UNM’s LTER is one of 26 field stations in network
The Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network is the recipient of the 2010 Distinguished Scientist Award by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). According to AIBS, the Distinguished Scientist Award (previously named the Distinguished Service Award) has been presented annually since 1972 to individuals or groups who have made significant scientific contributions to the biological sciences, integrative and organismal biology in particular.
The Award is a significant recognition of the contribution that the LTER program, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, has made to the field of biological sciences since its creation in 1980 by the National Science Foundation.
“AIBS is pleased to recognize the contributions of the LTER Network in this, its 30th Anniversary year,” said Dr. Richard O'Grady, AIBS Executive Director. “A shining example of excellence in our nation's scientific enterprise, the LTER program focuses on large-scale, multi-disciplinary research and has truly transformed ecological and environmental science in the U.S. and world-wide. The program and the scientists and students that have conducted research at LTER sites or with LTER data have fundamentally advanced human understanding.”
G. Philip Robertson, chair of the LTER Executive Board and Science Council and professor of ecosystem science at Michigan State University, observed that the award is a high honor for LTER. “We are both grateful for and humbled by this recognition, which highlights the unique contributions of the Network for advancing ecological knowledge of important ecosystems undergoing unprecedented environmental change,” he said.
According to Robert B. Waide, the Executive Director of the LTER Network Office and biology professor at the University of New Mexico, “the award represents the cumulative efforts of more than 2000 LTER scientists, students, information managers, educators, and staff working on experiments and observational studies that will inform present and future understanding of ecological systems.”
The LTER Network comprises 26 sites funded by NSF to pursue basic research in ecology and environmental science. Since 1980, site scientists have conducted research to better understand long-term ecological phenomena in both natural and managed ecosystems. A broad variety of ecosystems are represented in the Network, including tundra, forest, grassland, desert, agricultural, urban, and marine sites, among others. For further information, including a list of current sites and principal investigators, see LTER.
The award ceremony took place Tuesday, May 18, in Washington, DC.
LTER Mission
The Mission of the LTER Network is to provide the scientific community, policy makers, and society with the knowledge and predictive understanding necessary to conserve, protect, and manage the nation’s ecosystems, their biodiversity, and the services they provide.
Media Contacts: LTER, McOwiti Thomas, (505) 277-2638; e-mail: tmcowiti@lternet.edu; UNM, Steve Carr, (505) 277-1821; e-mail: scarr@unm.edu
Posted by scarr at May 17, 2010 05:33 PM