To understand the patterns, relationships and dependencies in the environment, there is a need for well-designed long-term ecological research and monitoring. In Australia this need is partly met by the Long-Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), which brings together some of Australia’s leading ecologists and their long-term research.
LTERN comprises 12 plot networks across Australia that have been actively monitored for several years – and in some cases for decades. The plot networks span different ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, tropical savannas, tall eucalypt forests, mallee woodlands and shrublands, alpine regions, and deserts. They also cover multiple land tenures and land uses, including plantation forestry, conservation, restoration, tourism and agriculture. The data collected at each plot network can vary, but the range of information collected covers vegetation, soils, invertebrates, birds, reptiles, arboreal marsupials, genetics, phenology, and more.
To make it easier for people to access the wealth of research output from LTERN, this month the facility has released a publications catalogue that lists all LTERN’s publications in one place. The 64-page document cites 860 publications, including 536 refereed scientific publications in high-impact, prestigious journals, and highlights the productivity of the ecologists in LTERN and the importance of their research.
This is the first edition of the catalogue, which will be updated quarterly and published on the LTERN webpage.
For more information on LTERN, contact the Executive Director, Dr Emma Burns.
Cover of first catalogue
Published in TERN e-Newsletter June 2013
