Making ecological monitoring successful: Insights and lessons from the Long Term Ecological Research Network
Date
Authors
Burns, Emma
Tennant, Philip
Dickman, Chris
Green, Peter
Hanigan, Ivan
Hoffmann, Ary
Keith, David
Metcalfe, Dan
Nolan, Kathryn
Russell-Smith, Jeremy
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Canberra, ACT: Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTERN), Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University
Abstract
Ecological monitoring allows us to track changes in the environment and helps us see how our actions affect the environment. Long-term monitoring is particularly important, yielding valuable insights that are not possible from shorter-term investigations.
We consider successful ecological monitoring to be monitoring that generates knowledge that is useful to others, and can be valuable in adaptive and effective environmental management. Any effective monitoring program requires a number of fundamental considerations, and additional factors should be considered in the design of a long-term monitoring program.
This booklet describes what we consider to be the key characteristics of successful ecological monitoring, including long-term monitoring.All these characteristics work together. For example, good project design
cannot meet its objectives without long-term funding; data management
must be matched by good communication; and good partnerships must
be maintained through succession and project planning.
In discussing these characteristics and our recommendations for how
they may be achieved, we present a series of stories and quotes.
These insights are based on the collective experience of research
leaders of the 12 plot networks within the Long Term Ecological
Research Network, along with other professionals associated with the
network.
These stories highlight just how difficult it is to do long-term ecological
research in Australia. They also illustrate the unique value of this kind of
research for helping to understand and manage the Australian environment.
We hope that this booklet will support the development of more effective and
influential long-term ecological projects in Australia.
Description
Keywords
Biodiversity conservation -- Australia, Environmental monitoring -- Australia, Environmental management -- Australia
Citation
Burns E, Lindenmayer D, Tennant P, Dickman C, Green P, Hanigan I, Hoffmann A, Keith D, Metcalfe D, Nolan K, Russell-Smith J, Wardle G, Welsh A, Williams R, Yates C (2014). Making ecological monitoring successful: Insights and lessons from the Long Term Ecological Research Network, LTERN, Australia.
Source
Type
Book
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
Open Access
License Rights
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.