lter-europe – interim check before the big endspurt

Federal Environment Agency

ILTER

M. Mirtl/ LTER-Europe

ILTER

LTER-Europe Regional Group at ILTER, SK5th LTER-Europe NNRC, 18th Aug 2008

Michael Mirtl (UBA)

LTER-Europe – interim check before the big endspurt...


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PART A

MONDAY 18th, 10:30-17:30


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Who are WE? Bodies of LTER-Europe

Scientific Site Co-ordinatorConference (SSCC)

National Networks Representatives Conference

(NNRC)

Co-ordinating Committee

(CC)

EC

Structure? Governance?


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No ALTER WP I3 task groups LTER-Europe: structural objectives/ main fields of activity

9 Conceptual work towards LTER Europe Concepts

10 Communication and internal LTER networking Communication

11 Networking, community building and training

12 Case studies and proof of concept LTER projects, case studies and proof of concept

13 Information management, data architectures and IT tools

14 Strategic interfaces and fundraising

15 Formalization, institution building and management

LTER-Europe: Main fields of activity

This meeting: selection of issues relevant for National Networks:

Information Decisions Planning Division of tasks Resulting ToDo-list


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Taking up the thread...

All documents and products of Sevilla/Donana and the processes since then:http://www.lter-spain.net/lter-europe/products.htm

4 sections switch to WEB browser


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By the end of the MONDAY (4th NNRC, Sevilla) We survived Bylaws adopted Status of national networks assessed (implementation, activity)

Mind map of national networks checked First level criteria for LTER-Europe members adopted Editorial groups for Letters of Support & Commitment Overview of strategic environm. of LTER-Europe achieved Priority workflows for LTER-Europe adopted (incl. proj.proposals) Agreed structure of the WEB site and national informations Standard observations/parameter: agreed list for further specification by SSCC and

following national review Expert group: LTER-Europe research agenda List of responsibles for the interface with other networks Adopted working plan 2008 (as nat. netwerks concerned) 40 filled individual brainstormings (conference questionnairs)


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Background documents (printouts in LTER-Europe regional group

folder)

Agenda Minutes of the 4th LTER-Europe NNRC (Sevilla) Protocol of the 2nd LTER-Europe SSCC

(Donana) 5th NNRC conference questionnaire LTER-Europe 2007/2008: Extract of ALTER-Net

annual report Bylaws, version 9: results of final checks


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Some highlights

Participation statistics of this meeting: 14/16/18/43 Ecoinformatics confernece (EEA, US-EPA) & Interface

with SEIS LifeWatch start-up LTEM and LTER

EEA IM

ALTER-NAC, EC review LTER process, LTSER

Planning meeting in Rome Interface with UNECE/BR (Sept. 08) DivEurope Spain, Portugal (quality!) Bulgaria


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LTER-Europe: January 2008

2008Discussion started

First concepts

Network implementation

Formal ILTER member

ALTER-I3/ M. Mirtl

Lobbying initiated


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LTER-Europe: August 2008

2008Discussion started

First concepts

Network implementation

Formal ILTER member

ALTER-I3/ M. Mirtl

Lobbying initiated


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How far have we gone from the starting point?


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1a: National meetings outcome

SEE QUESTIONNAIRE and..... Who has designated SSC for his sites? Who is able to send his SSC to one annual meeting? feedback European coverage feedback standard observations Announcement: best examples report Announcement: best practice report Announcement: next meeting (date)


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1: Will & Reality

Will your national netw ork have a meeting

before mid June 2008 to give qualif ied feedback to the questions raised in Sevilla/Donana?

12; 75%

3; 19%

1; 6%

yes

can try

no

Did your national netw ork have a meeting

before mid June 2008?

4; 25%

0; 0%

12; 75%

yes

can try

no

Answers from Sevilla NNRC questionnaire (2008-01)

Available information to LTER-Europe EC (2008-08)Qualified feed-back to questions: zero


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1: Another interesting result with regard to the LTER-Europe management plan...

Could you pay membership due

0; 0%

13; 76%

2; 12%

2; 12%

yes

have to check

no

no answ er

Answers from Sevilla NNRC questionnaire (2008-01)


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2: Completion of the LTER Infobase

Delivered national updates (4!) Constraints in efforts to centrally fill the ILTER

site database with European data Further discussion & decisions under

item 7 (European ecological ontology; Peterseil) item 15 (ToDo-lists for NN)


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3: LTER-Europe 6th NNRC & 3rd SSCC, Dec. 2008

December 1-5, 2008 (Monday-Friday) Palma de Mallorca RIU Palace Bonanza Playa Target groups

National reps & deputies Site coordinators Platform managers Co-ordinators of scientific project proposals (LTSER, IDR) Key people involved in the LTSER concept development ALTER-Net expert groups fitting into the LTER-Europe

expert panels


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3: LTER-Europe Dec.2008: Venue „RIU Palace Bonanza Playa“, Palma de Mallorca


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3: Basic structure

Res.AgendaCommunication

Harmonisation LTSER

Technology Info Managem.

Site-Manag

Structure of SSC Conferences

Ple

nary

Ple

nary

Ple

nary

Ple

nary

? S

cie

nti

fic

LTER

Con

f.

NN

RC

CC


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3: Program overview

Program: Open space: Scientific projects meet site/platform

responsibles (1 day) LTSER focus (1 day) Scientific strategy (0,5 day) NNRC (1 day) Excursion (0,5 day) LTER core group (1 day)


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3: Development of LTER/LTSER projects

Format: open space Invitations/announcements

EURECO (folder in the conference map) EC web site National ecological societies (request for spreading

the information) LTER National Networks!!

Other aspects/ideas: Possible continuation of ALARM projects with LTER in

place of FSN xxx xxx


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3: LTSER-focus

LTSER expert panel needs to fill that with live Furman, Singh, Fischer, Krauze, Mirtl

Contributions from LTSER management & training workshop (October, Zdenka)

Links with IDR goal of ALTER-Net Workshop in October (18-22) in Edinburgh

Contents Conceptual state of the art Proof of concpets (LTSER Projects) Lessons learned from LTSER platform implementations Required frame (funding, organisation of the science area)


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3: NNRC (National Net Reps Conference)

Key notes EC: further expectations from LTER LifeWatch: LTER as a component of the European

observatories infrastructure EEA/UNECE: coupling with environmental monitoring Ramsar – possible cooperation and networking experience

Status of NNs and reports

Strategic partnerships Established and required partnerships Priorisation of interfaces

Funding mechanisms LTER-Europe secreatariat Membership dues?


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3: LTER core group

Work package I3 meeting Wrapping up Division of tasks Editorial work on LTER-Europe management plan


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3: Preparation

MM: preparatory trip/ negotiations with hotelsLocal travel agency? Donana teamWho else?

DISCUSSION AND FURTHER BRAINSTORMING IN THE END TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE IDEAS FROM

THE MEETING


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4, 5, 6, 7

4: "LTER-Europe best examples book" and "LTER-Europe best practice guidelines" (s. emails sent by K. Krauze)

5: Experiences with the Multi-site trampling experiment (MSE) and the 2008 vegetation re-survey work (Klotz; Parr/Groner)

6: Status of the Meta-analysis to test the hypothesis about changes in community composition (Groner/Krauze)

7: European ecological ontology (SERONTO) and how to contribute to the global ontology process (Peterseil), including LTER Infobase and reporting discipline


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8: Update on level of activity of NNs

Intended to be a brief evaluation of the filled questionnaires

Main messages now in Flip charts filled in the beginning


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9-12

9: Key note presentation by RO “Starting to organize the national LTERs in complyance with the structures of LTER-Europe” (Vadineanu)

10: WEB site presentation (Krauze/ Mirtl) 11: Logo discussion & decision (Krauze) 12: LTER-projects: proposals, initiatives,

ideas...: Life+/DivEurope (Petriccione)


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13: Lifewatch is...

is a formal network of networks network of observatories (“sites”) from different realms (marine,

terrestric, aquatic) will promote a network of data producers and collections

has a focus on data management and provision will provide access to distributed data sources, also building on GBIF will provide analytical and modeling tools PLUS computational capacity

develop infrastructure for improved biodiversity and ecosystem research

will – as also for the other planned large European infrastructures - mainly be based on joint national funding in accordance with LifeWatch concepts

depends on the lobbying for national LifeWatch networks and their consideration in the respective national ESFRI road maps

will estimate the realistic costs and work on a legal framework enabling all the above

9 work packages, complex structure, comprising national networks and topical networks (ALTER, MARBEF) represented in the policy and science board


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13: Lifewatch needs use cases...

What do potential clients of LifeWatch expect of LifeWach products and services in the mid- and long term? (e.g.: what data search, access and analytical support should LifeWatch have enabled? For what purposes?)

What infrastructural and technical framework shall LifeWatch have conceptualized (pilot phase) and implemented (after 2010)?

What interaction between the networked elements and their data/knowledge shall be enabled?


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13: LifeWatch & LTER on the national level...

Significant overlap with the national mind maps of LTER (as recently updated at the LTER conference in Spain)

Most of these national LifeWatch consortia are currently established

Might be highly synergistic if the national LTER representatives contacted the LifeWatch responsibles in their countries

List of national LifeWatch contacts will be provided The implementation of LifeWatch will mainly be realised

through national fundings according to concepts developed on the European level

For that reason it is crucial to achieve a good recognition and consideration of LifeWatch in the national ESFRI roadmaps as ESFRI projects are competing amongst each other – a clear incentive to join forces with all other LifeWatch relevant actors in your countries.


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14: UNESCO/BiosphereReserves – LTER:

Brainstorming on interface UNESCO/BiosphereReserves – LTER:

preparatory action for the complementary exercise in the ILTER part (strategic partnerships) (Mirtl)


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15: ToDo List for National Networks (NN)

All national meetings 2008 before ILTER conf Fill the draft of the “questionnaire” or better standard LTER-Europe national

report BEFORE Mallorca2008 PLUS evaluate the standard report itself Feedback on European coverage of LTER (LTER-SER) Feedback on proposed standard observations Secure national contributions to “Best examples report” Secure national contributions to “Best practice manual” WEB sites

Check and comment on draft LTER-Europe WEB site in the one-week testing time (will be duely announced)

National WEB sites to which the LTER-Europe WEB site can link (smooth hand-over point, considering whats already on the LTER-Europe WEB site)

Provide appropriate references News, events and projects that should be put on the WEB site

Designated SSC for all sites Next LTER-conference (1-5 December) Beyond March 2009:

Who is able to send his SSC to one annual meeting? Who can host the LTER-Europe conference 2009 (8th NNRC)


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15: Proposed issues that should not be touched by next NN meetings

LTER-Europe criteria LTER-Europe bylaws


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16: Beyond 2009-03

16.1 LTER-Europen conference 2009: when? (later in the year, as we will meet 2009-03 at

the final ALTER conference), where?

16.2 LTER-Europe management plan draft to be finished asap an circulated for comments well elaborated draft to be worked on in Mallorca

2008-12


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17: Other business: Necessary clarifications

OPEN (t. b. put in next questionnaire): Role of NNRs in the communication Should information in any case go through the NNRs to

avoid gaps and delays in the updating of mailing lists on the European level

Should this happen in parallel? How to deal with feed-backs from the community (through

NNRs, directly to LTER-Europe, in parallel)? DECIDED: How to organize national reporting/ feed-

backs? Questionnaire with standard questions on issues relevant

for LTER-Europe and onging processes (PLUS: changes in time traceable)

Indiv. reports Aditional: Oral reporting


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17: Other issues: Critical points I

LTER-Europe process needs more engaged AND ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTING people (bigger core group rather than a few key persons)


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17: Critical questions I

WHY DO WE EXIST AS INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS? What is the main purpose of LTER-Europe and ILTER

from your very national perspective? Central services are not used (see also: ALTER WEB

site) There are hardly any multi-site projects (difficult to

establish, even if pushed and financed...): Why? Do we need an umbrella to do/continue our small

projects at small sites with a few people? (but may be with a broader horizon and a bit differently, which makes the big difference)


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Postponed for an ad hoc meeting later in the week

1-hour session on best examples book, focussing on the European dimension and brainstorming [item 4]

Agree on timeplan containing the national activities as decided by the 5th NNRC (10 min in above session) [item 15]

Voting for LTER-Europe logo (ticks on printouts on the wall: 1 per country) [item 11]

Quick vote on the final changes of the bylaws [item 1] LTER-Europe IT and information management issues

[item 7]


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ILTER

LTER-Europe Regional Group at ILTER, SK5th LTER-Europe NNRC, 18th Aug 2008

Michael Mirtl (UBA)

LTER-Europe – interim check before the big endspurt...


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PART B

TUESDAY 19th, 18:30-19:30


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Items which need to be finished

4: "LTER-Europe best examples book" and "LTER-Europe best practice guidelines" (s. emails sent by K. Krauze)

7: European ecological ontology (SERONTO) and how to contribute to the global ontology process (Peterseil), including LTER Infobase and reporting discipline

11: Logo results of voting 12: LTER-projects: announcement of meeting:

Life+/DivEurope group: 21:15 in lobby 14: Brainstorming on interface

UNESCO/BiosphereReserves – LTER: 15: ToDo List for National Networks (NN) and timeplan 17: Other business:

communication paths substantial contributions to the intense working phase until

March 2009


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17/1: Other business: Necessary clarifications

OPEN (t. b. put in next questionnaire): Role of NNRs in the communication Should information in any case go through the NNRs

to avoid gaps and delays in the updating of mailing lists on the European level

Should this happen in parallel? How to deal with feed-backs from the community

(through NNRs, directly to LTER-Europe, in parallel)?


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17/2: Other business: Involvement in LTER core team until March 2009

Preparation of LTER-conference in Mallorca Open space event: „Science meets sites“ LTSER-day

Best examples book Best practice manual LTER-Europe management plan Core team meetings


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To end with the positive: Some highlights!

Participation statistics of this meeting: 14 formal members (1 passed vote in addition) 18 members by the end of the weeks (16 present) 9 countries from former west, 9 from former central/east 43 participants from Europe!!

Ecoinformatics confernece (EEA, US-EPA) & Interface with SEIS

LifeWatch start-up LTEM and LTER

EEA IM

ALTER-NAC, EC review LTER process, LTSER

Planning meeting in Rome Interface with UNECE/BR (Sept. 08) DivEurope Spain, Portugal (quality!) Bulgaria


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11: Logo: 15 votes

7

1

2

4


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11: Logo

1

lter-europe – interim check before the big endspurt

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