Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Programs
The Wildlands and Woodlands vision report was developed by researchers at Harvard Forest . Harvard Forest is one of 27 centers for long-term ecological research ( LTER )across the continental UnitedStates, Puerto Rico, the Pacific Islands, and Antarctica. The National Science Foundation supports this program. Harvard Forest's role in Wildlands and Woodlands is a model for how other LTER sites could support similar collaborative conservation efforts.
At each LTER site researchers study basic ecological processes, representative of the site's ecosystem, and compare them with other sites. And, because humans continue to have a significant influence on these ecological processes, the interactions between human and natural processes have become an important aspect of LTER research.
- Why are Wildlands important for long-term ecological research (LTER)?
- The National Science Foundation and LTER
- Harvard Forest's LTER Program
- Examples of research in support of Wildlands and Woodlands at Harvard Forest
Why are Wildlands important for long-term ecological research (LTER)?
Beyond providing large uncut areas for human enjoyment and wildlife habitat, "forever wild" areas are a critical part of the Wildlands and Woodlands vision because they offer:
- Study sites for long-term ecological research. We can learn far more about carbon, water, and landscape dynamics by studying a forest for several decades than by studying it for only several years.
- A reference for evaluating the consequences of human impacts on Woodlands.
- An opportunity to learn how large areas, once intensively managed, become increasingly controlled by natural dynamics.
The National Science Foundation and LTER
The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports a network of 27 LTER programs located at sites throughout the Continental U.S., as well as Puerto Rico, the Pacific Islands and Antarctica.
In February 2000, the National Science Board (NSB), NSF's policymaking body, released a report urging that NSF expand the LTER program and make the environment a "central focus" of its research portfolio in the twenty-first century.
Harvard Forest LTER Program
Harvard Forest joined the LTER network in 1988. The first large manipulation experiment was a simulation of a major windstorm, the most common natural disturbance in the region. A recognition of the importance of historical and current land-use on ecosystems has led to increasing emphasis on human-ecosystem interactions. Ongoing research projects examining these interactions include measuring carbon uptake by growing forests, ecosystem response to soil warming (simulating climate change), and long-term impacts of the introduced insect pest, hemlock woolly adelgid.
Examples of Research Supportive of Wildlands and Woodlands
Wildlands Monitoring
Harvard Forest is establishing a set of managed woodlands and unmanaged wildlands across its property and developing protocols for monitoring vegetation under each scenario. Long-term comparisons of managed and unmanaged forests will provide insight into any differences that develop over time and create an objective standard for assessing the value of each treatment.
Carbon Sequestration Research
Researchers at Harvard Forest have been measuring the carbon taken up and stored by the growing forest since 1992, the longest record of carbon storage for any North American forest. These measurements have documented that New England forests play a globally important role in mitigating climate change by storing carbon. Moreover, more than ten years of measurements were needed to show that rates of carbon storage by these forests are actually increasing over time.
LTER Cross-site Collaboration
The network of LTER sites, located in different ecosystems throughout North America and beyond, provides an ideal opportunity for collaboration not only in research, but also in conservation and education/outreach. These sites can adapt and implement the Wildlands and Woodlands concepts developed at the Harvard Forest across a diverse ecological and political landscape.
