in Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Training needs:
Workshop and training course on modelling and use of new satellite data;
An on-line version of training package;
Support by Email after training.
URL:
http://www.unesco.org/mab
Contacts:
Dr Paul Lasserre, Director
Division of Ecological Sciences
Man and the Biosphere Programme
UNESCO
1, rue Miollis
75015 PARIS, France
Tel: +33 1 45684142
Fax: +33 1 45685804
Email: [email protected]
or
Mr Qunli Han
Division of Ecological Sciences
Man and the Biosphere Programme
UNESCO
1, rue Miollis
75015 PARIS, France
Tel: +33 1 45684142
Fax: +33 1 45685804
Email: [email protected]
Network Name: Réseau d’Observatoires de Surveillance Ecologique à Long Terme (ROSELT)
Aims:
To promote the operation of a regional network of sites performing ecological monitoring activities;
To enhance capacity building of member sites;
To promote development of products useful to decision-makers;
To facilitate the formation of national monitoring networks;
To stimulate regional and international cooperation on ecological monitoring activities;
To facilitate integration of local population into development processes.
Scope and geographical coverage:
25 sites located in East Africa, West Africa, and North Africa were already accredited by the ROSELT network. Among these 25 sites, 12 were selected as pilot sites to test the ROSELT concept.
Needs from a global network:
Interaction with scientists sharing common interest;
Exchange of data and information on issues of common interest;
Harmonization of methods and coordination of efforts whenever feasible;
Joint effort for funding mobilization;
Capacity building;
Training on modelling and translation of NPP to harvest yield.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
ROSELT can contribute Multi-disciplinary (soil, vegetation, water resources, biodiversity, climate, and socio-economic) data collected in a wide range of ecosystems, land uses, and geographical coverage. ROSELT can also contribute to a better understanding of causes and effects of land degradation in arid and semi-arid Africa through:
Assessing climate change impacts;
Assessing human activities impacts;
Documenting interaction between ecological and social systems;
Developing local environmental information systems to be integrated into national and international systems.
Data policy:
On-going assessment of data policy, to be finalised by October, 1997.
URL:
http://www.rio.net/oss/roselt.htm
Contact:
Prof. Hamid Narjisse
Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II
B.P. 6201
RABAT, Morocco
Tel: +212 7 777018
Fax: +212 7 680397
Email: [email protected]
Network Name: UK Environmental Change Network (ECN)
Aim:
ECN aims to collect store, analyse and interpret long-term data based on a set of key variables which drive and respond to environmental change at terrestrial and freshwater sites across the UK. ECN data will be used to distinguish short-term fluctuations from long-term trends associated with man’s activities and to predict future changes.
Scope and geographical coverage:
ECN has 11 terrestrial and 38 freshwater sites across the UK.
Needs from a global network:
Access to comparative data from a wider range of sites to improve the interpretation of ECN data and to broaden relevance;
To encourage broader use of ECN data and make a visible input into international issues as a means of consolidating support for ECN at the national level;
Development of contacts between scientists involved in ECN and scientists in the international community to improve the use and interpretation of ECN data;
To make and consolidate scientific contacts as source of potential partners in collaborative projects designed to attract additional funding for monitoring and research initiatives related to environmental change;
To promote increased awareness within the ECN community of international global change issues, particularly in relation to the needs of user communities in science and policy;
Capacity building - identification of improvements to existing range of methods made by ECN which would lead to a broader relevance to global environmental issues.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
ECN strongly supports the objectives of GTOS and will aim to contribute to its success in so far as limited resources allow;
In the UK National Strategy for Global Environmental Research published by the Inter-Agency Committee on Global Change, ECN is supported as the natural contact point for GTOS;
ECN has had an ongoing data collection programme since 1993, plus historical data for some variables at sites;
ECN is involved in a new EC Preparatory Action on Networking of Long-term Integrated Monitoring in Terrestrial System (NoLIMITS), with partners from the Finnish IMP and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The work is designed to prepare the way for the development of a European Network of sites and will use the European Environment Agency, the Centre for Earth Observation and the GTOS to provide links and ensure relevance to European scale user requirements;
ECN sites can contribute data on most of the climate-related variables included under Soil Properties, Hydrology, Biogeochemistry and Land Cover sections of the TOPC Plan;
ECN is closely linked to other UK programmes that can provide data and information relevant to tiers 4 and 5;
ECN should be able to contribute to the demonstration project by providing meteorological data, land cover data, and soil data from most of the terrestrial sites. LAI data will involve new data collection which is only likely to be done if some benefit to sites can be clearly demonstrated (e.g., provision of locally calibrated 1 km data set on a regular basis).
Training needs:
Can assist through cooperative programmes in modelling and database technology.
Data policy:
ECN has a data policy which allows direct access to summary database and licensed access to raw data for environmental change research. Summary data are available directly over the World Wide Web.
URL:
http://www.nmw.ac.uk/ecn
Contact:
Dr Terry Parr
Institute of Terrestrial Ecology
Merlewood Research Station
Windemere Road
GRANGE-OVER-SANDS
Cumbria LA11 6JU, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 15395 32264
Fax: +44 15395 34705
Email: [email protected]
Network Name: U.S. Long-Term Ecological Research Network (U.S. LTER)
Aims:
The primary goals of the LTER Network are to facilitate research that:
Understands ecological phenomena that occur over long temporal and broad spatial scales;
Creates a legacy of well-designed and documented, long-term experiments;
Conducts major syntheses and theoretical efforts; and
Provides information for the identification and solution of societal problems.
The concepts of the LTER Network are in agreement with those of GTOS but LTER has a stronger emphasis on research than on monitoring.
Scope and geographical coverage:
18 sites currently, expanding to 22 by the end of 1997.
Sites range from the Arctic tundra in Alaska to Puerto Rico plus 2 sites in Antarctica. Types of sites range from pristine to intensive agriculture and urban.
Needs from a global network:
Connectivity with other networks, ability to exchange data and information, opportunities to develop collaborative research between scientists in the U.S. and those of other networks, increased opportunities for student training in other networks, access to the analyses done from data for the entire GTOS.
Ability to contribute to GTOS and the demonstration project:
The U.S. LTER Network was initiated in 1980 building from an initial 6 sites to the current level of 18 sites. This history provides a wealth of experience and lessons on site establishment, network development, connectivity within the network and among networks, and developing international interactions among long-term research efforts. Data management and accessibility are primary emphases in the LTER Network and applications of modern technologies to ecological research questions are actively pursued. These characteristics allow many opportunities for sharing expertise and training for GTOS sites that may wish to take advantage of them. The Network Office of the LTER programme can acquire funds from the U.S. for training in data management and exchanges of scientists and students. The Network Office can also provide access to other countries involved in the International LTER Network such as those in Latin America and South-East Asia.
With regard to the pilot project, there is a current project (MODLTER) that has experience in making field measurements of the necessary variables and training would be possible to be used on other GTOS sites. A suggestion would be for interested sites to have individuals participate in the acquisition of field data on these variables at sites in the U.S. Also, the Network Office will be responsible for an automated procedure for downloading the satellite NPP imagery for the U.S. sites that also can be provided to interested GTOS sites.
The majority of GHOST data requirements are currently being met by LTER sites for the variables appropriate to that site’s environment. Many can be accessed directly from the web pages, others may require the contact of the principle investigator at a site. The major need will be the harmonization of efforts.
Data policy:
The policy in the LTER Network is for open access to the data via the web pages for each site. Most LTER core data sets can be obtained directly from the home pages of each site. These can be accessed through http://LTERnet.edu. The Network data access policy is also available at that web site. More specialised data sets are also available; however, many sites request that the principle investigator be contacted. The data policy is that data are to be made available within 2 years.
A copy of the complete data policy is available from the U.S. LTER homepage, or from the GTOS secretariat.
URL:
http://LTERnet.edu
Contact:
Prof. James R. Gosz, Chairman, U.S. LTER Network
Biology Department
University of New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87131, USA
Tel: +1 505 2772265
Fax: +1 505 2775355
Email: [email protected]
