Phil Robertson, chair of the LTER Executive Board and Science Council and professor at Michigan State University, noted that hundreds of scientists have been actively engaged in the development of the plan, which is truly a broad-based effort that represents the communitys collective vision.

Robertson added that the ecological community was particularly excited about the potential for the plan to address important questions about the sustainability of ecosystems on which we all dependquestions that are not now being addressed in any comprehensive way.

Since planning began almost three years ago, the Network has held scores of workshops and planning meetings that included scientists from the 26 LTER sites as well as many from outside the network.

Participants included ecologists, geoscientists, oceanographers, and other environmental scientists; social scientists including geographers, economists, sociologists, and cultural anthropologists; information scientist experts in cyber infrastructure design and implementation; and educators at the university, K-12, and public outreach levels.

Bob Waide, executive director of the LTER Network Office and UNM biology professor, observed that the most exciting and significant element of the plan was the involvement of many different disciplines, and particularly social scientists, to address urgent national needs from a socio-ecological perspective.

'/>"/>