The site includes a large mountainous area in the Central Apennines, almost in the centre of the Italian peninsula and about 70 km west of Rome. It represents an “orographic island” in the Central Mediterranean basin, along the Apennines mountain range. Since 1993, the vegetation has been surveyed at six permanent high elevation plots (Mount Sevice research station, Mount Velino, 2125-2225 m a.s.l.) and (since 2005) at an additional 55 plots along two elevation transects (SW slope of Mount Velino and Mount Morrone), including primary and secondary grasslands, beech forests and alpine tundra. Since 2014, micro-climate data (GLORIA method) have been continuously recorded at the high elevation plots. Vegetation is surveyed yearly in the 6 high elevation plots (each 100 m2 in size) grouped in two cluster-plots (each of 3 plots). Structure and composition changes are studied in two ecologically opposite primary plant communities, both above the timberline: snow-bed grassland and alpine tundra, both characterized by extreme below zero temperatures all year round and frozen soil for 8 months per year, but with very different snow cover duration. Based on the first 30 years of observation, a clear trend toward a decrease of snow dependant species and a parallel increase in drought- and stress-tolerant species has been recognized, linked to a general process of climate change, more accelerated in Southern Europe.

The Jornada Basin Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program is part of a national network of long-term ecological research sites funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The Jornada LTER program has been continuously funded since 1982 to develop general principles governing changes between grassland and shrubland ecosystems based on long-term data collected in the Chihuahuan Desert. Research themes at the Jornada LTER focus on vegetation change, climate and land use impacts on ecosystem function, and the role of dryland processes in structuring communities and landscapes. We translate our findings to dryland ecosystems around the world, and forecast the dynamics of future ecosystem states in response to changing climate and land use. The Jornada Basin is located in southern New Mexico, USA, approximately 25 km northeast of the city of Las Cruces (32.6 N -106.7 W, elevation 1315 m). Annual precipitation is 24 cm and maximum temperatures average 13 C in January and 36 C in June. The study site is near the northern extent of the Chihuahuan Desert, which is the largest of the North American warm deserts, in a region has undergone large shifts in the relative dominance of grasslands and shrublands over the past century. We partner closely with the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range (JER) and the NMSU Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center (CDRRC), allowing us to benefit from a long history of rangeland research, and to contribute to science-based management and sustainability practices.The Jornada Basin LTER project is administered by New Mexico State University.

The site is a revitalized young steppe habitat patch, dominated by fescue (Festuca rupicola). The average altitude is around 100 m. The site is a grazing spot and it was recently used for the reintroduction of the European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) to the area after 70 years. Other important species present at the site include Vojvodina blind mole rat (Nannospalax (leucodon) montanosyrmiensis) and Spring meadow saffron (Bulbocodium versicolor).

For over 20 years as a team of Long Term Sites in Serra do Cipó PELD-CRSC has been working to answer crucial questions of evolutionary ecology and provide a basis for understanding the spatio-temporal ecosystem functioning and it is future challenges with changes in climate and land use.

SCI IT7222217 Foce Saccione-Bonifica Ramitelli (Campobasso) The site includes 1 Natura 2000 site along the central Adriatic coast, where the last fragments of natural vegetation zonation on sand coastal dunes occur (shore vegetation, embryo and mobile dune vegetation, annual Mediterranean grasses, costa dunes with Juniperus spp and wet dune slacks).

Designation: Ecosystem research and management under land-use and climate change. Climate: Mean annual precipitation 150-200mm between November and April; mean maximum summer temperature 34° C, mean minimum winter temperature 6° C. (Data avialable for 15-min interval meteorological measurements and daily summaries for rainfall, air and soil humidity and temperature, wind velocity and direction, from 1997 to the present.) Principal biomes: Semiarid shrub land (shrub-grass steppe), rocky and loessial watersheds, ephemeral streams. Vegetation is dominated by patch-forming dwarf shrubs (Noaea mucronata, Atractylis serratuloides and Thymelea hirsuta) with species-rich annual winter vegetation in the inter shrub (dominated by Stipa capensis and other grasses) and shrub patch understory (dominated by Anagallis arvensis and other forbs). As a result of drought there are also two new sub biomes: crust land and grass land. Management: Livestock grazing excluded in central watershed (20 ha) since 1987; restricted/controlled grazing by Bedouin sheep herds in surroundings; in the outer parts of the area native and exotic trees were planted in 1985-87 in contour dykes (‘shikhim’) on the slopes and in terraces in the riverbed. Research: 1. Long-term experiments (up to 20 years) for monitoring changes in abundance, diversity, species composition and distribution, and development of biological soil crusts (BSC), perennial plants (dwarf shrubs) and winter annuals in relation to rainfall, soil disturbance, patch distribution, and livestock grazing. 2. long term hydrological studies on rainfall-runoff relationship under natural and manipulation experiments. 3. Short-term experiments and surveys (1 to 5 years) A. for testing hypotheses about the detailed processes, mechanisms and interactions involved in the development, dynamics and stability of shrub- and BSC-dominated patches, their landscape mosaic patterns and their feed-back relationships with flows of materials through the landscape; B. for testing hypothesis on the effect of geodiversity on the stability of shrub land to extreme drought and understanding state changes in drylands. 4. Long term studies on cross scale-cross level interactions in natural and human modified landscape. 5. Network-related research including regional comparisons of herbaceous plant productivity in open rangeland along the Israeli North-South rainfall gradient, and global comparison of woody plant diversity effects on ecosystem functionality of most dryland regions of the world.

The site is located at the main Alpine ridge in Silvretta group right at the border between Austria and Switzerland. Jamtalferner glacier and it's forefield is subject to scientific reseach for more than 100 years. Current monitoring includes climate, hydrology, glacier mass balance, permafrost, paleoglaciology, society and biotic succession in the periglacial area. In addition to that, several short time research projects are carried out, e.g. concerning glacier albedo. The site inlcudes the are from the highest peaks at 3384 m a.s.l. and the valley further down to the communities of Galtür and Ischgl (1263 m a.s.l.). More information can be found at the website of the environmental education program Jamtal www.umweltbildung-jamtal.info.

The LTSER platform Oberes Paznaun includes the communities of Ischgl and Galtür (225 km²), and covers an elevation range from 1263 to 3384 m.a.sl.. The village of Galtür is one of the highest permanently inhabited places in the Alps. Fluchthorn, the highest peak of the largely glacier-covered Silvretta, was taken down by about 30m in 2023, when a major rock fall occurred as a result of reducing permafrost. Both the effects of climate and those of land use change affect the very sensitive livelihoods in the are, exposed as they are to natural hazards, such as avalanches, rock fall and floods. The region was economically weak until winter tourism boomed from the 1970s. Skiing as dominant source of income now has an impact on land use as well as on social and economic structures in the region. Management issues arise from the high number of incoming tourists. Local stakeholder networks involved in spatial planning and hazard management are also part of the LTSER Platform. The local Alpinarium museum is dedicated to presenting the livelihoods of mountain communities and acts as a local hub for linking science and society. Apart from the long-term monitoring of the environmental parameters, initiated in 1895 with glacier length changes, the socio-economic research in the Paznaun area dates back to the 1960s. Socio-economic and socio-ecological research in the region focuses on the multiple feedbacks between environmental and socio-economic changes in the region. The avalanche disaster of Ischgl and Galtür in 1999 affected disaster management and related structures in many ways, not only for the region, but for all of Austria, for instance leading to the foundation of crisis intervention teams. The question of how to deal with impacts of climate change, for example on hydrology and water management, is part of research projects in the area connecting stakeholders and scientists. The overarching aim of the platform Oberes Paznaun is linking up geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere research with local political and administrative processes for sustainable development in a warming future.

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.

The Cairngorms National Park is one of 15 National Parks in the UK (one of two in Scotland) and is Britain's largest National Park (4,528 km2). It is the location for some of the most spectacular landscapes in Britain and is home to an incredible diversity of wildlife and plants. http://cairngorms.co.uk/the-park/facts-figures/ The aims of the National Park are: • To conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area; • To promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area; • To promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public; • To promote sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities. Cairngorms National Park, seven broad habitats can be identified: • Enclosed farmlands • Woodlands • Open waters (rivers, lochs, wetlands and floodplains) • Mountains • Moorland • Semi-natural grasslands • Urban • Population of c17,500 • 25.8% of population over 60 (higher than Scottish average) • Average health index in top 25% of Scotland (based on deprivation indices) • Extensive core paths network • 55 Munros including 5 summits over 4000 feet • 3 ski centres • National Cycle Network Route 7 • 1 Long Distance Route (Speyside Way) • Relatively low atmospheric pollution • Annual precipitation over 2250mm on summits and under 900mm in straths • Average annual snow cover 200 days on summits and 50 days on low-ground • Prevailing winds from south-west