Scientific users and eLTER community

• eLTER RI design: In an inclusive and collaborative process with the eLTER project consortia and national networks, several implementation scenarios for the eLTER RI were co-designed. Based on deliberations with member countries, the eLTER Interim Council decided that further eLTER RI specifications shall aim for 12-18 member countries, a geographically, ecologically, and socio-ecologically representative network of ~200 eLTER Sites and ~50 eLTSER Platforms, and a robust portfolio of core services with an indicative budget of 9 ME p.a.

• eLTER Service Portfolio: Based on scouting of services that are expected from eLTER across >30 stakeholder groups, eLTER has specified ~50 services in 7 Thematic Service Areas. Services range from data integration to synthesis towards actionable knowledge. Some key services are already operational, including the eLTER Sites & Platforms Registry (DEIMS-SDR), others are tested in pilots or are under construction.

• eLTER Standard Observations: In cooperation with internal and external scientific experts across countries, eLTER adopted 65 Standard Observation variables covering all five ecosystem spheres. eLTER SOs are scientifically grounded, technically feasible, and affordable. Methods, protocols and a costing tool for their implementation have been developed to support smooth implementation of this pan-European standard for environmental observations.
• eLTER Cyberinfrastructure: Some key services are already operational, including the eLTER Sites & Platforms Registry (DEIMS-SDR), which is crucial for the identification of sites and platforms most suited for research projects. An eLTER data call published on eLTER’s Market Place in 2024 starts the systematic mobilisation of long-term time series legacy data for selected eLTER Standard Observations.

• eLTER network design: Representativity studies of eLTER’s emerging physical network design (e.g. Ohnemus et al. 2024) confirm good coverage in terms of habitats, bioclimate and economic density and other reference attributes as well as eLTER’s fitness to tackle current and future research challenges related to e.g. climate change and biodiversity losses.

• eLTER network development: A statistical tool for assessing the value of additional sites was developed to close remaining gaps in biogeographic coverage and further increase the capacity to address future research challenges.

• eLTER in-situ facilities: eLTER established a design and mandatory criteria for eLTER Sites and eLTSER Platforms that is based on compliance with eLTER’s Whole System Approach, the eLTER Standard Observations and other criteria to guarantee minimum standards in terms of site and data functionality and quality. To account for the variation in technological readiness amongst sites and platforms, two categories with differing requirements were established.

• eLTER stakeholders: Based on a thorough stakeholder analysis, eLTER identified > 30 stakeholder groups as relevant to the eLTER RI. These were grouped into 7 key stakeholder categories, and an eLTER Stakeholder Handbook was developed to ensure that the eLTER RI meets the needs of all its stakeholders.

• Multiple disciplinary communities and Early Career scientists: eLTER´s Whole System approach implies the support for multiple research communities (ecosystem ecology, critical zone, socio-ecology, biodiversity, hydrology etc.) collaborating at eLTER Sites and eLTSER Platforms. Moreover, it provides a unique working environment for transdisciplinary research involving local or regional actors. The Early Career & Friends group promotes the next generation of researchers.

• eLTER community: eLTER established the ‘Sites and Platforms Forum’ to bring together the widely distributed community of sites and platforms and provide an interactive forum for exchange, training, and networking for these key stakeholders of eLTER.

• Communication and training: eLTER developed an informative website as well as tailored communication strategies and materials for its Communication Target Groups, as well as a range of training materials on various aspects of eLTER.

• Collaboration with peers: eLTER has established formal collaboration agreements with other global and European research groups and organisations like ILTER, GEO, UNECE Working Group on Effects, ICOS ERIC, and LifeWatch ERIC to ensure effective and complementary collaboration in support of the scientific users

• Project collaborations: eLTER contributes to a range of other projects in the areas of environmental research, climate-related risks, and data integration and sharing to foster interdisciplinary research and drive breakthroughs in environmental science. 

• RI landscape development: eLTER contributed to the co-development of global and European bodies that coordinate the work of Research Infrastructures to maximize the usability for users. Examples are the Global Ecosystem Research Infrastructures (GERI)  and the Board of ENVRI (Environmental Research Infrastructures), where eLTER maintains an active partner role.

• eLTER Whole System Approach: eLTER’s Whole System Approach is systematically integrated and realized in key components of the eLTER RI, such as design and mandatory criteria for eLTER Sites and eLTSER Platforms and eLTER Standard Observations. It also forms the basis of network-fitness analyses (e.g. Ohnemus et al. 2024) for tackling key eLTER research challenges.

• eLTER scientific contributions: eLTER publishes, contributes to, and is subject of an increasing number of scientific publications and reports, amongst them reports on eLTER’s Scientific Case Studies. For more information see here, here, and here.

• eLTER strategic plan and goals: eLTER’s Strategic Plan outlines eLTER’s vision and mission as well as the strategic goals of the eLTER RI, including the research challenges it will tackle, considerations for cost-efficient network operations, and eLTER’s innovative working culture.

  
  

• eLTER ERIC development: Since the 2020 decision of the eLTER Interim Council that the legal form of the eLTER RI should be a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), eLTER has made steady progress towards the establishment of the eLTER ERIC. This includes establishment of foundational strategies, guidelines and indicators through a participatory process with Interim Council members, amongst them

  • eLTER’s provisional statutory seat in Germany

  • the eLTER Scientific Advisory Board

  • the eLTER Ethical Advisory Board
  • Integrated Governance that ensures a high level of operational integration of the national LTER networks and communities and eLTER’s member countries in the development and eventual operation of the eLTER ERIC

as well as the ongoing development of statutes and financial parameters for the eLTER ERIC.

• eLTER Flagship projects: Despite their launch during the first months of the global COVID pandemic in 2020, the eLTER projects eLTER PPP and eLTER PLUS are being implemented successfully. In 2023, eLTER was awarded the eLTER EnRich project to compensate for the effects of the COVID pandemic.

• eLTER preparation: eLTER’s inclusion in the ESFRI Roadmap in 2018 was enabled by several preparatory projects including Advance eLTER.