This study site is in the south of the city of Moulins, including the National Nature Reserve of the Val d'Allier which protects 1,450 hectares over approximately 28 km along the lower course of the Allier River. The Allier river is considered as the last wild river of Europe because of its strong fluvial dynamics and remaining free meandering river segments. The studied sector within the nature reserve is still very mobile, with a strong lateral dynamic, where the width of the divagation can be of the order of one kilometer. At this scale, it is unique in Europe.

How do freshwater ecosystems react to changing environmental conditions and to what extent can these changes be captured in the dynamics of eco-evolutionary processes? The project REES ('Rhine Eco-Evolutionary System') aims at the long-term assessment of eco-evolutionary interactions in the Rhine as a limnic habitat under consideration of diverse associated water bodies. The study area includes the main flow channel of the Rhine (km 845, North Rhine-Westphalia), as well as Rhine oxbows, Rhine water-fed gravel pit lakes in ecological succession and the surrounding floodplain (Rees, district of Kleve). The Ecological Research Station Rees-Grietherbusch of the Institute of Zoology (University of Cologne) and the Nature Conservation Center District Kleve e.V. form the central infrastructure of the study area. In addition, the Ecological Rhine Station of the University under the direction of Prof. Dr. Arndt is also associated to the project, which enables direct sampling and experimental recording of the main Rhine flow channel. The extensive system of standing and flowing freshwater bodies covered in the REES study site allows the investigation of dynamic variations in biodiversity composition at all levels, from species diversity of communities to genomic diversity at the molecular level of individuals and populations. Along a selected trophic cascade, representative species will be long-term observed and analyzed ecologically and especially also (population-)genomically. The incorporation of ecological genomics is the core aspect of this LTER-D project, which is intended to capture the feedback of evolutionary changes on the ecological system. Population genomic approaches can be used to infer both evolutionary and ecological processes from genomic data. To cope with the dimension of this project, REES is designed as an interdisciplinary collaboration project and currently counts seven project partners with corresponding subordinate projects.

The Mareau-aux-Prés islands, along the Loire river, are characterized by a multiple channel pattern, where natural limestone riffles influence the morphology and spatial distribution of vegetated islands, secondary channels and alluvial bars. Within these islands, in september 2012, fluvial management operations (FMO) were launched. The vegetation of the central sandy-gravelly bar (3 ha area) was uprooted and the bar level lowered in order to maintain the flow capacity of the river. A new sandy-gravelly bar appeared in spring 2013, ideal field support for studying long-term ecological issues. A multidisciplinary research program (‘BioMareau’ project) is currently being conducted from 2012 to 2019, focusing on biodiversity recolonization and on interactions and feedbacks between biotic and abiotic compartments.

The Lammi LTER area is located 130 km north of Helsinki, 35 km east of the city of Hämeenlinna and 40 km west of the city of Lahti in uplands between two major river basins, i.e. rivers Kokemäenjoki and Kymijoki. The Lammi LTER area consists of several core sites/areas from which the Evo Forest and Lake Area (EVO) is the largest one and has a special value in terms of long term ecological studies. Another important study area is Lake Pääjärvi and its surroundings. The EVO area is among the largest coniferous forest areas in southern Finland. Lake Pääjärvi and its surroundings have been studied since early 1960s as a result of the establishment of the Lammi Biological Station in 1953 by the University of Helsinki.

Historically, the role of the Galapagos Islands has been considered critical due to the evolutionary diversification induced by natural and historical isolation. The Galapagos National Park was established in 1959, based on its historical importance associated with Charles Darwin's voyage and its rare and endemic biodiversity, composed of unique vertebrate and plant communities (Rozzi et al. 2010). In 1978, the Galapagos Islands were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a critical factor associated with this national park (Rozzi et al. 2010). The Galapagos Islands are a pristine area with local and regional climates influenced by the interaction of ocean currents and winds driven by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; ITCZ (Conroy et al. 2008, Trueman and d'Ozouville 2010). The long-term programme includes forty natural aquatic ecosystems (lakes, ponds, lagoons and swamps) that will be sampled on the islands of San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Isabela and Floreana, where possible along a lowland-highland gradient. The number of sampling points will vary according to environmental heterogeneity and the presence of a littoral region, among other factors.