Coordinated distributed experiments: An emerging tool for testing global hypotheses in ecology and environmental science

• Author(s) / Creator(s)

  • Knapp, A. K.
  • Collins, S. L.
  • Turkington, R.
  • Long, R.
  • White, S.
  • Cahill, J. F.
  • Carlyle, C. N.
  • Beierkuhnlein, C.
  • Luo, Y.
  • Casper, B. B. Cleland, E.
  • Lind, E.
  • Smith, M. D.
  • Henry, H. A. L.
  • Dukes, J. S.
  • Fraser, L. H.
  • Reich, P. B.
  • Sternberg, M.

• There is a growing realization among scientists and policy makers that an increased understanding of today's environmental issues requires international collaboration and data synthesis. Meta-analyses have served this role in ecology for more than a decade, but the different experimental methodologies researchers use can limit the strength of the meta-analytic approach. Considering the global nature of many environmental issues, a new collaborative approach, which we call coordinated distributed experiments (CDEs), is needed that will control for both spatial and temporal scale, and that encompasses large geographic ranges. Ecological CDEs, involving standardized, controlled protocols, have the potential to advance our understanding of general principles in ecology and environmental science.

• Date created

  2013-01-01

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Resource control
  • Elevated CO2
  • Species richness
  • Terrestrial ecosystems
  • Herbaceous vegetation
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Meta-analysis
  • Productivity
  • Climate change
  • Nitrogen

• Type of Item

  Article (Published)

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R36Q1SW7W

• License

  © 2013 Fraser, L. H., Henry, H. A. L., Carlyle, C. N., White, S., Beierkuhnlein, C., Cahill, J. F., Casper, B. B. Cleland, E., Collins, S. L., Dukes, J. S., Knapp, A. K., Lind, E., Long, R., Luo, Y., Reich, P. B., Smith, M. D., Sternberg, M., & Turkington, R. This version of this article is open access and can be downloaded and shared. The original author(s) and source must be cited.