Abstract
The Environmental Change Network (ECN) is the UK's long-term, integrated environmental monitoring and research programme. ECN gathers information about the pressures on and responses to environmental change in physical, chemical and biological systems. It is supported by a consortium of fourteen sponsoring organisations and seven research organisations. ECN's objectives are: 1.To establish and maintain a selected network of sites within the UK from which to obtain comparable long-term datasets through the monitoring of a range of variables identified as being of major environmental importance. 2. To provide for the integration and analysis of these data, so as to identify natural and man-induced environmental changes and improve understanding of the causes of change. 3. To distinguish short-term fluctuations from long-term trends, and predict future changes. 4. To provide, for research purposes, a range of representative sites with good instrumentation and reliable environmental information. One aim of the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) is to protect and improve the environment, and to integrate the environment with other policies across Government and in international fora. This includes the effects of climatic and other changes on agricultural systems and farmland biodiversity. Defra has funded ADAS at Drayton in Warwickshire as one of 12 terrestrial sites in the ECN since the project's inception in 1992. Long-term data sets obtained are being analysed to identify and improve the understanding of the causes of environmental change. There are currently 57 ECN sites, located throughout the UK. Most are fresh-water sites but Drayton is important among the 12 terrestrial sites, as the only site in the English Midlands and the only lowland, mixed-agriculture farm. Data collection will continue at Drayton during the year 2007-2008 in order to maintain continuity at the site. The maintenance of plots and recording equipment, the collection of field data and the collection and processing of samples will continue to follow the ECN protocols.
United Kingdom