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Content archived on 2024-04-30

Arctic terrestrial ecosystems research initiative: Coordination of research in european arctic and alpine areas

Objective


- to provide a forum for exchange of information and development of collaboration in European Arctic and Alpine terrestrial ecosystem research.
- to develop a theoretical and practical framework to integrate the research effort.
- to provide a focus for collaboration with global research and other regions.
- to identify priorities and proposals for research, integration and interpretation.

THE TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS RESEARCH INITIATIVE (TERI) HAS BEEN DESIGNED BY EC AS A COORDINATING MECHANISM TO IMPROVE THE ABILITY TO PREDICT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF CHANGES OF LAND-USE, CLIMATE, ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND PHYSICS ON TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS. EC HAVE ALSO IDENTIFIED TWO SPECIFIC REGIONAL CONCERNS; THE ARCTIC WITH ISSUES OF MONITORING OF GLOBAL CHANGE, CLIMATE RESEARCH, AND REHABILITATION OF POLLUTED AREAS; THE ALPINE AREA WITH ITS SPECIFIC FLORA AND FAUNA, HYDROGEOLOGICAL FEATURES AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PATTERNS ETC.
ARCTIC AND ALPINE AREAS HAVE MANY COMMON DISTINCTIVE FEATURES AND PROVIDE CONSIDERABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR COMPARATIVE "NATURAL" AND MANIPULATIVE EXPERIMENTS. THE EXPECTED RAPID CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE ARCTIC PROVIDES A PARTICULAR FOCUS, BUT THERE ARE ALSO IMPORTANT DEVELOPING POLLUTION AND LAND-US ISSUES. MANY PROJECTS IN MEMBER STATES ADDRESS THESE ISSUES ON NATIONAL SCALES, SOME OF WHICH UNDERPIN LARGER SCALE EUROPEAN TRANSECTS IN THE 4TH FP. THERE ARE ALSO MANY INTERNATIONAL AND CIRCUM-POLAR ORGANISATIONS CONCERNED WITH ARCTIC AND ALPINE RESEARCH. HOWEVER THERE IS NO FORUM FOR THE EUROPEAN EFFORT, SUPPORTED TO IMPROVE COORDINATION AND INTEGRATION OF RESEARCH. THEREFORE A CONCERTED ACTION, IN THE CONTEXT OF TERI, IS PROPOSED WITH THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES:
- TO PROVIDE A FORUM FOR EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF COLLABORATION IN EUROPEAN ARCTIC AND ALPINE TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH. - TO DEVELOP A THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK TO INTEGRATE THE RESEARCH EFFORT.
- TO PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR COLLABORATION WITH GLOBAL RESEARCH AND OTHER REGIONS. - TO IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND PROPOSALS FOR RESEARCH, INTEGRATION AND INTERPRETATION.
AN OUTLINE 4 YEAR PROGRAMME IS PROPOSED, TO BE DEVELOPED BY AN INITIAL AD HOC TASK FORCE FOLLOWING WIDE CONSULTATION AND REVIEW. A STEERING COMMITTEE WILL THEN BE FORMED TO IMPLEMENT IDENTIFIED ACTIVITIES, INCLUD ING WORKSHOPS, DEVELOPMENT OF MODELS AND DATA BASES, STIMULATION OF TOPICS AND IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH PRIORITIES. THE STEERING COMMITTEE WILL DEVELOP LINKS WITH TERI, RUSSIA AND WITH OTHER REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ACTIVITIES. A FINAL GLOBAL CONFERENCE IS ENVISAGED. ALTHOUGH COORDINATION AND FUNDING WILL BE THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH, UK, MOST ACTIVITIES WILL BE SUBCONTRACTED GUIDED BY THE TASK FORCE AND STEERING COMMITTEE.
KEYWORDS
ARCTIC, ALPINE, TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS, GLOBAL CHANGE,
BIODIVERSITY, TRACE GASES, COORDINATION, TERI
The terrestrial ecosystems research initiative (TERI) has been designed by EC a coordinating mechanism to improve the ability to predict the consequences of the interactive effects of changes of land-use, climate, atmospheric composition and physics on terrestrial ecosystems. EC have also identified two specific regional concerns; the Arctic with issues of monitoring of global change, climate research, and rehabilitation of polluted areas; the Alpine area with its specific flora and fauna, hydrogeological features and socio-economic patterns, etc.
Arctic and Alpine areas have many common distinctive features and provide considerable opportunity for comparative "natural" and manipulative experiments. The expected rapid climate change in the Arctic provides a particular focus, but there are also important developing pollution and land-use issues.
Many projects in Member States address these issues on national scales, some of which underpin larger scale European transects in the 4th FP. There are also many international and circum-polar organizations concerned with Arctic and Alpine research. However there is no forum for the European effort, supported to improve coordination and integration of research.
An outline 4 year programme is proposed, to be developed by an initial ad hoc task force following wide consultation and review. A steering committee will then be formed to implement identified activities, including workshops, development of models and databases, stimulation of topics and identification of research priorities. The steering committee will develop links with TERI, Russia and with other regional and global activities.
A final global conference is envisaged.
Although coordination and funding will be through the University of Edinburgh, UK, most activities will be subcontracted guided by the task force and steering

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CON - Coordination of research actions

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
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Address
Darwin Building, King's Building, Mayfield Road
EH9 3JG Edinburgh
United Kingdom

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