Earth Stewardship, Socioecosystems, the Need for a Transdisciplinary Approach and the Role of the International Long Term Ecological Research Network (ILTER) - Earth Stewardship: Linking Ecology and Ethics in Theory and Practice - page 223

14.4.3 The Importance of Site-Based Research

Most ILTER members are country-level networks of academic groups committed to
maintain their research efforts on a particular site during many years. This “site-
based research” character of ILTER is one of its most important assets. It not only
allows for the accumulation of knowledge through time, as was stated before, but
also is the only way to develop the necessary trust between the academic commu-
nity and the local stakeholders that require a transdisciplinary research approach.
Capacity building is another advantage of site-based research since working with
complex systems requires the recognition of uncertainty and, therefore, the need for
a strong and long-lasting learning process. Teaching and tutoring students in socio-
ecosystem research requires identifying a particular aspect to focus during a short
time, without loosing the long-term and large-scale context of their thesis research
theme. This is crucial and is easier to accomplish within a long-term and site-based
research group.

14.4.4 Partnerships Approach

ILTER is not alone in this quest for global change, socio-ecological, and earth stew-
ardship research. Its international scope, its fl exible research agenda, and its com-
mitment for long-term and site-based research, makes ILTER a natural partner for
many global initiatives (Parr 2013 ). As stated above, members of ILTER actively
participate in local, national, regional, and international initiatives. One of the main
objectives at ILTER meetings is to engage in collaborative research activities and to
foster partnerships with international players such as the Group on Earth
Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON); the Global Land
Project (GLP); UNESCO International Hydrological Program (UNESCO IHP); etc.
We are currently designing a multi-site level project to participate in the new
Program for Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS-ICSU) which has a strong
socioecosystem and transdisciplinary approach (Carpenter et al. 2012 ).

14.4.5 ILTER Heterogeneity and North-South Inequalities

ILTER comprises nearly 600 research sites located in a wide array of ecosystems.
Of course not all ILTER sites have the same experience and capabilities. Of the
ILTER groups that do ecosystem research, many are involved in socio-ecologic
studies while a minority conducts socioecosystem and transdisciplinary research.
However the interest among the groups to do transdisciplinary research has increased
in recent years. As we said before, we are currently building a collaborative strategy
for the PECS Program, which certainly will stimulate further socioecosystem and