The Elter Research Infrastructure: Current Design and Coverage of Environmental and Socio-Ecological Gradients

• DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.4658023
• Publication Date: 2023-12-08T03:18:06Z
• Authors: Thomas Ohnemus; Steffen Zacharias; Thomas Dirnböck; Jaana Bäck; Werner Brack; Martin Forsius; Ulf Mallast; Nikolaos P. Niko...; Johannes Peterseil; Christophe Piscart; Francisco Pando; Christian Poppe T...; Michael Mirtl
• Keywords: [SDE] Environmental Sciences; Network Development; 550; info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/333.7; Representativity; Forestry; Observation; Network; Social-ecology; Development; Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss; Environmental sciences; Long-term; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; GE1-350; Long-term Observation

eLTER RI - the distributed Integrated European Long-Term Ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological Research Infrastructure – will comprise >200 in-situ facilities (ecosystem research sites platforms) once formalised as Consortium. Optimisation of spatial distribution infrastructure is often based on analyses transferability or representativity that reveal under-, well overrepresented conditions locations.In this study we assessed current coverage environmental gradients by RI. Therefore, (i) conducted a survey to describe emerging RI, (ii) identified most gaps in its six Reference Parameters, (iii) derived recommendations for further development Three distinct geospatial were identified: Iberian Gap, Eastern Nordic Gap. These resulted mainly from underrepresentation agricultural lands, regions with low economic density, mesic dry Mediterranean, Continental Boreal biogeoregions. Closing these highest priority network development.The patterns appeared be driven access funding resources. Several responded but do currently not fulfil infrastructural requirements bear potential contribute gap closure. Additionally, incorporating other infrastructures monitoring networks into could cost-efficiently counteract gaps. The findings case enabled cost-efficient Further country-specific site-specific comprehensive dataset over Europe, allowing analyse which would best close Furthermore, computing similarity values all cells already established more precisely gaps, while simultaneously bridging concepts transferability.