PLSC689Z

As the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network enters into its 35th year, the opportunity for long-term data to address critical questions that advance general ecological theory and understanding has never been more informed. Course objectives are to identify important, general ecological questions that a) derive from key theories, b) are motivated by the analysis of long-term data, and c) require additional, long-term data collection to be answered by hearing from key ecologists who have been informing ecological theory through their long term research. We will: 1) discuss the importance of long term investigations for enhancing forecasts of future ecological patterns, 2) discuss the essential components of a successful integrated framework for long term core datasets, and 3) outline important general ecological questions and theories that are only tenable through continued long-term data collection and analysis. This will be an online course, with live lectures and discussion during the class meeting time.