LTER Portugal Network:

Transcription

1 Portugal LTER Portugal Network: implementation strategy and future perspectives Sociedade Portuguesa de Ecologia

2 OUTLINE Portugal Brief history of LTER-Portugal Initiative Strategy for site selection Selected sites Current challenges and next steps

3 Founded in December 1995 Mission Portuguese Ecological Society Create a plataform for interaction between ecologists and to encourage interdisciplinary research

4 Objectives Promote ecological knowledge Incorporate ecological principles in the development, use and conservation of natural resources and implement solutions to environmental problems Enforce citizens awareness regarding ecology and contribute to a more participative society

5 LTER-Portugal Initiative THE NEED Biodiversity Crisis Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)

6 LTER-Portugal Initiative THE NEED Global change Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (2002)

7 LTER-Portugal Initiative THE INTEREST Biodiversity hotspots

8 LTER-Portugal Initiative THE COMMITTEMENT

9 THE OPPORTUNITY Metzger e tal., Global Ecology and Biogeography, 14:

10 Objectives Partition environmental and socioeconomic variation to produce relatively homogenous strata used to explore European coverage sites identify underrepresented regions help comparison between sites similarities and differences drivers, impacts etc.

11 Environment Socio-ecological stratification Minimum personal judgment Balance between complexity and functionality classes in a two-dimensional matrix based on primary gradients Socio-economy

12 Environmental Zones of Europe Non-agriculture Permanent crops Grassland & meadows Arable Alpine North Atlantic Central Atlantic North Med. South climate species land use env. pressures Metzger et al GEB 14: Jongman et al LE 21:

13 PCA 2 (12.2%) Socio-economic zones AcAiE01N3 GDPeh02N3-1 AcME01N3-2 DPC99N3-3 Screening socio-economic variables: -4 GDP population density accessibility Resolution Principal Component Plot AvgfPopN303 UFL296N3 ArSu96N3 DevGDPeh98-02N3 PopdensN302 DevGDPph98-02N3 AvgPopN303 smwh04 ArSg96N3 COA03N3 ArSc96N3CM01N3 GDPph02N3 PCL296N3 LRo01N3 BOR03N3 ALL296N3 URTypN3 TMRoP2 TMRRP Settyp99N3 TMRaP297 AcRoE01N3 AcRaE01N3 PopC9 PopC9095N3 500N3 PopC9000N3 AvgmPopN PCA 1 (31.2%) Economic density GDP/km 2 Sevilla Murcia regional statistics (NUTS) 1km grid Malaga

14 12 48 Full map gdp/km2 and over lay regions of change 4 ILTER Conference (Slovakia, August 2008)

15 ILTER Conference (Slovakia, August 2008)

16 # sites Site per economic density zone natural seminatural disturbe d < 0.1 million million 1-10 million >10 million Economic density in Euro / km2 urban

17 LTER-Portugal importance at the global scale Site per environmental zone

18 Representation based on coverage of strata Economic Density (Euro / km2) > 10 million 50% 100% 50% 200% 50% 50% 50% 1 10 million 50% 50% 50% 50% 100% 50% 50% 50% 200% million 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 200% 200% < 0.1 million 100% 200% 200% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 200% 200% ALN BOR NEM ATN ALS CON ATC PAN LUS ANA MDM MDN MDS under represented over represented

19 LTER-Portugal importance at the global scale Relevance of LTER-Portugal Transition zone between Atlantic and Mediterranean bioclimatic domains Mediterranenan region world hotspot for biodiversity Ecological unbalanced human interventions interacting with climatic change (desertification process)

20 LTER-Portugal importance at the global scale Relevance of LTER-Portugal High cover of unique systems (montado) High diversity of wetlands including estuaries and coastal habitats

21 History of LTER in Portugal Objectives of LTER Initiative Create a database of ecological research and researchers Identify areas with ecological data time-series Promote discussion about criteria to select potential LTER sites Promote cooperative research Promote institutional collaboration Promote data sharing and transfer

22 History of LTER-Portugal Initiative Building a Strategy (2003 to 2009) Portugal Nov st LTER Meeting, Évora Jul nd LTER Meeting, Lisbon Jan st LTER Workshop, Lisbon Jun nd LTER Workshop, Lisbon Aug ILTER Application, Slovakia Jan SPECO/FCT Meeting, Lisbon Jun FCT Call for LTER Proposals Oct Visit to LTER-USA office and sites Dec Sites selected Aug, 2010 ILTER International Acceptance, ILTER Workshop Conference Israel Long (Slovakia, Term Studies August on Biodiversity 2008) (São Paulo Brasil)

23 Strategy for site selection Building a Strategy Embracing the human dimension LTER LTSER Long Term Socio-Ecologic Research

24 History of LTER-Portugal Initiative History of LTER-Portugal Initiative Inquiry to scientifc community (2006) Portugal CONCLUSIONS Core questions Balanced distribution of data in terms of key habitats Types of ecosystems Ecological descriptors Few long term time-series Duration of time series Irregular funding (short-term research projects) Infrastructures High potential for long-term monitoring and research Funding sources Perspectives for long-term monitoring

25 History of LTER-Portugal Initiative Meetings with Scientists Discussion of LTER network implementation and strategy for site selection Lisbon, January and June 2008

26 History of LTER-Portugal Initiative Meetings with stakeholders Lisbon, January and June 2008

27 History of LTER-Portugal Initiative Portugal Expected role of key stakeholders Baseline funding for LTER-Portugal sites & network Research infrastructures and link with B & B initiative Researchers mobility and training of young ecologists Link with enterprises for funding opportunities for long-term monitoring and research activities International ILTER Workshop ILTER Conference Annual Long Meeting (Slovakia, Term (Israel, Studies August Auust on Biodiversity 2008) 2010) (São Paulo Brasil)

28 History of LTER-Portugal Initiative Portugal CONCLUSIONS High interest in the initiative Few interactions among research teams No consensus on potential sites Concerns about sites long-term sustainability

29 History of LTER-Portugal Initiative ILTER Conference (Slovakia, August 2008)

30 Strategy for site selection Site selection process Portugal Call for project-driven proposals promoted by Science & Technology Foundation (FCT June 2009) Peer-review of proposals by an international pannel (Coord. R.B. Waide LTER USA and M. Mirtl LTER Europe in the pannel together with other scientists) Criteria for selection: 1 Ecological relevance and social dimension (network logo) 2 Amount of data accumulated along time 3 4 Potential for cooperation between public and private sectors Capacity for gaining complementary funds

31 Sites Selected 16 site applications - 4 selected Portugal 2 coastal habitats (estuaries) 1 freshwater habitat (mountain river) 1 forest habitat (agro-sylvo-pastoral system) Start-up Funding Site-based funding (6 years) Intermediate evaluation (3 rd year) / first 3 years / site Next 3 years increased funding under negotiation

32 Sites Selected Portugal LTER PORTUGAL Network LTER Estuaries (complex site) LTER Sabor LTER Ria de Aveiro LTER Montado (complex site/ltser platform)

33 Sites Selected LTER Sabor Portugal Sabor Fragmentation Experiment: understanding long-term ecological consequences of infrastructure development and compensatory mitigation. (large hydroelectric dam)

34 Sites Selected LTER Ria de Aveiro Portugal Long-term monitoring in the Ria de Aveiro: towards a deeper understanding of ecological, environmental and economic processes.

35 Sites Selected Portugal Core node Minho LTER ESTUARIES (complex site) Minho, Mondego and Mira Observatory: long-term Mondego Mira variation of ecological status as a response to natural and human induced changes. Implications for management and restoration.

36 Sites Selected Portugal LTER Montado (complex site / LTSER platform) Core node Long-term socio-ecological research and monitoring in a Mediterranean cultural landscape (Montado or Dehesa in spanish)

37 Sites Selected LTER Montado Portugal Holm oak woodland Q. ilex Cork oak woodland Q. suber

38 Sites Selected LTER Montado Portugal Node Main Activity

39 Current challenges Current challenges Portugal Establishing a consortium between the Sites Coordination Committees, the main funding entity (FCT) and the LTER National Representative (SPECO) to discuss the network management, common approaches and data sharing policy Lobying near other govnermental bodies (e.g. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries) and other national funding agencies for networking funding Creating LTER Portugal dabase and website (SPECO)

40 Current challenges and next steps Current steps Portugal Official launching of LTER Portugal Network Search for complementary funding opportunities (Sites/FCT) Foster integration within LTER Europe / ILTER and mediate efforts for an Iberian LTER Network IAN-LTSER Ibero American Network for Long Term Socio Ecological Research (submitted in May) Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, Argentina, Spain and Portugal CYTED Ibero American Program of Science and Technology for Development

41 Current challenges and next steps Next steps: Portugal Standardization of monitoring protocols Develop common research projects Building a Mediterranean sub-network LTER Workshops & Training programmes LTER summer schools

42 LTER-Portugal Vision Portugal L earn from others T E R hink before acting xchange experiences einforce partnerships Thanks for your attention!