Network LTER-Italy

The National Long TERm Ecological Network (LTER-Italy)

Italy entered the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (www.ilternet.edu) in 2006, following a long lasting scientific and organizing process at national level, which involved many scientific institutions (National Research Council, Universities, Scientific Societies and Public Agencies). The establishment of LTER-Italy (www.lteritalia.it) had a strong bottom-up nature and it could rely only on the different institutions’ responsibilities and funding, and on the researchers’ personal efforts and willingness. In accordance with International LTER and LTER- Europe (www.lter-europe.net), the driving aims of LTER-Italy are, first of all, to foster collaboration and coordination among LTER ecosystems, researchers and institution; then, to improve comparability and exchange of LTER data and findings; finally, to deliver information to policymakers and the public. LTER-Italy has a strong interdisciplinary nature, being made up 20 by terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems. The mixing of expertise from both marine and terrestrial systems, facing common environmental problems, will produce a cultural and practical ecological enhancement.

Six out of the 20 LTER-Italy sites are coastal/marine, the others being terrestrial and freshwater: the Northern Adriatic Sea, the Lagoon of Venice, The Po River Delta, the Gulf of Naples, the Sardinia costal waters and the Portofino marine Protected Area.

ISMAR is the coordinating institution of LTER-Italy and has the direct responsibility of two marine sites: the Northern Adriatic Sea and the Lagoon of Venice.