Dyer, L. and G.P. Robertson
Presented at the ASM at Snowbird (2000-08-02 to 2017-12-05 )
With sites in many of North America’s major biomes, the LTER Network has much to offer land managers to assist the process of ecosystem management, and indeed, a number of LTER researchers have been involved in ecosystem management. Our objectives in this workshop were to (1) initiate a dialogue on services the LTER Network could provide to ecosystem managers, and (2) explore future needs for LTER involvement in ecosystem management. Thirty-eight people attended the workshop. The group included a number of people with ecosystem management experience, either in an advisory capacity as scientists, as managers or as stakeholders. We began by posing several questions to initiate discussion: (1) How do we make LTER research accessible to managers, (2) How can we be responsive to manager’s adaptive management needs, and (3) How do we strengthen communication between managers, stakeholders, and LTER investigators?We identified a number of challenges. Both managers and scientists need to come to terms with the uncertainty of knowledge. We as scientist should transfer concepts rather than technology. A number of institutional barriers, including cultural differences among managers, stakeholders and scientists impede the acceptance of the ecosystem management process. Most of the challenges had to do with communication. We as scientists are not trained to be decision support people. There is a need for communication and better understanding among scientists, managers and stakeholders. We need people trained as science communicators and perhaps should staff people to work the interface of managers and researchers. The decision-making process is important. Decisions are based on values. Our role as scientists is to provide an array of alternatives to decision makers with the risks and the potential outcomes explicit.We also identified opportunities. There is a two-way flow of information in ecosystem management and we learn from the experience of managers and stakeholders. There was substantial interest among workshop participants in another workshop to explore in depth the role of the LTER network and LTER scientists in ecosystem management. The meeting organizers should include managers, stakeholders and researchers. Robertson and Dyer agreed to pursue possibilities for a future workshop.
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