Opening access to sites and their data, and the TA, RA and VA calls are an elementary part of the services to be provided in future eLTER RI. So far 4 TA calls have been launched, 80 proposals received, 56 were accepted. Over 20 TA projects have already been finalised. The collection of the needs for parameters in eLTER PLUS science cases was identified and VA data calls for the site-specific and pan-European science cases were launched. eLTER Digital Asset Registry is being prepared for cataloguing and making these data available. eLTER Data Integration and Visualisation tool (DIV) integrates metadata provided by the wider LTER network with the DEIMS-SDR (Dynamic Ecological Information System Site and Dataset Registry). The Cyberinfrastructure needs and requirements are collected and will be used to develop eLTER information system tools for future work. The Central Data Node (CDN) has been tested and populated with site-specific datasets, and will form an integral part of the eLTER Service Portfolio.
eLTER is well embedded to the RI landscape both in Europe and globally, and the dialogue between eLTER RI and other environmental RIs is continuously ongoing for ensuring the integration and complementarity. Many joint Horizon EU projects are currently running to develop and co-design RI services together with other environmental RIs. Formal collaboration letters with ICOS ERIC, UNECE Working Group of Effects and LifeWatch ERIC have been signed and the discussions are ongoing e.g. with AnaEE ERIC. The global, long-lasting collaboration includes also promoting conceptualising the vision of a GERI (Global Ecosystem Research Infrastructure). eLTER is already profiled with its integrating Whole System approach, spanning from long-term in situ observations to experimentation and remote sensing at a continental scale, and bringing together inter- and transdisciplinary researchers in Europe. eLTER PLUS aims at further engaging the national LTER networks to contribute to the development of the RI. To this end, the Site and Platform Coordinators Forum (SPF), a bottom-up channel to facilitate the information flow between the eLTER ESFRI process and Site and Platform Coordinators (SPCs), has been active. A key step forward in the eLTER RI development is harmonisation and standardisation of observations done at the sites, which is a fundamental requirement for regional and continental scale analysis. The Standard Observations Discussion paper has been updated with wide consultation with national networks and external experts. With this, eLTER is benchmarking the Standard Observations concept for supporting holistic ecosystem science. In addition to the internal in situ data, also external, retrieval data, especially concerning socio-ecological research, is valuable to research at the eLTER Sites and LTSER Platforms. The workflows for retrieval and harmonisation of data from official statistics and of legacy data were explored for this purpose. The visibility is maintained through different channels and tools. The ‘eLTER InSites’ collection of high quality photos, videos and audios from over 20 Sites across Europe was produced as an outcome of the eLTER Grand Campaign.
