Gabriel De La Rosa

Burned forest, bleached reef: LTER sites adapt to learn from disturbance

Science Writing

How the Andrews Forest and Moorea Coral Reef LTER sites respond to disturbance highlights the struggle and opportunity that come with an irreparably altered ecosystem. .

Each spring, the Niwot Ridge Snow Survey ushers in a new season of fieldwork

Science Writing

Snow is the defining control on Niwot’s ecology, and the annual snow survey adds to a continuous record of snowfall over time.

Diane McKnight Reflects on the LTER

Science Writing, Interview

The LTER Network Office sat down with Diane McKnight to chat about her life in the Network, the things she’s learned, and her dreams for the LTER moving forward.

Partnerships make the Kellogg Biological Station go 'round.

Science Writing, Agriculture

Partnerships form the center of long-term research at the KBS LTER, and while their goals are different, their work is deeply intertwined.

Can't bring kids to the Gulf of Alaska? Develop a virtual field trip!

Science Writing

NGA’s Virtual Field Trip brings the Gulf of Alaska to the classroom, pairing a video, video game, and activities to immerse students near and far in the ecosystem.

Grass Cover in the Southwest was Determined by a Pacific Ocean Cycle—Until Humans Disrupted the Link

Science Writing

An LTER cross site synthesis effort reveals that soil carbon availability determines nitrogen mineralization and nitrification rates across a wide diversity of terrestrial ecosystems.

Across fourteen LTERs, soil carbon is a “gatekeeper” on the nitrogen cycle

Science Writing

An LTER cross site synthesis effort reveals that soil carbon availability determines nitrogen mineralization and nitrification rates across a wide diversity of terrestrial ecosystems.

Swamp Eels Wreak Havoc on Small Species at the Florida Coastal Everglades LTER

Science Writing

Since its introduction into Taylor Slough in 2009, the swamp eel has nearly eliminated several populations of small aquatic species in the Everglades watershed. The new invasive may be more disruptive to the Everglades than the park’s flagship invasive, the Burmese Python, and brings a new challenge to Everglades management and restoration.

Data analysts at the LTER boost working group productivity

Science Writing, Data Science

To help working groups focus on the analysis, rather than methodology, the LTER Network Office hired two data analysts, Angel Chen and Nick Lyon, in 2021. They tackle short but critical wrangling tasks during working groups’ in-person meetings, grind away at long-running bits of analysis from afar, and teach critical collaborative and technical skills to facilitate easier collaboration within groups.

Do fish graze the way for coral recovery?

Science Writing, marine

A new analysis of Moorea Coral Reef LTER data shows that grazing has an insignificant effect on coral reef recovery after disturbance. The results, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, suggest that other factors—nutrient pollution, climate change—vastly outweigh any positive effects of grazing on coral reef recovery.

A Forest of Sensors

Science Writing, Forests

The Andrews Forest has produced cutting-edge long-term research for decades. Moving forward, they look to the treetops—and new technology—to understand the intricacies of the forest.

It's Not a Trap: California MPAs lead to more lobster catches over time

Science Writing, Marine

Over a decade after the network’s inception, researchers at the Santa Barbara Coastal LTER show that lobster spillover from Marine Protected Areas caused a 400% increase in lobster abundance just outside of the protected areas between 2008 and 2018.

What is an urban ecosystem?

Science Writing, Urban

Find out what makes an urban LTER site with examples from three ecosystems at the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research site.

The Phoenix Area Social Survey shows how people drive urban-ecological change

Science Writing, Urban

At the Central Arizona Phoenix (CAP) LTER site, the Phoenix Area Social Survey uncovers residents’ relationships to the landscape around them, ultimately revealing drivers of urban environmental change. In parallel with ecological research at the site, the survey has revealed surprising mechanisms of change, challenged long-held assumptions, and demonstrated residents’ connection to long-term ecological trends.