Final Report Summary - ANAEE (Structuring infrastructures for the analysis and experimentation on ecosystem)
ANAEE is a concept of infrastructure that integrates platforms for ecosystem experimentation together with analytical and modelling facilities to set-up, test and apply models for forecasting ecosystem responses to environment changes.
Sharing and dissemination of the ANAEE concept
This concept has been discussed within the EU research community (initial workshop and e.enquiry). It confirms the fragmentation of this research domain, and the necessity to structure it through distributed research infrastructures. Meetings with national stakeholders allowed discussions on possibilities for national research institutions for sustaining ANAEE project. A final meeting disseminated the main conclusions among scientific community.
ANAEE infrastructure components
Long-term experimental platforms consist of a network of experimental platforms across different ecosystems, where forcing variables are manipulated and relevant state variables are monitored in conjunction with measurement of environmental fluxes: 25-30 experimental sites (EUR 2 million per site for construction and EUR 0.1 million per year for operational cost).
ECOTRONs consist of controlled environments where blocks of ecosystems are introduced for analysis. It allows the independent manipulation of several variables, the measurement of parameters not accessible in natural conditions, and an accurate estimation of the balance of elements within the system: 4-5 Ecotrons (EUR 10 million per site for construction and EUR 4 million per year for operational cost).
Analytical platforms will provide ecosystem experimentations with cutting edge analytical capability to understand ecosystem processes at fine resolution levels. The platforms should have high instrumental expertise with the capability for new analytical tools and novel applications for ecosystem analysis: three sites (EUR 60 million in total with EUR 4 million per year of operational costs).
Modelling platform completes the system by developing virtual and distributed facilities for sharing data bases among scientific communities, and for coupling experimental with theoretical approach through modelling tools and expertises (EUR 10 million with EUR 1 million per year of operational cost).
Interactions with other ESFRI research infrastructures
ANAEE is designed to complement other ESFRI projects: Lifewatch, ICOS, NOHA, and also LTER-Europe, a network of ecosystem observation sites. Decision has been taken to federate these projects under the same 'umbrella' (EERIP) in order to promote synergies but with the necessity to maintain clear separate and complementary objectives and structures for each of these projects.
Legal and administrative aspects
The simplest legal structure, the cooperation agreement, could be used for ANAEE, at least for an initial period. However, it may not provide a strong enough framework for a multi-partners infrastructure. An ERIC requires a stronger involvement of the states (through representative institutions) that may help national funding. In addition, an ERIC would give a stronger symbolic European root to the infrastructure.
Estimated socio-economic impacts
ANAEE will not have the capacity to study socio-economic issues on its own. However interactions of ANAEE with the LTER-Europe network should allow analysis of trade-offs between different ecosystem services, and development of integrated and sustainable systems. Furthermore, the ANAEE experimental platforms will enable the European scientific community to collaborate effectively on large joint programmes aimed at tackling the major scientific and societal environmental issues.
Future for ANAEE?
Continental biosphere is a too complex and multi-dimension system to be studied through only one approach and with a unique research infrastructure. Then the future of ANAEE should be clearly driven by its capacity to create interfaces and coordination with other types of research infrastructures on continental ecosystems, and then to assert its own specificity. The potential for scientific leadership at a worldwide level that such an infrastructure can provide to the European Research Area should be emphasised and preliminary contacts with similar research infrastructure in North America and must be strengthened during the next phase of ANAEE.
Sharing and dissemination of the ANAEE concept
This concept has been discussed within the EU research community (initial workshop and e.enquiry). It confirms the fragmentation of this research domain, and the necessity to structure it through distributed research infrastructures. Meetings with national stakeholders allowed discussions on possibilities for national research institutions for sustaining ANAEE project. A final meeting disseminated the main conclusions among scientific community.
ANAEE infrastructure components
Long-term experimental platforms consist of a network of experimental platforms across different ecosystems, where forcing variables are manipulated and relevant state variables are monitored in conjunction with measurement of environmental fluxes: 25-30 experimental sites (EUR 2 million per site for construction and EUR 0.1 million per year for operational cost).
ECOTRONs consist of controlled environments where blocks of ecosystems are introduced for analysis. It allows the independent manipulation of several variables, the measurement of parameters not accessible in natural conditions, and an accurate estimation of the balance of elements within the system: 4-5 Ecotrons (EUR 10 million per site for construction and EUR 4 million per year for operational cost).
Analytical platforms will provide ecosystem experimentations with cutting edge analytical capability to understand ecosystem processes at fine resolution levels. The platforms should have high instrumental expertise with the capability for new analytical tools and novel applications for ecosystem analysis: three sites (EUR 60 million in total with EUR 4 million per year of operational costs).
Modelling platform completes the system by developing virtual and distributed facilities for sharing data bases among scientific communities, and for coupling experimental with theoretical approach through modelling tools and expertises (EUR 10 million with EUR 1 million per year of operational cost).
Interactions with other ESFRI research infrastructures
ANAEE is designed to complement other ESFRI projects: Lifewatch, ICOS, NOHA, and also LTER-Europe, a network of ecosystem observation sites. Decision has been taken to federate these projects under the same 'umbrella' (EERIP) in order to promote synergies but with the necessity to maintain clear separate and complementary objectives and structures for each of these projects.
Legal and administrative aspects
The simplest legal structure, the cooperation agreement, could be used for ANAEE, at least for an initial period. However, it may not provide a strong enough framework for a multi-partners infrastructure. An ERIC requires a stronger involvement of the states (through representative institutions) that may help national funding. In addition, an ERIC would give a stronger symbolic European root to the infrastructure.
Estimated socio-economic impacts
ANAEE will not have the capacity to study socio-economic issues on its own. However interactions of ANAEE with the LTER-Europe network should allow analysis of trade-offs between different ecosystem services, and development of integrated and sustainable systems. Furthermore, the ANAEE experimental platforms will enable the European scientific community to collaborate effectively on large joint programmes aimed at tackling the major scientific and societal environmental issues.
Future for ANAEE?
Continental biosphere is a too complex and multi-dimension system to be studied through only one approach and with a unique research infrastructure. Then the future of ANAEE should be clearly driven by its capacity to create interfaces and coordination with other types of research infrastructures on continental ecosystems, and then to assert its own specificity. The potential for scientific leadership at a worldwide level that such an infrastructure can provide to the European Research Area should be emphasised and preliminary contacts with similar research infrastructure in North America and must be strengthened during the next phase of ANAEE.
