Abstract
Principal Investigators from several sites within the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) program offer their insights about how long-term research has been effectively sustained from periods ranging from 20 to 40 years. The sites are: Hubbard Brook (New Hampshire), Konza Prairie (Kansas), Niwot Ridge (Colorado), Arctic (Alaska), Palmer Station (Antarctica), and Georgia Coastal Ecosystems (Georgia). The main themes discussed include: the importance of a strong foundation and common vision, creating a culture of collaboration and cooperation, showing the relevance of research to societal needs, managing conflict resolution, encouraging innovation, facilitating an exchange of ideas, working to build collaborations, willingness to adopt new management structures, and careful attention to transitions in leadership. The conclusion summarizes themes based on this chapter as well as other chapters in the book.
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Alber, M. et al. (2021). Sustaining Long-Term Ecological Research: Perspectives from Inside the LTER Program. In: Waide, R.B., Kingsland, S.E. (eds) The Challenges of Long Term Ecological Research: A Historical Analysis. Archimedes, vol 59. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66933-1_4
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