LTESR Romania

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LTE(S)R Romania

• Management plan proposal
• - Convergence of the National LTSER and European
  structures-

Dr. Mihai Adamescu Department of Systems
Ecology University of Bucharest
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National network history

• European context already started from 2000
• Alternet project as a promoter and a catalyses
  at European level
• National context
• activities linked with ILTER starting from 1995
  (after the Poland meeting)
• from 2003 Romania is part of the ILTER
• Actively involved in almost all work packages of
  Alternet (including two deputies for I3 and RA4)
• From 2005 we have developed and implemented a
  national project with the aim of creating a
  national consortium for the development and
  straitening of the national Long Term Ecosystem
  Research Network
• At international and national level is a trend
  from an association of sites with their own
  resources and aims towards national and
  international networks with common research
  agendas and most important with common resources
  (material, human and financial)
• The transitions is also from fragmented research,
  with a sectorial approach towards a more systemic
  approach in which research has new dimensions and
  also it is much more based on interdisciplinary
  and transdiciplinary (stakeholders views and
  communication).

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Definition of LTSER sites

• According to our analytical framework a LT(S)ER
  pilot area is identified as
• a local or regional socio-ecological complex,
  containing natural, man-controlled and
  man-created and dominated ecosystems
• provides not only a multi-site research platform
  where inter and trans-disciplinary knowledge are
  produced,
• a space where the operational infrastructure,
  policies and adaptive management plans for
  sustainability can be designed, developed and
  tested. (Vadineanu, 2005)

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Network characteristics
Based on data and knowledge analysis, and taking
into consideration the existing historical data
that allows the characterization of the structure
and function of the ecological components, the
Romanian Network was developed. Other areas are
also in discussions in order to better cover the
heterogeneity of the socio-ecological complexes
at national level.
Romanian biogeographical regions and the national
LTSER network (Cazacu colab, 2006)
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Level 1 ecoregions
Level 1 ecoregion and the coverage by the LTSER
sites (Cazacu colab, 2006)
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Major ecosystem types and the LTSER coverage
(Cazacu colab, 2006)
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Braila Islands
Danube Delta
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Why a management plan (1)
The management plan is one of the outputs of a
national project aiming at the development and
strengthening the LTER network in Romania. In
this spring we had elections and all the aspects
presented here are already discussed and accepted
by the Romanian LTER community.

• The main reason for the development of the
  management plan is that we need to assure the
  transition/continuity and sustanability of
  different activities for long term and we need
  also to plan future activities
• The management plan define what is the national
  network of socio-ecological research on long
  term
• It also establishes the aim and a long term
  vision for the network in close relationship with
  the international networks (LTER Europe and
  ILTER)
• It establishes also the strategic objectives
  (that assures durability) but also the tactical
  ones (that will assure adaptability)

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Why a management plan (2)

• It goes further by defining the activities needed
  in order to meet the proposed aim and objectives
• It allows the identification of the resources
  that could be available to the network and is
  establishing a working procedure for attracting
  financial resources
• It defines the organizational structure as well
  working mechanisms (communications, protocols)
  for network coordination
• Defines a minimum set of recommended parameters
  identify the working groups needed for the an
  active management of the network
• Defines the response mechanisms for coupling with
  other national, european and global networks.

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Management plan structure

• Introduction and context for the management plan
• Why a management plan
• Network characteristics (what makes this network
  unique long term research, socio-economic
  integration, hierarchical and integrated
  approach)
• Aim and objectives of the national Romanian
  LTSER network
• 3.1. Vision for the Romanian LTSER network
• 3.2. Strategic objectives
• 3.3. Tactical objectives.
• Activities
• Common research agenda for the Romanian LTSER
  network
• Financial resources (assuring financial resources
  - business plan)
• Risks and ways of overcoming them (risk
  analysis)
• Institutional infrastructure (organizational
  structure for the Ro-LTER, criteria for national
  LTER parameter lists and recommended methods
  and equipments, criteria for new members
  (institutions and sites) Groups
• Communication and education (webpage, networking
  and publication) Results and exemplary research
• Relationship with EU-LTER, ILTER and other
  networks (ICP, ICM etc)

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Vision (research focus)

• LTSER sites are viewed as specific
  sites/locations/platforms designed and managed at
  landscape scale for long-term research and
  monitoring, focused on the dynamics of
• a) major aspects of biological and ecological
  diversity composition, structure and
  functioning under the influence of both natural
  and human drivers and pressures (e.g. climate
  changes, fragmentation, pollution,
  over-exploitation, invasive species)
• b) human perceptions, attitudes and participation
  related to biodiversity conservation and
  ecosystem management
• c) spatio-temporal relationships between
  socio-economic systems and the components of
  biodiversity
• d) the development of appropriate methods and
  tools for the implementation of DPSIR operational
  model in the integrated (ecosystem) and adaptive
  management of the environment, biodiversity and
  socio-economic systems(see Vadineanu et al.,
  2005).

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Objectives

• Strategic objectives (long term)
• Conceptual developments (enlargement of the
  network, criteria for selection etc)
• Transfer of the scientific knowledge,
  communication, education and support (for the
  main stakeholders but also for the public in
  general)
• Standardization and harmonization of data
  collection (parameters and methods )
• Information management Access to metadata and
  data
• Tactical objective (short term)
• Development of a common research agenda
• Strategic plan for development

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Key Research Questions (Vadineanu, 2005 Colima)

• 1. Understanding biodiversity dynamics
  (composition, structure and functioning
  processes) in the local and regional
  socio-ecological complexes, under pressure of
  interacting driving forces human colonization
  and resources exploitation pollution alien
  species and climate changes.
• 2. Assessing ecosystem and landscape functions,
  and resources and services flows along their
  development cycle.
• 3. Social research supporting societal
  certification of major strategies, policies and
  projects, regarding biodiversity conservation,
  sustainable use and ecological restoration.

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Organizational structure LTSER Romania
Administrative council Aim Strategic
administrative decision at national
level Members Administrators of LTSER sites
(research station directors or natural park
chiefs)
Coordination council Aim Development of the
strategy and network proposals for research
themes and infrastructure Members Institutions
with research activities in the LTSER sites (one
person fro each institution)
Under RES- Romanian Ecological Society
The proposed structure is in line with the
European LTER proposal

• Expert groups
• a) communication
• ) infrastructure and technology
• ) information management
• ) research themes
• ) harmonization and standardization

Coordination of national LTSER (including
secretariat) - Prof. Dr. Angheluta Vadineanu at
Department of Systems Ecology/University of
Bucharest
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Financial support

• Projects
• International
• - Life Watch
• - Life plus
• - research
• National support
• - Infrastructure
• - research projects

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Main stakeholders

• 1.1. Ministry of Education and Research
• National Research Agency (NRA) and
  National University Research Council (NURC).
• 1.2. Ministry of Environment and Water Management
  (MEWM) - National
  Agency for Environmental Protection (NAEP)
• - National Company for Water Resources
  Management (NCWRM)
• - National Agencies for Protected Arias
  (NAPA).
• 1.3. Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Rural
  Development
• National Company for Forest Administration
  ROMSILVA
• National Fishery Administration
• 1.4. Regional Development Agencies (8)
• 1.5. Local authorities
• 1.6. Natural reserves administrations

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Thank you for attention!!!