GCE IV - Key Finding in 2022

Cross-site syntheses

One of the strengths of the NSF LTER network is the opportunity to compare results across multiple sites. GCE scientists have been involved in multiple cross-site efforts. Some highlights over the past few years include Zinnert et al. (2020), who evaluated examples from a diverse range of ecosystems (coastal marsh, mesic grassland, tropical forest, arid grassland, coastal grassland) to highlight 1) the fact that state change is a likely outcome of global environmental change, and 2) the need for long-term studies to address this topic. The GCE contribution to this effort described the state changes expected in coastal wetlands in response to long-term changes in temperature and sea level (Fig. 1). Harms et al. (2021) used long-term observations and experiments from across the LTER network to assemble a conceptual model of organic matter dynamics. Among other findings, the study highlighted the differences in OM transport across freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. Gaiser et al. (2022) evaluated the effects of the COVID-19 “anthropause” on LTER sites. This paper included a case study of increased “greening” in 2020 in the GCE domain that likely resulted from higher than average precipitation during spring coupled with increased nutrient inputs. Finally, Reed et al. (2022) reviewed data from coastal LTER sites to highlight the value of site-based long-term studies for understanding how climate change is altering coastal ecosystems. Among other insights, the paper provides examples illustrating how short-term data can lead to erroneous conclusions related to long-term trends (Fig. 2). These syntheses, and others like it (e.g., Waide and Kingsley 2021; Alber et al. 2021), highlight both the challenges and opportunities for cross-site and cross-ecosystem comparisons.