Geographical and Thematic Distribution of Publications Generated at the International Long-Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER) Sites - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 192

publications are included in social sciences databases. Noticeably, however, >
99 % of all ILTER publications in the arts and the humanities are generated by
researchers working in the South Temperate region (23°N - 66°N), especially
Chile. Additionally, in Southern Hemisphere LTER networks research themes
associated with Earth Stewardship were the most represented. Our concise analy-
sis aims to call attention to the fact that opportunities exist for greater collabora-
tion and complementarity in research across the ILTER Network. The southern
regions can signifi cantly add to the integration of social, ethical, and artistic
dimensions to transdisciplinary socio-ecological research at ILTER, providing
an intercultural and participatory foundation for Earth Stewardship.

Keywords Earth Stewardship ￿ Ethics ￿ Knowledge production ￿ Long-Term
Ecological Research (LTER) ￿ Research outputs

13.1 World Distribution of ILTER Sites

and Research Themes

The International Long-Term Ecological Research (ILTER) network consists of
approximately 40 national-scale long-term ecological research (LTER) networks,
including prospective network members. National LTER networks conduct site-
based research and monitoring in a variety of ecosystems and geographies. ILTER's
work addresses international ecological and socio-ecological problems through col-
laborative question- and problem-driven research, as well as data collection and
sharing (ILTER Network n.d. ). Although the formal ILTER Network was estab-
lished only two decades ago in 1993, many member networks and sites have been
conducting long-term monitoring and research during prior decades.
Our ability to conscientiously interact with the world is limited by our direct
sources of ecological knowledge. However, a relatively small portion of the world,
encompassing a limited portion of the ecological and cultural diversity of the planet
is included in longer ecological studies. Distribution and availability of ecological
knowledge directly affects an Earth Stewardship initiative (see Chapin et al. 2015 in
this volume [Chap. 12 ]). Formal scientifi c publication or data availability is one
benchmark by which knowledge is accepted into scientifi c (Christensen et al. 1996 )
and policy (Turnhout et al. 2007 ) communities. However, not all ecological knowl-
edge, e.g., traditional ecological knowledge (Huntington 2000 ), might be suited for
the predominant scientifi c publication forums. The thematic and geographic distri-
bution of those forums potentially shape and refl ect available ecological knowledge
and interests.
In spite of its limitations, the ILTER network's ability to coordinate and
collaborate on long-term ecological comprehensive research and monitoring is cur-
rently unmatched by other networks (see Maass and Equihua 2015 in this volume
[Chap. 14 ] ). Our chapter complements previous research concerning the geographic