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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fort Collins, Colorado » Center for Agricultural Resources Research » Rangeland Resources & Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #341269
Title: An "Information Ecosystem" to meet the data requirements of the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR)

Author
item Kaplan, Nicole
item Arthur, Dan
item Carter, Jennifer
item Derner, Justin
item Kleinman, Peter
item Nash, Patrick
item Sadler, Edward
item Vandenberg, Bruce

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/2/2017
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: USDA’s Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network consists of 18 locations across the continental United States comprised of government, university and NGO supported sites. LTAR research on the sustainability of agricultural production and associated provision of ecosystem services relies upon historical data and insights, as well as new findings from network-wide common experiments. Traditionally researchers at LTAR sites have managed data within their own local systems, most without a systematic approach to enable data and information sharing. However, LTAR scientists need well-timed access to various data in useable formats to interpret data, conduct cross-site analysis, and perform simulation modelling. It is therefore critical to implement interoperability of data and systems for efficient analyses of complex questions within and across spatio-temporal scales. As the LTAR Network designs and develops its data management systems, an LTAR “Information Ecosystem” (Nardi and O’Day, 1999) is envisioned to enable effective communication and collaboration, data sharing policies, standardization of exchange formats for data and metadata, integration of various types of data, and QAQC. We present how LTAR sites, emerging centers for data management, such as the National Agricultural Library, the Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Sustaining the Earth's Watersheds, Agricultural Research Data System (STEWARDS), Greenhouse gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement Network (GRACEnet), and the new Wind Erosion Network, are identifying existing capacity that can be expanded to meet data management requirements for LTAR.