The Experimental Farm Groß Enzersdorf is a research and teaching facility of BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. It was founded in 1902 as a donation to the university by the Austrian emperor; it is a typical arable farm of 140 ha arable fields in Gross-Enzersdorf, Lower Austria. The farm is run in conventional agriculture, but 26 ha are converted to organic farming since more than 20 years. Another 35 ha acreage in Tulln, Lower Austria, plus 6 ha of experimental garden in the city of Vienna, 21. district, are additionally managed by the farm and available for experiments with arable crops, vegetables and fruit species. The experiments include two long-term field experiments that are descibed individually as related plots. These experiments are focussed on long term effects (i) of crop rotation and fertlization since 1906, and (ii) of soil tillage treatments since 1996. The whole farm beyond can be used for any kind of soil, plant or atmosphere observations in experimental settings, representing a typical Pannonian agricultural environment. It is equipped with complete sets of agricultural machinery for large scale farming operation as well as for small experimental plots. On the farm there is also a weather observation station installed by the Austrian Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik (ZAMG).

Sokolov post-mining ecosystems represent a unique LTER study area comprising forest and non-forest ecosystems developing after reclamation or by spontaneous revegetation on heaped overburden from brown coal mining. Several 1 ha sites are studied since 1992 (10 sites intensively and over 50 sites occasionally). Research has been focused on interactions between soil, plants and soil organisms and their role in soil formation and biogeochemical cycles restoration. Great attention has been paid to comparison of long-term development of reclaimed and non-reclaimed sites and to the effect of different tree species, types of substrates and heaping technique used during reclamation. Series of sites of known age (15–70 years) developing on similar substrate represent a great opportunity for ecological research using a chronosequence approach.

SITES Lönnstorp research station is situated in the Scanian agricultural landscape between Malmö and Lund and has a focus on the design, sustainable development and assessment of arable cropping systems, in conventional and organic farming. The research station is available for research within ecology, agronomy, environmental science, agroecology and other disciplines. SITES Lönnstorp research station have access to 60 hectares of conventional and 18 hectares of organic farm land, mainly cultivated with annual crops, representative for agricultural practise in southern Sweden. The station is also a part of SITES, Swedish Infrastructure for Ecosystem Science. SITES is a nationally co-ordinated infrastructure for terrestrial and limnological field research. In 2016, SAFE (SITES Agroecological Field Experiment) was established at the research station. SAFE make it possible to compare four different agroecosystems, a conventional reference system, an organic system, a perennial system and an agroecological intensified system.

The Rutzendorf Experimental Station is an agricultural research site of the University of Natural Resources and Live Sciences Vienna (BOKU), belonging to the Landwirtschaftliche Versuchswirtschaften GmbH. It is representative for the productive soils managed as arable land in the Marchfeld area (Lower Austria). The soil is described as a silty loamy Calcaric Phaeozem (WRB), a Chernozem according to Austrian soil classification. Management on the farm is without livestock, no organic fertilizers are applied. The farm was converted to organic farming in the production year 2002/03. The 8-year crop rotation comprises luzerne (2 yrs), winter wheat*, grain maize, spring barley*, field peas*, winter wheat, winter rye. Cover crop mixtures are grown where indicated in the crop rotation with an asteric. Current research questions include to study (i) the long-term sustainability and productivity of the stockless organic arable system compared to a livestock-keeping system, (ii) the mitigation of climate change effects on the soil-plant system by reducing soil cultivation intensity, and (iii) the development of biodiversity following the conversion to organic farming and enhancement of landscape elements. Regularly meteorological data, crop yields and quality, physical, chemical and biological soil traits, weed species and diaspores, springtails, wild bees and other animal species are assessed. Studies have been conducted as research projects financed nationally and by the European Union, e.g. in two EIP projects.

Qianyanzhou Agricultural Experimental Station of Red Soil and Hilly Land, was founded as a pilot experimental site for ecological recovery in South China In 1983. In 1985, it was selected as an Integrated Development Demonstration Base of Mountain-Lake-River Project of Jiangxi Province. In 1992, as an international experiment station, it was nominated by MAB as a training center of UND Jiangxi Project. Qianyanzhou Station became a member of CERN in 1991 and a member of ChinaFLUX in 2002.

The Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station is situated at Dagze county, with approximately 3688 m above sea level, Tibet Autonomous Region. It is one of the highest elevation agro-ecological station in World.

The LTSER Zone Atelier Armorique belongs to LTER-France network and is located in Brittany, north-western France. The ZA Armorique conducts an interdisciplinary exploration of landscapes from urban areas to rural countryside, integrating social and environmental dynamics.

The Morris Kahn Marine Research Station was established in order to provide baseline data and understanding of the marine ecological system in the Mediterranean Sea of Israeli coastal waters. The Charney School of Marine Sciences at the University of Haifa recently established a long-term ecological research station focusing on the eastern Mediterranean basin located in Kibbutz Sdot Yam, 44 km south of Haifa, near Caesarea. The station is called the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station and focuses on five main research topics; · Top Predators · Sediments · Water composition (Biogeochemistry) · Rocky Bottoms · Fish Disease (pathogens) The Israeli coastal area and the eastern Mediterranean Sea is experiencing accelerated development and infrastructure projects along the coastline, and a massive exploitation of marine resources never experienced in our region and nation. Coupled with the effects of global climate change and local polluting factors, life in the shallow and deep sea are changing rapidly. The Morris Kahn Marine Research Station is responsible for collecting biological and ecological data for long term research that will provide insight for understanding processes and predicting the effects of climate change and development on the environment. Such data will allow for science-based decisions that will greatly influence the interaction nature of future generations with the sea and the marine environment. This issue is particularly important given the fact that an majority of the water consumed in Israel is produced through desalinization of sea water, the main energy supply is based off of marine gas fields, aquaculture is gaining momentum as development allows for the cultivation of fish for human consumption in marine farms, and national projects referring to the sea as “developable land” that can be dried and made into artificial islands for various infrastructures. In order to accompany such a momentum in development without the collapse of the ecosystem and destruction of the sea as a natural resource, there is a need to provide reliable and in depth understanding as to how the system works. To accomplish these goals, the station employs top of the line researchers specializing in the Mediterranean as well as collaborate with other academic and research centres in Israel, while providing the best equipment for research and analysis of data collected from the sea including; · Rosetta collecting water samples from different depths · CTD device for measuring physical data of water · Advanced underwater photography and documentation equipment · Closed and controlled water system for aquaculture research · Device for detecting and quantifying nutrients in the water (Seal AA3). · Robot for measuring isotopes in samples (GC-IRMS-MS) · Confocal microscopy · Membrane mass spectrometer · Servers for database backup and maintenance · AAUS diving club performing scientific technical dives · Closed dive systems to allow deep, long, and safe dives · Boat used as a platform for diving and marine monitoring on the continental shelf · Laboratories for dissection · Work rooms for student and guest researchers · Meeting/conference rooms · AUV and ROV (Marine technologies lab) · THEMO buoy for deep sea research · Drones and other aerial devices · Website for sharing information as well as providing accessible information for the general public

UK ECN site (T06 ROT) is funded through the Rothamsted Long-Term Experiments National Capability (LTE-NCG). Rothamsted is located about 35 km North of London, UK (51° 48’ 34.44” N, 0° 21’ 22.76” W) in the county of Hertfordshire. It covers about 330 ha, all of which is included within the Rothamsted ECN site. The estate contains several ecosystems, including managed arable and grassland fields, naturally regenerated and ancient woodland, the river Ver and more recently energy crops e.g. short rotation coppice willow and miscanthus grass. It is a rural area within an urban landscape, surrounded by the town of Harpenden to three sides and the village of Redbourn on the south-west side. The larger conurbations of Luton, St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead, together with the M1 motorway and London Luton Airport, are within an eight mile radius. The Park Grass Hay Experiment (est. 1856) is the principal target sample site (TSS) for the majority of the ECN protocols at Rothamsted. This experiment is widely acknowledged to be the oldest continuing agro-ecological experiment in the world; it is recognised internationally as an important site for long-term studies on biodiversity and ecology. The experimental plot on Park Grass of most interest to the ECN, in relation to physical and atmospheric inputs is Plot 3, Section d (Plot 3d). This plot receives no inorganic or organic inputs apart from atmospheric deposition.

The Koiliaris River watershed is a Critical Zone Observatory that represents severely degraded soils due to heavy agricultural impact such as grazing, over many centuries. It represents Mediterranean soils under imminent threat of desertification (soil carbon loss) due to climate change that is predicted by the UN IPCC for the region over the next century. It is located in Western Crete, Greece. There are 17 communities in the catchment. The total area is 130 sqkm and the total length of the river is 36 km. Intensive hydrologic and geochemical monitoring has been conducted since 2004 while the site has historical data since the ‘60s. In addition, high-frequency hydrologic and water quality monitoring stations have been deployed to obtain data for the characterization of the hydrologic and biogeochemical processes with varying process response-times. There are 3 meteorological stations within the watershed and several outside. Water quality data of surface and groundwater have been collected since 2004. Koiliaris-CZO is managed by the Laboratory of Hydrochemical Engineering & Remediation of Soil (H.E.R.S. Lab) of the Technical University of Crete.