eLTER outcomes encompass a range of essential elements, a selection of which is provided here including modes of exploitation and utilisation:
eLTER has developed a priority list of the grand societal and research challenges. Thereby, the eLTER RI becomes increasingly aligned with and streamlined within the overall European environmental RI landscape. eLTER is collecting representative information regarding the instrumentation and design characteristics of the European LTER sites to provide a framework for site classification and benchmarking. A comparative overview of the European RI was put together which describes, categorises and interprets the roles and the mutual collaboration between them. The comprehensive horizon scanning effort has clearly identified user needs for the research infrastructure in relation to major societal challenges and in this way contributed to the objective to optimise the eLTER RIs compliance to grand societal and research challenges and stakeholder needs.
The dialogue between eLTER and other environmental RIs has proven very successful and will go into the future to ensure the integration and complementarity in meeting and responding to the Grand Challenges. Other RIs are key stakeholders, thus, eLTER has actively promoted the joint work on research challenges e.g. within the concept of ENVRIplus and other international initiatives. The representative analysis of the current state of LTER Europe's infrastructure has made it possible to uncover conceptual gaps in terms of both geographical coverage and infrastructure design.
To support all this content related work, and in order to underpin the structured interactions and overarching purpose of the components of the LTER development, a joint and consistent branding and terminology was consistently pursued, also reflected by a shared website. eLTER training activities provide a fundamental pillar for addressing the research challenges with common ground and provide successful examples of stakeholder activation and integration.
Regional climate change information was analysed on a site level, and the suitability of eLTER-sites was tested to detect climate change impacts and to quantify biodiversity indicators. Thereby, the possibilities of the eLTER infrastructure were shown to provide answers and methodologies related to integrated impacts of climate change and air pollution impacts.
Data management played a major role and will enable improved utilisation of eLTER data and, through the combination of data sets from various origins, also novel applications. The eLTER Data Integration Portal is now operational although work on its improvement continues. A new eLTER landing page is online at
https://data.lter-europe.net(opens in new window). A model toolkit was developed applied for cross-site relationships between modelled and observed biogeochemical and biodiversity indicators. The information management tools developed in the course of this project provide services to document, publish and share data to a large audience. Data collected through the eLTER VA schema are shared using standard services.
Transnational Access was particularly shaped for young scientists to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the eLTER RI. Transnational access has also been an effective tool for cross-site applications, and several of the projects are of a multi- and some also a transdisciplinary nature. eLTER has performed beyond expectations. With the acceptance to the ESFRI Roadmap 2018 a long-lasting and sustainable impact of this Starting Communities project is secured. Through the approval of the two projects eLTER PPP and eLTER PLUS the further development will be fostered of the eLTER Research Infrastructure (eLTER RI) in line with the planning payed out by this project.
