Coastal habitats are the first line of defense against sea-level rise and storms. At the same time, they are vulnerable to change, and can be pushed past tipping points and lost. A long-term, landscape-scale experiment with seagrass at Virginia Coast Reserve LTER is the first of its kind to show the role of restoration in reinstating ecosystem services, particularly ‘blue carbon’ sequestration.
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Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems LTER
Regional Conservation Communication Manager – Harvard Forest LTER
POSITION SUMMARY Wildlands and Woodlands, a New England-wide conservation initiative of the Harvard Forest and Highstead, seeks a talented communication professional with a background in conservation or other environmental field. The Regional Conservation Communication Manager will work as part of a team to develop and implement communication strategies that inform and inspire conservationists, policymakers, foresters,… Read more »
LTER Science Update Newsletter | March 2017
In March, the Science Update Newsletter covers: Announcements of three new LTER sites and the NSF symposium a HFR-LTER paper in Ecology on the influence of excess nitrogen on fungal decomposition (spoiler — it slows decomposition) a BES-LTER paper in Landscape Ecology on evolving paradigms of urban ecology a KBS-LTER study, published in Royal Society Open Science, on… Read more »
Symposium: Discovering the Nature of Ecosystem Change
Synopsis Even as sea-level rise, drought, and fire increase pressures on some ecological systems, others are benefitting from protection and restoration efforts. But some changes are not reversible. Long-term research employs observations of past changes, together with long-running experiments and modeling to understand the processes responsible for sustaining ecological functions. Drawing on concrete examples and… Read more »
LTER Science Update Newsletter | February 2017
In February, the Science Update Newsletter covers: an KBS-LTER paper in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation on collaborative solutions to nitrogen runoff; a CCE-LTER paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on organic carbon sequestration at mesoscale ocean fronts; a BNZ-LTER study, published in Forest Ecology and Management, on the the influence of hare… Read more »
NSF awards $5.6 million to establish new arctic Long-Term Ecological Research site
Education Coordinator, Sustainability Research Network, ASU
Education Program Coordinator, Senior Urban Resilience to Extremes (UREx) Sustainability Research Network (SRN) The Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University invites applications for a full-time Education Program Coordinator Senior, Urban Resilience to Extremes (UREx) Sustainability Research Network (SRN). To review the posting and apply to this position, please visit: https://cfo.asu.edu/hr-applicant… Read more »
Chronic Nitrogen Enrichment Slows Fungal Action
Fungi, often spotted in cold, damp locations, are responsible for decomposing the plant litter that falls to forest floors, enriching soils. Without fungi, dead plant material would inundate ecosystems and overwhelm other organisms. What would happen, then, if anthropogenic nitrogen altered the fungi’s ability to perform this vital ecosystem function? A recent study capitalized on a 28-year nitrogen enrichment experiment at the Harvard Forest LTER site in north-central Massachusetts to find out. As nitrogen inputs to a system increase, researchers found, fungal decomposition slowed.
Sustainability in the City
Ecosystem services, such as the water cycle or flood control, support urban sustainability but are also impacted by the development of city-centers. Improving the sustainable design and management of cities, then, requires understanding how development affects such processes and services. A recent study contrasted two methods for measuring urban sustainability, ecology in cities and ecology of cities, and found that the integrative framework of ecology of cities more thoroughly addresses sustainability and its three components: the environment, economy, and society.
Top Stories
Shaped by fire: the Bonanza Creek LTER
Renewed funding for the LNO prioritizes synthesis, broadening participation, and mentorship
It begins with quality data: non-LTER student uses SBC LTER data to learn R, presents work at ESA
Science at the Top of the World, or, 48 Hours at Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems LTER
Announcing the LTER Photo Contest, 2024
Engagement Practice Briefs
Crossing boundaries: two new synthesis working groups funded at the LTER
The stunning ecosystems at the SBC LTER
Coastal Connections: Living Life at Two Extremes
Helping students hear the stories that data tell