Print PageLong-term research can play a critical role in addressing “Grand Challenges” in environmental stewardship. In this presentation we examine efforts at five Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) studies across the US to inform policy, management and conservation decisions related to forests at local, regional, and national scales. The case studies explore different approaches, challenges and successes in synthesizing, translating and communicating research that is relevant to public policy. The case study topics include: effects of air pollution on ecosystems through the Science Links program at Hubbard Brook; fire management and impacts on indigenous peoples at Bonanza Creek; forest management at H.J. Andrews; land conservation through the Wildlands and Woodlands initiative at Harvard Forest; and tools to promote urban forestry at the Baltimore Ecosystem Study.
Results/Conclusions
We discuss a range of tools including stakeholder engagement and the integration of local knowledge, the use of dynamic models to analyze potential consequences of policy and management decisions, and the practice of adaptive management to incorporate new knowledge into future decisions. We summarize the lessons learned from these boundary-spanning efforts, including that decades-long research programs build credibility for outreach initiatives; the value of LTER sites as regional hubs for outreach efforts; the importance of scientific synthesis and translations, and management tools framed in relevant terms; and that outreach efforts can be made more effective through strategic partnerships. We consider questions such as: What characterizes successful boundary-spanning efforts? How can the role of long-term research in resolution of environmental challenges be enhanced? What role should NSF-funded science play in addressing the Grand Challenges of our time?
