Abstract
The Environmental Change Network (ECN) (http://www.ecn.ac.uk) is the UK`s long-term ecosystem monitoring network and aims to aid in the detection, interpretation and forecasting of environmental change and its impacts resulting from natural and human causes. It is a multi-agency initiative (supported by a consortium of thirteen sponsoring organisations in addition to Defra and seven research organisations) and currently consists of 54 terrestrial and freshwater sites where regular measurements are made of the main drivers of change (e.g. climate, atmospheric chemistry, land use) and ecosystem responses (e.g. soil, flora, fauna and water quality). The ECN has been in operation since 1992 and is producing a wealth of data and information of value to users in education, research and policy. The key strength of the ECN is that it conducts “integrated” ecosystem monitoring, i.e. co-located monitoring of a wide range of physical, chemical and biological components of semi-natural ecosystems according to clearly defined protocols (Morecroft et al., 2009). Measurements are taken at relatively high frequency and many records are now over fifteen years in length. While records demonstrate great variation in environmental conditions between and within years they are now long enough for us to begin to detect longer-term changes in environmental drivers, and how examine how these are affecting biological characteristics (Morecroft et al., 2009 ). The co-location of measurements of driving variables, soil and water chemistry, and ecological indicators including vegetation, invertebrates and vertebrates, provide nationally and internationally unique datasets with which to explore links between drivers and ecological responses. The ECN has two separately contracted and funded elements, which are completely dependent on each other. The first element is the Central (Data) Coordination Unit (CCU), which provides central project coordination, data management, data analysis and the external communications for the whole network of sites. The net contribution of these activities is a system that provides data to, and informs, policy makers, scientists, schools and universities and the wider public on the pressures and responses to environmental change in physical, chemical and biological systems. The CCU is managed by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) on behalf of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) who provide approximately 80% of its operational costs. This proposal is for support for the activities of the CCU of direct importance to Defra over a two year period. The second element is the network of ECN sites, where support for sampling, sample analysis and delivery of ECN data to the CCU is provided by the 13 other sponsors, including NERC. Thus, Defra receives added value from its contribution to ECN’s multi-agency data collection programme. Management and protection of Ecosystem Services forms the central tenet of the current 10 year Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) programme supported by NERC, Defra and a range of other funders. The ECN provides an important evidence base to support LWEC-related science, by methodically monitoring, at fine temporal resolution, the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of UK ecosystems ranging from lowland agricultural and woodland systems, to the high mountains. The natural environment serves our health and well-being through a range of supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural roles, collectively known as Ecosystem Services. Future provision of these services will be affected by changes to the environment driven by global warming, air pollutants and changes in the use of the land. However, as the UK begins to experience climatic conditions that are without precedent, ecosystem responses, their interactions and their societal implications will become increasingly difficult to predict. Given the complexity and uncertainties associated with the ever evolving environmental system, therefore, high quality long-term monitoring is becoming essential in informing on, and responding to, environmental change. ECN sites are also Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) platforms, at which shorter term experiments and additional monitoring are encouraged to test environmental change hypotheses that may have been generated from assessment of the long-term data or from other sources. As concern grows over how policy is best applied to conserve or enhance biodiversity and “Ecosystem Services”, the ECN provides unique national capability to address emerging research and policy needs. The primary aim of this proposal, therefore, is to maintain and develop the functions of the ECN that inform Defra on the character, causes and consequences of environmental change within the UK. The five key project objectives are to maintain and develop the ECN CCU operational system, develop the organisational structure and national role of the Network in providing National Capability, develop research and reasearch capability of the Network, develop the communication of ECN activities, and provide consistent project management.
United Kingdom