Past Research

Research near Toolik began in 1975. In 1987 the site joined the LTER network. The overall goal of the ARC-LTER is to understand ecological structure and function along the terrestrial-aquatic continuum. The specific focus evolves with each renewal as our understanding grows and as discoveries generate new opportunities and questions:

•ARC-LTER I (1987-1992): Descriptions of tundra, stream, and lake ecosystems; long-term change versus short-term controls on ecosystem components.

•ARC-LTER II (1992-1998): Ecological variability and long-term change; top-down versus bottom-up controls on tundra, streams, and lakes.

•ARC-LTER III (1998-2004): Prediction of the future characteristics of arctic ecosystems and landscapes; controls by physical, climatic, and biotic factors.

•ARC-LTER IV (2004-2010): Understanding changes in the arctic system at catchment and landscape scales through knowledge of linkages and interactions among ecosystems.

•ARC-LTER V (2011-2017): Understanding (i) direct effects of climate change on processes and linkages in ecosystems, and (ii) indirect effects of climate change through altered disturbance.

•ARC-LTER VI (2017-2023): The role of biogeochemical and community openness in governing arctic ecosystem response to climate change and disturbance.