Long Term Ecological Research Network

Abstract In many temperate and annual grasslands, above‐ground net primary productivity (NPP) can be estimated by measuring peak above‐ground biomass. Estimates of below‐ground net primary productivity and, consequently, total net primary productivity, are more difficult. We addressed one of the three main objectives of the Global Primary Productivity Data Initiative for grassland systems to develop simple models or algorithms to estimate missing components of total system NPP. Any estimate of below‐ground NPP (BNPP) requires an accounting of total root biomass, the percentage of living biomass and annual turnover of live roots. We derived a relationship using above‐ground peak biomass and mean annual temperature as predictors of below‐ground biomass (r2 = 0.54; P = 0.01). The percentage of live material was 0.6, based on published values. We used three different functions to describe root turnover: constant, a direct function of above‐ground biomass, or as a positive exponential relationship with mean annual temperature. We tested the various models against a large database of global grassland NPP and the constant turnover and direct function models were approximately equally descriptive (r2 = 0.31 and 0.37), while the exponential function had a stronger correlation with the measured values (r2 = 0.40) and had a better fit than the other two models at the productive end of the BNPP gradient. When applied to extensive data we assembled from two grassland sites with reliable estimates of total NPP, the direct function was most effective, especially at lower productivity sites. We provide some caveats for its use in systems that lie at the extremes of the grassland gradient and stress that there are large uncertainties associated with measured and modelled estimates of BNPP.

Complex environmental problem solving depends on cross-disciplinary collaboration among scientists.Collaborative research must be preceded by an exploratory phase of collective thinking that creates shared conceptual frameworks.Collective thinking, in a cross-disciplinary setting, depends on the facility with which collaborators are able to learn and understand each others' perspectives.This paper applies three perspectives on learning to the problem of enabling cross-disciplinary collaboration: Maslow's hierarchy of needs, constructivism, and organizational learning.Application of learning frameworks to collaboration provides insights regarding receptive environments for collaboration, and processes that facilitate cross-disciplinary interactions.These environments and interactions need time to develop and require a long phase of idea generation preceding any focused research effort.The findings highlight that collaboration is itself a complex system of people, scientific theory, and tools that must be intentionally managed.Effective management of the system requires leaders who are facilitators and are capable of orchestrating effective environments and interactions.

The abundance–adaptation hypothesis argues that taxa with more individuals and faster generation times will have more evolutionary ‘experiments’ allowing expansion into, and diversification within, novel habitats. Thus, as older taxa have produced more individuals over time, and smaller taxa have higher population sizes and faster generation times, the Latitudinal Diversity Gradients (LDGs) of these clades should show shallower slopes. We describe the LDGs for archaea, bacteria, fungi, invertebrates and trees from six North American forests. For three focal groups – bacteria, ants, and trees – older taxa had shallower LDG slopes than the more recent, terminal taxa. Across 12 orders of magnitude of body mass, LDG slopes were steeper in larger taxa. The slopes of LDGs vary systematically with body size and clade age, underscoring the non‐canonical nature of LDGs. The steepest LDG slopes were found for the largest organisms while the smallest, from bacteria to small litter‐soil invertebrates, have shallower‐ to zero‐slope LDGs. If tropical niche conservatism is the failure of clades to adapt to, and diversify in temperate habitats, then the steep LDGs of chordates and plants likely arise from the decreased ability of clades with large individuals to adapt to the multiple challenges of extra‐tropical life.

Based on a series of working assumptions about men who batter. this article suggests a model of group treatment to effect change in their violent behavior. The model stresses sequential phases and calls attention to thc responsibility to employ safety checks throughout the treatment process in the group.

Gopher tortoises spend most of their time in burrows from which they emerge to forage and perform behaviors such as courtship and mating. Previous literature is divided regarding the mating system of this species; some assert that gopher tortoises conform to female defense polygyny, and others assert that scramble competition polygyny is more likely. Here, telemetry data were used to record the frequency with which pairs of tortoises shared burrows and the frequency with which they apparently chased each other from burrows. Additionally, telemetry locations were used to estimate patterns of dispersion of individuals. If gopher tortoises conformed to female defense polygyny, then males should have: (1) moved frequently to share burrows with females, (2) rarely shared burrows with males, (3) infrequently displaced females from burrows, and (4) frequently displaced males from burrows. Similarly, females should have: (1) infrequently moved to share burrows with either sex, and (2) infrequently chased either sex. Also, females should have shown an aggregated dispersion relative to other females. On the contrary, we found that males moved equally frequently to share burrows with adults of both sexes and chased females from burrows more frequently than they chased other males. Females moved more frequently to share burrows with males than with females and chased males more often than they chased other females. Females did not have an aggregated pattern of dispersion relative to other females. These data were most consistent with scramble competition polygyny.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: While molecular approaches can often accurately reconstruct species relationships, taxa that are incompletely differentiated pose a challenge even with extensive data. Such taxa are functionally differentiated, but may be genetically differentiated only at small and/or patchy regions of the genome. This issue is considered here in Poa tussock grass species that dominate grassland and herbfields in the Australian alpine zone. METHODS: Previously reported tetraploidy was confirmed in all species by sequencing seven nuclear regions and five microsatellite markers. A Bayesian approach was used to co-estimate nuclear and chloroplast gene trees with an overall dated species tree. The resulting species tree was used to examine species structure and recent hybridization, and intertaxon fertility was tested by experimental crosses. KEY RESULTS: Species tree estimation revealed Poa gunnii, a Tasmanian endemic species, as sister to the rest of the Australian alpine Poa. The taxa have radiated in the last 0·5-1·2 million years and the non-gunnii taxa are not supported as genetically distinct. Recent hybridization following past species divergence was also not supported. Ongoing gene flow is suggested, with some broad-scale geographic structure within the group. CONCLUSIONS: The Australian alpine Poa species are not genetically distinct despite being distinguishable phenotypically, suggesting recent adaptive divergence with ongoing intertaxon gene flow. This highlights challenges in using conventional molecular taxonomy to infer species relationships in recent, rapid radiations.

The therapeutic community (TC) and methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) have individually demonstrated consistent positive outcomes yet rarely have been combined. This article describes how a well-established residential therapeutic community integrated methadone maintenance treatment into its activities. Practical recommendations regarding how to incorporate MMT in a residential program are provided including topics for staff (training, coordination with the methadone service provider agency), patients (education, confronting stigma about methadone maintenance), and potential therapeutic activities (methadone group therapy). The implementation of these staff, patient, and therapeutic adaptations can assist residential substance abuse treatment programs in integrating these two addiction treatment modalities.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This article describes therapeutic community (TC) services modified to support methadone residents and their service utilization in a study of TC patients (N = 231) receiving versus not receiving methadone. METHODS: Service utilization data are reported from providers (i.e., methadone support group counselor, acupuncturist, and consulting psychiatrist) for 12 months after admission. Descriptive statistics are used to report methadone residents use of methadone support group and acupuncture services. Pearson chi-square tests are used to compare methadone and non-methadone participants use of psychiatrist services. Additionally, such tests were used to compare both groups DSM-IV diagnoses. RESULTS: Ninety-seven percent of methadone patients attended at least one methadone support group; 52% used acupuncture services. Proportionally more non-methadone residents used psychiatric services (p < .05). CONCLUSION AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Services tailored to methadone residents were accessed by this group. However, while 32% of all participants met diagnostic criteria for a current psychiatric disorder, only 22% received onsite psychiatric care, which questions whether integrated care is being provided adequately for participants with co-occurring disorders.

Geospatial processing often involves complex and complicated geospatial data types. It is extremely inefficient if not infeasible to require scientist users maintain type compatibility of the ports of Web services that are connecting to each other. This study proposes to extend the type checking system of Kepler scientific workflow system to help scientist users composite geospatial Web services more effectively.

Acid rain can fall far from the site of the human activity that caused it. The diversity of functions performed by plants can be more important to an ecosystem's processes than the number of different species present. The roots of tundra plants take up organic nitrogen, providing some of their necessary nutrition. Sunset over the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research site, an alpine tundra ecosystem in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Photograph: William D. Bowman. Sunset over the Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research site, an alpine tundra ecosystem in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Photograph: William D. Bowman. These concepts that might be taught in undergraduate classes today have something in common: They can be linked directly to the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) network, which is celebrating its fortieth anniversary this year. Encompassing 28 sites in 17 states, Puerto Rico, Antarctica, and French Polynesia, the LTER is the second-longest continuously funded program at the National Science Foundation (after the graduate research fellowship program), according to Doug Levey, an NSF program officer who is part of the LTER working group. The tilting trees shown here are evidence of thawed permafrost and possibly taliks—layers of ground that remain unfrozen through the winter. Relatively warm (and microbially active) soil is sandwiched between permafrost below and frozen soil surface above. Researchers at the Bonanza Creek LTER in Alaska are using isotopes and genomics to link microbial diversity with ecosystem function in these new niches. Photograph: Michelle Mack. The tilting trees shown here are evidence of thawed permafrost and possibly taliks—layers of ground that remain unfrozen through the winter. Relatively warm (and microbially active) soil is sandwiched between permafrost below and frozen soil surface above. Researchers at the Bonanza Creek LTER in Alaska are using isotopes and genomics to link microbial diversity with ecosystem function in these new niches. Photograph: Michelle Mack. He says in a world that is constantly changing, the long-term perspective is necessary to help predict and mitigate those changes. The LTER network is uniquely positioned to do that. In addition to more than 17,000 peer-reviewed publications and expansion from the original six sites in 1980 to today's suite, the LTER has inspired the creation of several networks in other countries, as well as the International Long Term Ecological Research (ILTER) network and the US Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network. F. Stuart (Terry) Chapin III remembers the beginning of the LTER. He had studied the tundra biome as a Stanford University graduate student, working in far northern Alaska. At that time, he says, desert, deciduous, and tundra biomes were study sites for researchers in different countries, which introduced him to an ecosystem approach to studying ecology. The coordination of long-term studies across a network of sites can trace its roots partially to those biome studies, Chapin says. In the late 1980s, a boreal forest ecosystem he had been studying since 1975 as a faculty member at the University of Alaska Fairbanks became the Bonanza Creek LTER. He eventually became the principal investigator (PI) of Bonanza Creek for two grant cycles. Chapin says focusing only on that single location would have restricted his scientific explorations. The LTER framework allowed him to coordinate his research with scientists working in other places. Observations happen at specific sites, he says, but coordinated studies connect the dots between locations and illuminate big-picture challenges such as global climate change. Jennifer Rudgers, Principal Investigator of the Sevilleta LTER site, examines a sample of soil crust, formed by cyanobacteria. The crusts stabilize the soil surface, reduce erosion and help supply nutrients to the surrounding black grama grasses. Photograph: Erika Zambello, LTER Network Office (CC BY-SA 4.0). Jennifer Rudgers, Principal Investigator of the Sevilleta LTER site, examines a sample of soil crust, formed by cyanobacteria. The crusts stabilize the soil surface, reduce erosion and help supply nutrients to the surrounding black grama grasses. Photograph: Erika Zambello, LTER Network Office (CC BY-SA 4.0). “The ecosystem framework shaped the changes that I've made in studying ecology throughout my career,” says Chapin, who is now retired. For example, he worked with a colleague at the Arctic LTER on a study of the relative importance of temperature, light, and nutrients on productivity. They conducted the experiments over the course of about 6 years, by which time he says ecologists were beginning to design climate change studies in many different places. “That same experimental design that we had set up was just ideal for studying how (warming climate) interacted with nutrients and other factors,” he says. In the process, Chapin and his colleagues across the network mentored the next generation of ecologists who are now poised to take on leadership roles. “Giant clams” are found throughout the tropical Pacific. This example, Tridacna maxima, was photographed in the back reef area of the lagoon at the Moorea Coral Reef LTER site in French Polynesia. The electric blue color is produced by symbiotic, photosynthesizing unicellular algae in the genus Symbiodinium that live in the mantle tissue of the clam. Photograph: Ji-Yih “Annie” Yau. “Giant clams” are found throughout the tropical Pacific. This example, Tridacna maxima, was photographed in the back reef area of the lagoon at the Moorea Coral Reef LTER site in French Polynesia. The electric blue color is produced by symbiotic, photosynthesizing unicellular algae in the genus Symbiodinium that live in the mantle tissue of the clam. Photograph: Ji-Yih “Annie” Yau. In 1998, Michelle Mack worked as a postdoc with Chapin at Bonanza Creek. Ted Schuur began to conduct research there at the same time, as he finished his PhD. Since then, they have returned to Bonanza Creek every summer, even though their careers have taken them to various locations. They are currently on the faculty at Northern Arizona University. Schuur says the LTER has influenced his science in multiple ways. He studies how fires in the boreal forest change the landscape, such as pushing permafrost to thaw, “but also how they influence the whole global climate system, primarily through carbon cycling.” Although he is still exploring the fundamental questions that drove his early research, the depth of understanding and the specifics of the experiments have changed. Subarctic carbon cycling research led to questions about other places’ contributions to the global carbon cycle. “A lot of what we started doing was saying, what do these patterns and processes mean if you scale up,” he says, to a region or biome? “How does that compare to the global carbon cycle?” Fern fiddleheads emerge in spring under the canopy of mature Douglas fir trees at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in the Cascade mountains of Oregon, home to the Andrews LTER site, one of the first six sites funded in 1980. Photograph: Erika Zambello, LTER Network Office (CC BY-SA 4.0). Fern fiddleheads emerge in spring under the canopy of mature Douglas fir trees at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in the Cascade mountains of Oregon, home to the Andrews LTER site, one of the first six sites funded in 1980. Photograph: Erika Zambello, LTER Network Office (CC BY-SA 4.0). Schuur has also set up carbon flux experiments near Denali National Park that technically are not part of the LTER. He has worked at that site for 15 years. “I was never planning to go to that place and never leave,” Schuur says. But the LTER approach influenced him. Schuur and Mack have been involved in several rounds of funding for Bonanza Creek. When the team submits its renewal proposal in 2022, Mack will be the lead investigator and she plans to shepherd a proposal that will stand out from past iterations. “There never have been women in charge,” she says, adding that historically Bonanza Creek was essentially a single PI program. This time, she plans to convene a group that will complement each other's skills and, in particular, bring education and outreach fully into the core of the proposal. That might include adapting “blue-sky” scientific questions about where plants get their nitrogen to a concrete experiment that considers what conditions lead to the best berry production. One of Chapin's legacies, Mack says, is the concept of “in-reach” rather than outreach—inviting area residents to participate in the science rather than serving up science that may or may not be of interest to them. “What's the Venn diagram where we can have the science, the in-reach, the connection to community, and then education?” Mack asks. She is well aware that after more than 30 years of continuous funding, the site needs to demonstrate not only its relevance but also how it can be fresh and new. “What do we really feel invested in, moving forward?” she will ask of her colleagues as they write the next grant. “What do people really care about completing?” Students from Karen Anderson's class at MacDuffie school in Granby, Massachusetts, use a microscope at Harvard Forest LTER to examine the leaves of Eastern hemlock trees threatened by the hemlock woolly adelgid. Photograph: Karen Anderson, Harvard Forest (CC BY-ND). Students from Karen Anderson's class at MacDuffie school in Granby, Massachusetts, use a microscope at Harvard Forest LTER to examine the leaves of Eastern hemlock trees threatened by the hemlock woolly adelgid. Photograph: Karen Anderson, Harvard Forest (CC BY-ND). Levey emphasizes that sites cannot assume they will be re-funded. “From NSF's perspective, it's absolutely critical to take a fresh look at these sites to make sure they haven't become stale,” he says. Competition and peer review are at least as rigorous as for other NSF programs. The difference is that successful LTER applications lead to 6 to 10 years of funding rather than the more common 3 to 5 years. It took several tries, but in 1988 Bob Waide, then at the University of Puerto Rico, and his colleagues added the Luquillo tropical forest site to the LTER. In 1997, he left the island to become the director of the national LTER office, then at the University of New Mexico. Now retired, he is collaborating on a book about the network's history. Looking back, he says some critics have questioned the size and amount of funding for the program. But he dismisses those concerns by pointing out that the program has supported many researchers and that LTER projects are often very cost effective. “It's largely an altruistic enterprise,” he adds. For example, before retiring, he took the first set of samples for an 80-year project to monitor changes in species and processes along a climate gradient in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico. Others will continue with the same protocols every 6 years, building a database for studying the effects of warming, drying, and more frequent disturbances. “I'm not going to be around 80 years from now when the results of this study are known,” he says and no one will remember who started it. But potentially many future researchers will make use of it. Chapin points out that often the greatest expense, especially for remote locations, is getting there. Once a site is established, he says it is not that much work to do some extra data collection for a particular project, even for a scientist who may never visit the site. That type of assistance happens frequently. An existing LTER site may have some advantage when applying for a renewal grant because the group writing the proposal likely has years of experience with myriad experiments and a deep connection to the place. But that offers no guarantee. The Sevilleta site in New Mexico, which is where a long-term data set of deer mouse tissue contributed to the understanding of the hantavirus outbreak in the mid-1990s, joined the LTER in 1988. But its 2013 proposal for renewed funding was rejected. Jennifer Rudgers, now the director of the Sevilleta LTER and a professor at the University of New Mexico, says the context for renewal that year included new initiatives from the NSF such as the National Ecological Observatory Network. Rudgers was not part of the team that wrote the unsuccessful proposal, but looking back she says the funding was a bit tighter at the time and the attitude was that sites needed to be both standalone research endeavors and intricately engaged in the network. Each site needed to demonstrate the benefit of connecting projects together so new questions and synergies would emerge. “We were kind of a test case for what the new standards were,” Rudgers says. After Sevilleta lost its funding, she led an effort to re-join the LTER. “We worked our tails off to put together the best proposal that we possibly could,” she says. “We competed for that new site and we won.” The national network expanded to encompass most of the distinct ecosystems in the country, including forest, prairie, tundra, tropics, freshwater, marine, alpine, arctic, and urban. Two sites in Antarctica joined in the 1990s, and that is around the same time the concept of an international network emerged. “The ILTER network popped up as a result of a direct suggestion from the National Science Foundation to the LTER network,” Waide says, “which led to an international summit in 1993.” Then, he says, NSF and the LTER community began to actively recruit existing networks from other countries, and even helped create some. The goal was to look at similar ecological processes all over the world. Today, the ILTER includes nearly two dozen countries in the European LTER, three African countries, and eight members of the East-Asia-Pacific group. Though NSF provided some funding to launch the ILTER, “the US LTER network is just one member of ILTER at this point,” says Frank Davis, executive director of the US LTER. Having a global network, he says, provides “opportunities for more coordination and a little bit more deliberate design of new experiments.” Hideaki Shibata, a professor in the Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere at Hokkaido University in Japan, serves as chair of the ILTER. He says the networks in different countries have similar goals and the interconnectedness that the network facilitates enhances the science. The Japan LTER, Shibata says, is a “bottom-up” model in the sense that each site had existing long-term data sets. Establishing the network and joining the ILTER, he says, has presented a “nice opportunity for us to do new science.” In his work on nitrogen cycling in ecosystems, for example, the international collaborations, coordinated through the ILTER's Nitrogen Initiative, expand the scope of the research he can do. The Plum Island Sound Estuary, home of the Plum Island Ecosystem LTER, is sandwiched between residential development (red in this infrared image) and rising sea level. Research shows that some coastal marshes may migrate inland when space allows, but that probably will not be possible for Plum Island. Photograph: James W. Sewall for University of Massachusetts at Amherst (CC-0). The Plum Island Sound Estuary, home of the Plum Island Ecosystem LTER, is sandwiched between residential development (red in this infrared image) and rising sea level. Research shows that some coastal marshes may migrate inland when space allows, but that probably will not be possible for Plum Island. Photograph: James W. Sewall for University of Massachusetts at Amherst (CC-0). That initiative has also sponsored international training opportunities for students and Shibata says such and into the global ecology network, help expand what students can in their time working on a or PhD. the long-term data is to the the students can test more They can also to their networks and new projects that can be the research points to the to how researchers to a scientific group of researchers at the National Center for Ecological and in which is also where the LTER national is now to look at organic in many different around the world. “The there what the at which in says. conduct a the group that they would to the and was They up with the of using the same of one that was and The network allowed for of all the than have been all over the world. Now says the research community is poised to take on some more would be for us to to about a set of coordinated studies and he says. Two are the project into that are not well and nitrogen cycling experiments at more sites to how ecosystems to changes in “We are that or both would be of interest to our and colleagues in as well as other says, have been looking for new funding to make it He that project would include training and data These networks up the which presented to data sets. they the opportunity to conduct the same or in different locations over of time with researchers to all the The that data are and has how Schuur data and how he graduate He and his students to their data and write their but would not get around to the of the we be writing a and data if we it's to be he says. “We be sure about the data He students to their data with the world they writing the then he them to include those data on their as they can be from a on a global the research community is not in on when and how to “We are still how we can a Shibata says of the ILTER. of scientists to the he says. to that data in their research But different of about Shibata says it is that the is science. the are worked he is a international database will emerge. on the greatest to in the Research on ecosystems is a of the which is part of both the LTER and the Photograph: University. on the greatest to in the Research on ecosystems is a of the which is part of both the LTER and the Photograph: University. at the in him at the of ecological and “We are the only LTER site that is to the of and says. still understanding how ecosystems and how ecosystems and where the two which at and LTER in New Mexico, which is a are also part of the network. The includes sites, most of which are with the US of Research The was in years after then at and colleagues for such a research also research to more as in different from who are working in the same they a as part of the research conducted at the Ecosystem site, an LTER. Photograph: Erika Zambello, LTER Network Office (CC BY-SA 4.0). a as part of the research conducted at the Ecosystem site, an LTER. Photograph: Erika Zambello, LTER Network Office (CC BY-SA 4.0). The was to some of the concepts of the LTER, including research, and the context of For example, the needs of and would be the of and the of change would be and the goal would be to of these that do not now and for example, or and the of the most important research questions will be those that are at the scale but are of The is to for that of the is to work across so positioned to how do experimental and data across the and is a soil scientist with the Research in which is home to the site. looking at carbon at all the he says. they are using that Schuur has in his ecological studies in Alaska. is in carbon The specifics of their studies and the questions they to are but the are this network is really says. He and his to include many different in a study about carbon “We so much of the going into the up in the but we really LTER sites, ecosystems, and locations. funding in or LTER sites, ecosystems, and locations. funding in or the LTER had of what had been in many places. “I this whole network in 10 and had he says. That helped him get his study design and he is that he will other from existing LTER sites, such as carbon potentially using to LTER scientists about their colleagues and as a community or a scientific Rudgers, the PI at began her with the LTER a Research for at in one of the original long-term from scientists are But Mack points out this has its with in she says at LTER sites can be and on She has plans to the next funding at Bonanza Creek new and into the by funding their in as one of the for the she says, really about and in the for that includes not just the researchers but also the people who live in the ecosystem they are she points is a place where many remain to and on their “I it as our to create science that serves the people that live in this she says. of sites also have human to the ecosystem and that is an area where says the LTER a number of different we out with sites that would really the network,” says. the funding and other fall into he is about the future of long-term research and is looking to the next are just to do even more Science began exploring the LTER network years

Version of the code supporting the manuscript at the time of its submission to Global Biogeochemical Cycles. Also includes edits necessitated by peer reviewer comments. Changes from the preceding version are identified below. Adds DOI badges for code and data to README Creates script for land/rock multi-panel figure (03d) Creates script for green-up day analysis and figure (03e) Separates figure script into "actual" (03f), "supplement" (03g), and "bonus" (03h) based on whether they are used in the main text, used in the supplemental info, or not used but still publication-quality, respectively Adds brief script explanations for 03e-h to README Clarifies monthly bookmark graphs about lack of MCM data except in January, February, and December Standardizes silica ratios in all graphs as "DSi" instead of "Si" Increases text size in figures and make exponents (in axis titles for variable units) true superscript

This repository includes wrangling/quality control code for butterfly and nectar-resource plant communities from 2007 to 2018 in the Grand River Grasslands (GRG) of south-central Iowa and north-central Missouri. All data were entered into Microsoft Access so the wrangling scripts in this repository process each of the three relational tables separately.

This repository includes wrangling/quality control code for butterfly and nectar-resource plant communities from 2007 to 2018 in the Grand River Grasslands (GRG) of south-central Iowa and north-central Missouri. All data were entered into Microsoft Access so the wrangling scripts in this repository process each of the three relational tables separately.

In synthesis science, collaboration on code products is often integral to the productivity of the group. However, learning to use the software and graphical user interfaces that support this kind of teamwork can be a significant hurdle for teams that are already experts in their subject areas. This workshop is aimed at helping participants gain an understanding of the fundamental purpose and functioning of "version control"" systems–specifically GitHub–to help teams code collaboratively more effectively and confidently. Changes from the preceding version include: Added Zenodo DOI and full workshop citation to README and homepage of workshop Clarified GitHub 'by itself' versus 'with an IDE' and made minor edits to both original topics in service of making this distinction clear Tweaked sidebar to make a new 'background' section to house the workflows module and some of the Git-specific background that previously was the start of what is now called the 'GitHub by itself' module Overhauled all IDE-related tutorials to use new, more clear images and explanatory text for both RStudio and Positron

Natural history collections (NHCs) preserve critical information about biodiversity, including specimen records, taxonomic classifications, and collection locations. However, attributing contributions to specific individuals remains a challenge due to inconsistencies in name formatting, name duplication, and the absence of standardized identifiers. These limitations hinder clear attribution and perpetuate inequities in crediting those who have collected and described specimens. Additionally, biases can influence whose contributions are recognized within biodiversity databases. To address these challenges, freely available tools such as ORCID, Bionomia, and Wikidata provide mechanisms to link individual contributions to biodiversity data. These platforms allow for the enhancement and correction of historical and contemporary records, ensuring more equitable recognition of contributors. The Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) presented here introduces students to the concept of ”hidden figures” in science, emphasizing the importance of attribution within the context of NHCs. Through interdisciplinary and open-source tools such as Bionomia and Wikidata, students engage with collections data, learn about the contributions of historically marginalized individuals in science, and document their own involvement in biodiversity research. The CURE consists of four structured modules designed as a progressive learning experience over the course of a semester but can also be implemented as standalone units.

The challenges posed by climate and land use change are increasingly complex, with rising and accelerating impacts on the global environmental system. Novel environmental and ecosystem research needs to properly interpret system changes and derive management recommendations across scales. This largely depends on advances in the establishment of an internationally harmonised, long-term operating and representative infrastructure for environmental observation. One example for such an infrastructure for environmental observation is the International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) network. ILTER is a global network of networks consisting of research sites in a wide array of ecosystems that focuses on long-term, site-based research, and builds on a “bottom-up” governance structure. To assess the biogeographical and socio-ecological representativeness of the ILTER site network, we analysed all of the 743 formally accredited sites in 47 countries with regard to their spatial distribution. So-called “Representedness” values were computed from six global datasets. The analysis revealed a dense coverage of Northern temperate regions and anthropogenic zones most notably in the US, Europe and East Asia. Notable gaps are present in economically less developed and anthropogenically less impacted hot and barren regions like Northern and Central Africa and inner-continental parts of South America. These findings provide the arguments for our recommendations regarding the geographic expansion for the further development of the ILTER network, most notably in inner continental parts of South America, the Arctic region and Western and Central Africa.

The Committee is responsible for supervising the collection and preservation of records to be deposited in the Society Archives. These records include important documents, papers of the officers, and other appropriate memorabilia. Attached as the second page of this report, find the report of the ESA Archive, provided by Gilbert Head, Archival Associate, UGA/ESA Archives. We remind ESA officers that the records of their official activities with the Society are required to be submitted to and stored by the ESA Archives. The Committee also coordinates the solicitation, and approves the publication in the ESA Bulletin, of Resolutions of Respect and Obituaries of deceased members and other distinguished ecologists. Thanks to the continuing efforts of committee members Jane Bain and Robert Peet, along with Lee Miller, the ESA history web page has been updated and in-filled. It now presents not only a new look, but contains many more documents, and a new photo gallery (are you in it? Better check!), now found at: 〈http://esa.org/history/〉. The Historical Records Committee will hold its annual meeting in conjunction with the ESA Meeting in Milwaukee on 7 August in the Hilton Milwaukee City Center. The agenda will include a discussion of potential events and documents to be created for the 100th Anniversary celebration of the founding of ESA (only 7 years from now!), the development and publication of written and oral histories collections for ESA including enhanced collection of presidential biographies, and a web page containing a high density of links to other sources, as an outline of the history of ecology. Additional topics can be added to the agenda by interested ESA members, by contacting the Chair by 31 July.