Grant history of an LTER site
The Georgia Coastal Ecosystems (GCE) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, which was established in 2000 to understand estuaries (places where salt water from the ocean mixes with fresh water from the land) and their adjacent coastal wetlands (i.e., marshes and tidal forests) and how they respond to long-term change. The GCE LTER researchers evaluate… Read more »
This project uses long-term data and experiments to predict how ecosystems will respond to environmental change. Human activities are changing many aspects of the Earth?s environment. This includes changes to the chemical makeup of the atmosphere and soils, the frequency of events like fire and drought, the rate at which species go extinct, and the… Read more »
This project uses long-term data to predict how coastlines will change in response to environmental change. Nearly half the world?s population lives on the coast. Even more humans depend on coastal resources. These resources are threatened by sea-level rise, warming air and water temperatures, and changes in the frequency and strength of storms and rainfall…. Read more »
The Jornada Basin (JRN) long-term research team will study why and how grasslands in low rainfall areas are shifting to shrub and bare ground in the southwestern United States and beyond. Losing grassland ecosystems can negatively affect human well-being by reducing livestock production and increasing soil erosion. It also changes how important elements, like carbon… Read more »
Humans are altering ecosystems at unprecedented rates, especially in the coastal zone. The Virginia Coast Reserve (VCR) LTER aims to develop predictive understanding of how long-term environmental change and short-term disturbances control the dynamic nature of coastal barrier landscapes. The landscape is heterogeneous, comprised of mainland watersheds, tidal marshes, lagoons and barrier islands. The central… Read more »
The Virginia Coast Reserve (VCR) Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Program examines the response of coastal barrier ecosystems to climate change, sea-level rise and intensified human use. Studies of watersheds, marshes, tidal flats, bays, and barrier islands show that there are surprising and dramatic changes in ecological dynamics, so-called ‘tipping points’ or thresholds, where one… Read more »
The Virginia Coast Reserve (VCR) Long Term Ecological Research project is dedicated to developing a predictive understanding of the dynamic landscapes of coastal barrier systems. Healthy coastal ecosystems are the first line of defense against sea-level rise and storms. Key components of those systems, i.e., barrier islands, intertidal marshes, and lagoons with seagrass, reduce erosion… Read more »
Intellectual Merit: The Santa Barbara Coastal LTER (SBC) is an interdisciplinary research and education program established in April, 2000 to investigate the role of land and ocean processes in structuring ecosystems at the land-sea margin. The main study area is the Santa Barbara Channel and the steep coastal watersheds, small estuaries and sandy beaches that… Read more »
The goods and services provided by coastal marine ecosystems greatly benefit society, but their sustainability is uncertain due to increasing threats from coastal development, pollution, fishing, and changing climate. Long-term ecological studies of these important ecosystems are necessary for understanding the consequences of such threats and how to mitigate them. Focusing on key “foundation species”… Read more »
