Building a Global Ecosystem Research Infrastructure to Address Global Grand Challenges for Macrosystem Ecology

Abstract

The development of several large‐, “continental”‐scale ecosystem research infrastructures over recent decades has provided a unique opportunity in the history of ecological science. The Global Ecosystem Research Infrastructure (GERI) is an integrated network of analogous, but independent, site‐based ecosystem research infrastructures (ERI) dedicated to better understand the function and change of indicator ecosystems across global biomes. Bringing together these ERIs, harmonizing their respective data and reducing uncertainties enables broader cross‐continental ecological research. It will also enhance the research community capabilities to address current and anticipate future global scale ecological challenges. Moreover, increasing the international capabilities of these ERIs goes beyond their original design intent, and is an unexpected added value of these large national investments. Here, we identify specific global grand challenge areas and research trends to advance the ecological frontiers across continents that can be addressed through the federation of these cross‐continental‐scale ERIs.

Leveraging research infrastructure co-location to evaluate constraints on terrestrial carbon cycling in northern European forests

“…However, there is an increasing awareness that solving today’s environmental challenges requires more than single-site observations. Insights gained from large-scale and distributed RIs that coordinate, standardise and harmonise biophysical observations made at multiple and diverse sites (Loescher et al 2022 ) complemented with observations of relevant contemporary socio-ecological changes and decision-making processes (Dick et al 2018 ; Holzer et al 2018 ) are needed. The scientific and societal value of long-term, site-based observations increases with temporal duration, the number of parameters measured, inter-operability with other data sources and timely availability of standardised, high quality data series.…”

Long-term and multidisciplinary research networks on biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystems: findings and insights from Takayama super-site, central Japan

“…While these observation networks have arisen from different scientific disciplines and use different methodologies, the need for comprehensive observations and understanding on biodiversity and ecosystem functions under climate and societal changes at local, national, regional, and global scales are growing to address the on-going environmental issues. Such growing need provide challenges and opportunities to network these networks since those environmental issues involve biological, biochemical, physical, and hydrological interactions under climatic and societal changes (Loescher et al 2022;Muraoka and Koizumi 2009;Muraoka et al 2012). These data and knowledge are not only required for scientific studies in academia but should also be used by local and regional stakeholders as indicators progress towards societal goals addressing environmental issues such as Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs), biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of natural resources, carbon neutrality, mitigation of and adaptation to climate change.…”

“…Ecosystem integrity is vital for the environmental and societal sustainability, but growing complexity in the ecosystem structure and functions under impacts of climate and land-use changes requires interdisciplinary understandings on their processes and whole-system dynamics (Haase et al 2018;Mirtl et al 2018). Ecosystem science to inform a deeper understanding of the current status, mechanisms and future changes of ecosystems, and their ecosystem services, is a challenge to the community of relevant sciences (e.g., Loescher et al 2022). To tackle these scientific challenges, various Earth observations by satellites, ships, aircrafts, drones, in-situ sensors, and field scientists have been developed in the last decades over the world.…”

A benchmark data set for long-term monitoring in the eLTER site Gesäuse-Johnsbachtal

“…In order to get at a better understanding of natural variability and human induced changes in biodiversity and ecosystems, long-term monitoring systems with open accessible and harmonized data at a broad spatial and temporal scale are of crucial importance (Shin et al, 2020). Loescher et al (2022) establish the Global Ecosystem Research Infrastructure Network, an independent and site based research infrastructure, addressing and tackling future global ecosystem challenges.…”