eLTER at EGU25: Advancing Long-Term Ecosystem Research Through Global Collaboration

At the European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2025 (EGU25), held in Vienna, eLTER scientists presented their latest work in the field of long-term ecosystem, critical zone, and socio-ecological research. With more than 20,000 participants—including scientists, media professionals, policymakers, industry representatives, and members of the public—EGU25 offered a dynamic platform for scientific exchange, collaboration, and innovation.

Throughout the event, eLTER researchers highlighted key advancements that reflect the initiative’s integrative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative approach to ecosystem research across Europe.

Presentation Highlights

Michael Mirtl
Presentation: eLTER RI as an integrative and collaborative framework enabling multi- and transdisciplinary research in terrestrial, freshwater, and transitional water ecosystems
🔗 View abstract
Michael Mirtl, coordinator of eLTER, introduced the overarching vision and architecture of the eLTER Research Infrastructure. He emphasised its role as a pan-European framework supporting integrated ecosystem research through standardised long-term data, advanced observation systems, and research platforms. His talk underlined the importance of enabling cross-disciplinary collaboration to address global environmental challenges.

Steffen Zacharias
Presentation: eLTER Standard Observations: A holistic framework for integrated long-term environmental monitoring
🔗 View abstract
Steffen Zacharias introduced the eLTER Standard Observations—a harmonized monitoring framework that ensures high-quality, interoperable data collection across various ecosystem types. This standardized approach enhances data comparability and supports synthesis research, which is essential for understanding environmental change at multiple scales.

Veronika Gaube
Presentation: Investigating sustainability across scales through social-ecological land-use studies in LTSER platforms
🔗 View abstract
Veronika Gaube highlighted the socio-ecological dimension of eLTER research, drawing on case studies from Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) platforms. She demonstrated how integrating ecological, social, and land-use data enhances our understanding of sustainability challenges and supports the development of regionally adapted solutions.

🔗 For the full overview of eLTER sessions and presentatons, visit the eLTER at European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2025 summary page.

Promoting eLTER at the ENVRI Booth

eLTER was prominently featured at the ENVRI community booth—an interactive space where research projects and infrastructures shared their services and connected with the broader scientific community. The eLTER communication team actively promoted eLTER services, use cases, and research opportunities. Visitors to the booth could explore a range of promotional materials, including brochures, flyers, stickers, and a specially created explainer video “This is eLTER”, which played continuously on booth screens. The booth also served as a valuable space for discussing science communication strategies.

Members of the eLTER communication team, including Nina Hobbhahn (eLTER Communication and Liaison Officer) and Alexandra Tzvetkova (Pensoft Communication Expert), engaged with their counterparts from other ENVRI projects and infrastructures, sharing expertise and learning about new trends in science communication. They also participated in dedicated sessions on effective outreach strategies and discussed how to empower researchers to better communicate their work to the public and the media.

Lunchtime Talks at the ENVRI Booth

The ENVRI booth attracted a diverse group of visitors, including early-career researchers, senior scientists, private sector representatives, and partners from sister infrastructures. These interactions sparked valuable conversations around cooperation, data sharing, and strategies for long-term environmental research.

As part of the ENVRI lunchtime talk series, Ulf Mallast, Head of eLTER Service Development, presented eLTER’s new researcher-focused services. These tools are designed to facilitate access to data, research sites, and socio-ecological knowledge platforms, enhancing usability and engagement across disciplines and research communities.

Strengthening Global Partnerships

As a special side event, eLTER Coordinator Michael Mirtl organized an exclusive visit to the Rosalia Lehrforst, one of eLTER’s Austrian sites, for representatives of the USA National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN). The excursion fostered hands-on dialogue and mutual learning, reinforcing the global nature of ecosystem research collaborations.

Looking Ahead

EGU25 marked a significant milestone for eLTER, offering fertile ground for new partnerships and advancing conversations on science-policy integration. The growing engagement with decision-makers, industry stakeholders, and fellow research infrastructures underscores the increasing importance of eLTER’s mission: to build a sustainable future through robust, long-term ecosystem research and collaboration.

Spotlight on eLTER scientists and their EGU25 experience:

Allan T. Souza, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research INAR, Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Finland

Your key takeaways from EGU25?

My take is that there are still a lot of challenges and work ahead when it comes to make data available and FAIR in research infrastructures.

A question you were asked during your presentation?

It was related to my web application for the eLTER SO Costs: "Does your app also find the best places to establish an eLTER site?". I answered saying that would be fantastic, but the web app was focused solely on the costs to operate and upgrade an eLTER site, not finding the best spot to establish a new eLTER site. I did, however, point out the work done by eLTER colleagues on this specific topic.

How would you explain your work to a class of 10-year-old kids?

I work to make information (i.e. data) to be available in the best way possible to people interested in helping to solve the environmental crisis we are currently facing. 

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Beñat Olascoaga, Institute for Atmospheric & Earth System Research (INAR) / Forest Sciences, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Faculty of Agriculture & Forestry, University of Helsinki

Your key takeaways from EGU25?

As a conference that gathered more than 20 000 participants and included so many research topics explored through so many varying angles, EGU25 reinforced in me the idea of the necessity for long-term, integrated and interdisciplinary research with harmonized frameworks, as the way to address the current environmental crises.

A question you were asked during your presentation?

Allan Souza and I gave a short course on dataset interoperability, but I also presented a poster on a side project of mine related to the short-term environmental effects of transforming lawns into meadows in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Finland. Among other things, we detected 35 species of bees on the transformed urban meadows, two years after transformations took place. I have been asked a couple of times if the value is right. I think it is surprising for people to discover that there is such a large diversity in urban areas, as they imagine that cities can only harbour a few species. One could really get surprised by the diversity around them, if only could stop for a short time and pay attention to their surroundings.

How would you explain your work to a class of 10-year-old kids?

In the research I brought to EGU25, I studied attitudes of citizens towards urban lawns and alternative greenspace settings such as meadows. I also studied how attitudes relate to respondents’ environmental concern, identity and experiences of nature. As, during the research project, some urban lawns were transformed into meadows, I also studied the dynamics of soil properties, greenhouse gases, vegetation and pollinator species over the two years after transformations took place.

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Thomas Ohnemus, Department Monitoring- und Erkundungstechnologien, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ         

Your key takeaways from EGU25?

The GERI network really seems like a promising approach to facilitate global ecological research, with a lot of interested and capable people involved. Hope I can keep contributing to this in the future.

A question you were asked during your presentation?

I thought about that for a long while, but no question really stood out. 

How would you explain your work to a class of 10-year-old kids?

We look at the environment at different places in many countries. I try to understand what the environment looks like at these places, and check at which locations the environment looks much different, because this is where we want to look at the environment, too.

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Janne F. J. Korhonen, Institute for Atmospheric & Earth System Research (INAR) / Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki

Your key takeaways from EGU25?

Better understanding of Research Infrastructures and how they work (eLTER, ENVRI, GERI). I got confirmation that there is a need for chamber calibration infrastructure that I want to establish in 2026. People remember me after being out of the Academia for 10 years, and people show enthusiasm towards working with me.

A question you were asked during your presentation?

There were not many strange questions considering my research, I did talk to people from other fields. Mainly they did not always straight away understand what I am doing.

How would you explain your work to a class of 10-year-old kids?

We are studying how growing food in fields warms the climate, and how to make it warm the climate less (or even cool the climate). I am working on how to better measure how much gases that warm the climate are released from the soil.

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