Integrated European
Long-Term Ecosystem, critical zone and
socio-ecological Research

News

2 August 2023
Empa is the research institute for materials science and technology of the ETH Domain and conducts cutting-edge research for the benefit of industry and the well-being of society. Its Laboratory for Air Pollution and Environmental Technology develops atmospheric measurement techniques and modelling tools as a contribution to a healthy and safe environment.Currently, Empa offers two open positions for:Analytical chemist, environmental scientist (read more here)Post-d...
2 August 2023
Since 2019 eLTER Switzerland has been listed in the Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures. The new edition of the Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures 2023 has confirmed that eLTER Switzerland is a key research infrastructure, which is under consideration for ERIC membership.The 2023 Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures provides an overview of planned construction and existing research infrastructures. It also includes information on Swiss participation in international research...
1 August 2023
The Environment Agency Austria (ЕАА) organised this year's joint Task Force Meeting for ICP Integrated Monitoring and ICP Waters of the Geneva Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP). The event took place at the WasserCluster Lunz in Austria and gathered a total of 60 experts from 17 countries. During the event, EAA also presented the results of 30 years of ecosystem monitoring at the Zöbelboden site, which is part of LTER Austria and a candidate for the...
1 August 2023
The Centre for Energy and Environment at Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT), France is looking for an engineer in atmospheric science measurement techniques. The position is vacant within the research unit working on Atmospheric Science, and more precisely within the ACTRIS-EU topical centre for reactive trace gases in-situ measurements (CiGas). The core responsibilities of the engineer are to contribute to the operation of CiGas and the associated projects by:Organising the technical activities...
31 July 2023
The advanced course "Use of Technology in Field Biology '' took place between 6-9 June 2023 at Herdade da Ribeira Abaixo (HRA), one of the sites included in the Portuguese LTsER Montado platform. This course focused on the use of technological tools, which are increasingly employed in the collection of animal ecology field data, mainly due to the development of equipment that allows for automatic recording and storage of environmental information. The students received training on the use o...
31 July 2023
Berchtesgaden National Park (BNP) has been established in 1978 and protects 208 km² of rugged mountain landscapes in the Bavarian Alps. Research and monitoring in the park are conducted in close collaboration with the Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group of the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The ecology of mountain ecosystems is a particular focus of its interdisciplinary research. BNP is searching for a fully funded, part-time 3-year PhD student (m/f/d) starting...
28 July 2023
To support biodiversity research, Biodiversa+ will launch a new transnational joint research call "Nature-based solutions for biodiversity, human well-being and transformative change - BiodivNBS" in September 2023. The call will provide a better understanding of the tipping points, trade-offs and underlying mechanisms that influence nature-based solutions and their successful implementation in terms of benefits for nature, human well-being and societal transformation.It will address three resear...
27 July 2023
This work is part of eLTER PLUS T9.3 and uses multiple eLTER sites to evaluate already available data from remote sensing and re-analyses. Specifically, eddy covariance data on evapotranspiration and gross primary production is used to validate the spatial data products. Relating the gross primary production to the evapotranspiration, the water-use efficiency of an ecosystem then indicates the water-use strategy of the vegetation and the variability of its functionality. We calcul...
26 July 2023
LTER-D is organising a session "Long-term and historical data: prerequisites to reveal changes in ecosystems in the light of global change" at the GFOE conference "The Future of Biodiversity – overcoming barriers of taxa, realms and scales" in Leipzig (12-16 September 2023)  with more than 1000 participants.The session is addressing the need to continuously track the status of ecosystems in order to watch the development and related impact on functions and processes in the long run. The imp...
25 July 2023
Representing the eLTER RI socio-ecological team, Daniel Orenstein and Merav Cohen from the Israel Institute of Technology traveled to Taiwan in April/May to learn about the Taiwanese experience in establishing LTSER platforms*.Taiwan’s three platforms (with a fourth in development) were established under the leadership of Prof. Teng-Chiu Lin and with the support of Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). The platforms span diverse socio-ecological systems, including an island su...
3 February 2023
The Riserva Naturale Montagna di Torricchio is a protected area in the Central Apennines, Italy. During a recent survey of the reserve's insect biodiversity, directed by Dr. Federico Landi, a new species of beetle was found.As reported by Magrini (2021), Duvalius landii is a medium to large species of beetle that lacks eyes and pigmentation. It belongs to the straneoi group, cirocchii subgroup (sensu Magrini 2017).ReferencesMagrini P., 2017 - Revisione dei Duvalius Delarouzée, 1859 dei Gruppi be...
1 February 2023
The permanent position of scientist at INRAE in soil sciences (erosion and effect of plant cover), at the LISAH lab is now open to competition, with the following schedule.Candidates must have a PhD or equivalent. In-depth skills in soil science and, ideally, in soil physics are highly recommended. Knowledge in modelling would be particularly appreciated. Basic knowledge of functional ecology would be a plus. Good interpersonal skills and openness to multidisciplinary are essential.Candidates sh...
1 February 2023
Research at the Montado LTSER platform has resulted in a globally interesting paper entitled “Grazing and ecosystem service delivery in global drylands” published in Science 378, 915–920 (2022).This is particularly important when we know that livestock grazing on ecosystem services is a hotly debated topic and a challenging one. In this paper, the grazing effect was assessed, taking into account multiple variables and different properties of rangelands such as soil, climate and biodiversity.The...
25 January 2023
The research team of LTSER Estuaries, Portugal, participated at an event in November to mark National Day of the Sea. The event, which was held at the Centro de Artes e Espetáculos, Figueira da Foz, focused on the valorisation of aquatic resources from the river to the sea. The team presented work undertaken in projects conducted around the Mondego estuary LTSER platform that have addressed the valorisation and sustainability of marine resources.Estuarine systems such as Mondego estuary are biod...
25 November 2022
In the framework of its Research Initiatives scheme, ILTER provides small research grants for compact projects, or for instance as seed grants for larger undertakings, or for supporting thesis or post-doctoral work by young scientists.ILTER ensures the scientific quality of the supported Research Initiatives through a competitive and professional approach of projects selection.Its call for proposals is open to all interested parties, and it is set up in a bottom-up fashion, that is, applicants a...
20 October 2022
The second OZCAR summer school ("Draw me an observatory") was held from 3 to 8 July 2022 at the Séolane Centre located in Barcelonnette. This summer school pursues one of the objectives of the OZCAR Research Infrastructure (RI) to promote training to and through research on the knowledge of the Critical Zone and to train the new generation of scientists to approach the study of the Critical Zone in a multi- and interdisciplinary way.The school was an undeniable success, bringing together nearly...
17 October 2022
The LandUnderPressure project - Avoid, mitigate and restore pressured zones to combat desertification and increase resilience to climate change in the montado, was approved for funding with an EEA Grant and signed on the 17th of June 2022 in Portugal. This project was part of the call for tender nº 5 of the EEA Grants – “Projects to prepare for extreme weather conditions and risk management in the context of climate change”. It will join other projects taking place in the LTsER Montado plat...
11 October 2022
The trend towards increased climate extremes in the Central Apennines (Central Italy), already documented in Petriccione & Bricca (2019) (doi:10.3897/natureconservation.3430218) is clearly confirmed by the latest field data collected in September 2022 at the LTER Italy Gran Sasso d’Italia site between 2100 and 2400 m a.s.l. by ecologists from the Biodiversity Department of the Carabinieri.As can be seen from the graphs shown above, recorded summer temperatures in 2022 were 3-4 °C higher than...
10 October 2022
The station located in Kibbutz Sdot Yam, Israel, was established to provide baseline data and understanding of the shallow Mediterranean ecosystem. MKMRS is a satellite station of the Leon H Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa.Its Activity Report covers monitoring seasons 1-10 of the first 6 years of operation. The Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) station was established in 2015 as a response to the lack of open-access, high-resolution data on several aspects of the Israel...
10 July 2023
The eLTER whole system approach (WAILS) workshop took place in Gran Paradiso National Park in Italy on 12-16 June 2023. It brought together 20 participants from 11 countries and diverse research areas.The workshop took the form of a summer school, with the first days focused on lectures that explained in depth the WAILS approach of eLTER. This is a holistic view on the ecosystem that combines bio-geo-hydro and socio-ecology. The workshop also looked at the long-term research conducted...
30 May 2023
eLTER Sites and Platform Forum (SPF) is a precedent of a formal body in eLTER RI. It aims to bring together eLTER Sites and Platform coordinators (SPCs) and to make it easier for SPCs to develop and communicate joint activities and to contribute to the development of eLTER RI.The SPF04 meeting took place online on 9 - 10 May 2023. About 75 representatives for eLTER Sites and Platforms gathered to hear about updates regarding Standard Observations, Site Labelling and Service Portfolio. Data and t...
22 May 2023
On 2 May 2023, the fifth meeting of the eLTER Interim Council took place with 50 participants via Zoom. 16 countries that are members of the IC were represented by national delegates. Norway and the Netherlands attended as observers for the first time and gained an insight into the main developments of the eLTER RI.  As one of the first items on the agenda, IC delegates approved the eLTER RI Human Resources Strategy. This document describes the type of staff needed in the Research Infrastru...
19 May 2023
In Fall of 2022, LTER Slovakia started the project “Soil carbon fluxes in dominant forest ecosystems along an elevation gradient in the Western Carpathians” (CALTER). The project is funded by the national grant agency APVV and led by dr. Peter Fleischer from the Technical University in Zvolen (Slovakia). This is the first project that involves all institutions coordinating research in LTER Slovakia sites.The project’s main aim is to identify carbon loss by respiration and leaching and to id...
15 May 2023
The research group of LTsER Ria de Aveiro from the University of Aveiro is involved in two H2020 projects that will consolidate basic knowledge on biodiversity, ecosystem services, restoration ecology, ecosystem management and environmental economics. Through these projects, the group will be able to address climate change, biodiversity loss and habitat degradation, aiming towards sustainable management of European wetlands.The two projects are:1. RESTORE4Cs - "Modelling Restoration of...
12 May 2023
A poster presented during a dedicated session at the eLTER consortium meeting in Frankfurt, Germany (17 to 21 April) highlighted the collaboration between researchers contributing from biodiversity and socio-ecological data provided by eLTER RI sites and long-term socio-ecological research platforms.It presented the BioDT project which has eight use cases, one of which concerns creating a digital twin* linking cultural ecosystem services of recreational potential and biodiversity and is ini...
10 May 2023
On March 16, 2023, Bruna Paolinelli Reis, a researcher at the cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes and CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute, presented the results of a questionnaire on ecosystem restoration directed to eLTER restoration experts at the Encontro Scientia in Portugal. The Econtro Scientia is a weekly meeting organized by cE3c and provides an excellent opportunity for researchers to share their work and insights on ecology, evolution and envi...
9 May 2023
Between 17 – 21 April 2023, the second physical meeting of eLTER took place in Frankfurt, Germany with more than 80 participants. During the meeting, eLTER PPP and eLTER PLUS leaders had the chance to share updates about the projects’ progress and the respective research activities, exchange valuable insights and plan future steps. Participants also engaged in group work activities that allowed them to brainstorm and collect input about the eLTER mentoring program, opportunities for joint work,...
8 May 2023
Israel was the first country to be visited by the eLTER Grand Campaign team for photo and video documentation of the research being done there, as well as the flora, fauna and landscape. As much as the team would like to present its journey as an adventure, it survived the harsh environment of the Israeli desert in the comfort of air-conditioned transport and accommodation. So don't let them tell you otherwise!Nevertheless, it was a real challenge to capture the essence of an ecosystem that...
5 May 2023
On 17-18 January the eLTER coordination, National Coordinators and site managers from Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and the UK gathered in Brussels to discuss current developments in their national networks.The meeting proved to be a great opportunity to identify common challenges and exchange experiences with pushing forward national processes towards establishing eLTER. Moreover, the participants were thoroughly updated on the current status of eLTER from a European perspective.“It wa...
3 July 2023
The Department of Environmental Sciences at Stockholm University is looking for two PhD students in Environmental Science to work on the project "Feedbacks between a changing climate and vegetation: The role of volatile organic compounds and biogenic aerosols (CLIVE)".The goal of the project is to study a small fraction of the carbon taken up by plants and which is released back into the atmosphere as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The research will focus on better quantification of the curr...
27 June 2023
ATMO-ACCESS (Solutions for Sustainable Access to Atmospheric Research Facilities) is an integrated activity for research infrastructures in the field of environmental sciences for the establishment of a comprehensive and sustainable framework for access to distributed atmospheric Research Infrastructures and to ensure optimised access and use of the services they provide to users.The ATMO-ACCESS Coordination and Project Office is currently looking for a Project Manager with a 1-year fi...
27 June 2023
The Climate and Environmental Research Institute (NILU) is responsible for the Norwegian national monitoring program for greenhouse gases and particles. It carries out its measurements at its observatories at Zeppelin (Svalbard), Birkenes (Southern Norway) and Trollhaugen (Antarctica). NILU's measurements are part of international monitoring networks such as ICOS, AGAGE and ACTRIS.NILU’s department for Measurement and Instrumentation Technology (MIT) is looking for a Senior engineer/researcher (...
2 June 2023
The Faculty of Science at the University of Helsinki is the largest science faculty in Finland. Currently, the faculty invites applications for TWO STAFF SCIENTISTS AND TWO DATA SCIENTISTS (UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS): Staff scientist 1 will work in atmospheric greenhouse gas measurements. The core activity of the staff scientist is to ensure production of sustainable and traceable high-quality data and data products of greenhouse gas concentrations and ecosystem-atmosphere exchange fluxes...
23 May 2023
The interdisciplinary research of the Professorship of Ecological Services (PES), University of Bayreuth aims at better ecological management of agriculturally dominated landscapes facing climate change. Towards this goal, a Postdoc position (6 years, 100%, A13Z Akademische Ratsstelle auf Zeit) is currently available. Candidates will develop spatial models of land use and ecosystem services in regional human-environment systems to explore historical developments, optimise current syste...
18 May 2023
The Dao Hyperspectral Remote Sensing & Agricultural Intelligence Lab at Colorado State University is looking for a Postdoc to start in September 2023 or shortly after. This position focuses on understanding the interactions between plants and crops and biotic and abiotic stresses using drone hyperspectral remote sensing. We are broadly interested in addressing questions related to the detection of physiological and biochemical responses of plants to the impacts of droughts, pests and pa...
17 May 2023
Submit your abstract for the 6th International Hybrid Conference “Water resources and wetlands” that will take place between 13-17 September 2023 in the “Delta” Hotel in Tulcea, Romania and online.Authors are invited to submit abstracts (400 words) in electronic form until May 26 2023.Abstracts should be sent as а part of the registration form or to e-mail: wrw_conference@limnology.ro.Learn more here.
16 May 2023
Two research positions are now open at the University of Helsinki.(1) Lammi Biological Station is looking for a University Researcher in aquatic sciences with expertise in plankton ecology. They are particularly interested in candidates aiming to use the extensive background data on the nearby lakes.The position is for a fixed five-year contract starting 1st July 2023 or by a separate agreement. A trial period of 6 months will be applied. The deadline for applications is...
11 May 2023
You are cordially invited to submit an abstract for your planned contribution to the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland conference (12 - 16 September 2023) in the form of a poster or an oral presentation.The deadline for abstract submission is 15 May 2023 at the latest.Everybody is entitled to submit 1 oral and 1 poster contribution. To submit an abstract of your contribution, please follow the instructions on the online submissi...
11 May 2023
The 5th European Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change, jointly held by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the European Network of Heads of Nature Conservation Agencies (ENCA) will take place from 26 - 28 September 2023 in Bonn, Germany, in co-operation with the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) / German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and adelphi. The organisers of the conference invite the submission of abstrac...