Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 83 (1): 185-194, 2010
Long-term ecological research in the forests of the United States: Key lessons for its
application in Chile and around the world
Long-term ecological research addresses questions to which short-term research
projects cannot effectively respond because of the temporal scales over which many ecosystem processes operate. In North America,
this type of research has yielded important information on key processes and organisms in many forest types, from eastern broadleaf
forests to the coniferous forests of the west, and from tropical to boreal latitudes. Long-term ecological research (that conducted at the
decade scale or longer) in the forests of North America has included watershed studies, silvicultural trials, establishment of permanent
plots to assess forest demographics, and the study of disturbance regimes and predator-prey systems. Instituting such research in
forest ecosystems of other regions of the world, especially at corresponding latitudes on either side of the equator, will help scientists
understand patterns of natural disturbance and succession, the effects of alternative management strategies, and the impacts of
climate change. Key recommendations based on North American long-term ecological research include: 1) the importance of
multidisciplinary research, 2) the need to invest in data storage and management, 3) the deployment of both basic and advanced
technology (e.g., eddy covariance systems), and 4) development of collaboration networks among regions, institutions, and individual
researchers.
Key words:
demographics, long-
term ecological research, multidisciplinary, watersheds, wildlife
