Building (on) the eLTER community and network

The development of the eLTER Research Infrastructure (RI) is a story of steady community growth in a strategic and sustained effort to build a robust community and interconnected network dedicated to Long-Term Ecosystem Observation (LTER) in Europe. 

Starting from a loose collection of 26 separate national LTER networks — each with its own focus and priorities — eLTER has been driving the evolution towards an increasingly integrated and collaborative European ecosystem research community. This transformation was driven by the coordinated efforts of key EU-funded projects, including eLTER PPP, eLTER PLUS, and eLTER EnRich, which together enabled the alignment of national capacities, scientific goals, site operations, data practices, and expanded collaboration. 

eLTER’s solid scientific base of >550 research sites and >50 socio-ecological platforms operated by the 26 national LTER networks, diverse research communities working across the geo-, hydro-, bio-, socio-, and atmosphere, and over 165 collaborating research institutes in 28 countries are an invaluable foundation for a coherent, long-term European RI dedicated to ecosystem, critical zone, and socio-ecological research. 

This network will continue to mature as eLTER RI moves toward implementation in 2026, with an initial membership of approx. 20 countries. 

However, this growth is not only about numbers but also about deepening integration. As more components, stakeholders, and activities are woven into eLTER’s shared framework, the continuous evolution towards an integrated eLTER RI is not only technical and formal, but deeply rooted in the shared commitment to transdisciplinary environmental research and long-term ecosystem observation in all of eLTER’s component communities and networks.