The Long-Term-Ecological-Research (LTER) is a collaborative effort that tries to deal with an inherent fault of the conventional ecological research pursued within academic institutions. The problem in ecological research supported by research funds, is the need to finish the research and present results in a limited time frame (2-3 years). Several review papers since the 1980s stated that the common scope of ecological research was limited in space and time to 1m2 and 1 year. The need to expand the spatio-temporal frame was strongly advocated. As studies of long temporal, and broad spatial scales, require a huge amount of effort and resources, the realization of the inadequacy of single-handed studies, or even small groups cooperations instigated the formation of network collaborations such as the LTER.
The LTER Network in the United States alone involve more than 1800 scientists and students, and there are over 30 networks all around the globe. In Israel the national network, the MAARAG, maintain 9 sites, and over 60 people in studies of large scales of space and time. The international LTER envision the improvement of understanding of global ecosystems and the formation of solutions to current and future environmental problems. Furthermore, one of the key issues of the international LTER is to facilitate education of the next generation of long-term scientists.
This last goal of education, is specifically pursued by an off-shoot of the LTER initiative, embedded in local educational system, from elementary schools to undergraduate training. This instructional network, termed Schoolyard-LTER, is focused more on sharing information and insights with the general public, than conducting hypothesis-based research (although data gathering is an important component of its activity). Through its work, aspiring scientists (of any age) can be exposed to the scientific method, the local projects, and the accumulated wealth of knowledge. This furthermore increase the awareness of the local population to their surrounding habitat, the local ecological processes at work, and the value of key ecological concepts such as biodiversity, ecological services and rare species.
The Man and Environment in the Desert project is a cooperation between the Dead-Sea and Arava Science Center and Ramon Science Center aiming to examine and improve the ecological understanding of local high school and elementary school attendants. At the same time, the project initiate the development and operation of a long term monitoring network, and school students’ research. Thus, serving as a bridge between students, the scientific community and scientific forefront, which permits students to actively participate in the scientific experience. Two additional goals of the project are: to develop effective tools to supervise and support the development of scientific and ecological literacy amongst students, and to develop effective tools that follow up changes in attitudes towards science and the environment.
The cooperation between the two science centers has managed to recruit the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Kaye Academic College of Education for a productive, carefully devised program. By its focus on education, the project serve as a contributing entity in the israeli LTER network scheme (MAARAG).
Currently, the Man & Environment in the Desert project operates in eleven educational establishments in the Southern district of Israel. Among these establishments there are regional high-schools (accommodating students from many small communities spread over a large area) and local municipality high-schools (where students have more than one high-school in their municipality); High-schools and elementary schools; Hebrew and Bedouin schools; Schools from both urban and agricultural branches of the israeli education system.
In each school a local automatic telemetry station record environmental data, which will be sent to, and stored in, the department of Geography of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. These data will be open and accessible to the general public. Simultaneously, each school maintain a near-by site where some sort of biologically significant process is being long-term monitored by the students.
These two knowledge acquiring enterprises (the telemetry station and the Schoolyard-LTER) combine to promote student-based research projects, as well as pique academic interest and provide focus for professional academic research. In order to put the acquired information to use at the school level, the involved staff of each school participated on-line in an interactive, real-time, series of 20 lectures by experts of various environmentally related fields, delivered on a weekly basis. Further all-project workshops were held, and local meetings and guidance were provided.
The result of our efforts to date, was exposing the educational staff of the participating schools to current, high-quality research pertaining to their locale and educational agenda. In addition, we provided the staff with professional tools, criteria and protocols for execution of quality research by their student.
With our guidance, each school devised an outline considering biota, flora, climate and geology, as well as ecological processes, disturbance regimes and anthropogenic effects. These outlines serve as the seed of a research program to be conducted by students. Each observation, each pattern and each statement in those outlines were shown to be a valid, worthwhile and heuristic hypothesis to be studied near the school premises.
The project continues with a study of students' current ecological-understanding and its change following various science teaching programs. We intend to use the accumulated data of this year for the next year's student projects, conducted under the science-practicum set down by Israel's ministry of education.
The Man & Environment in the Desert project is supported by grants from Israel Ministry of Science and ICA In Israel.
