LTER = Long-Term Ecosystem Research; LTSER = Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research

DATA ABOUT RESPONDENT

Full name

Michael Mirtl

Name of your institution

Federal Environment Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt) Ecosystem Monitoring

Institutions’s country

Austria

Institution’s address

Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria

Are you responsible on behalf of the institution

Yes

Your position in the institution

Research Infrastructure Manager (administrative)

Your telephone number

+43 1 31304 3410

Your email address

michael.mirtl@umweltbundesamt.at

Institution's website address

http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE OR IMPORTANT RESEARCH EQUIPMENT

Research infrastrcture website

http://www.umweltbundesamt.at/en/

Organisation / institution type of RI

Governmental / public

Main scientificdomain: Environmental – marine and earth sciences

Category: Environmental management RI

Other scientific and technological domains served by RI

Life Sciences
Environmental, Marine and Earth Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies, Mathematics
Socio-economic Sciences

RI type

Distributed

Short description

ABOUT

Within the scope of environmental control, the Umweltbundesamt records, analyses and evaluates data on the state and development of the environment in all areas. The main task of Umweltbundesamt is primarily to support the environmental policy of the federal government. The Umweltbundesamt is a sought-after partner of international organisations such as the EU Commission, the European Environment Agency, UNEP, OECD and ECE. They are publishing the results of its work in its studies and reports. In addition to our printed publications, all our publications can be found online, and you may also conduct database queries online for information on a wide range of subjects including air, water or contaminated sites.

COOPERATION

Their cooperation activities are aiming at the development of integrated and harmonised networks of multi-functional long-term ecosystem research platforms to support interdisciplinary investigation of long term processes related to the different components of biodiversity at relevant spatial and temporal scales in Europe. The cooperation is possible through global network ILTER. Their main partners of cooperation from SEE region are Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. Other WBC are invited to join ILTER network in order to complete distributed European research infrastructure.

OPERATION AND UPGRADE OF RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AND OR IMPORTANT RESEARCH EQUIPMENT

Years in operation

11 – 15 years

Comment on cooperation

Bilateral co-operation with other research infrastructures/organisations/institutions Multilateral co-operation with other research infrastructures/organisations/institutions Participation in EC-funded projects Participation in international programmes/projects extending beyond Europe Participation in other non EC funded European programmes/projects

STAFF, INTERNAL USERS AND EXTERNAL USERS

Approximately number of permanent scientific/engineering staff operating the RI

1 – 10

Average number of individual external users per year

11 – 50

Short description of access policy and procedures for users of this research infrastructure

The UNECE Integrated Monitoring Zöbelboden is for open access to all researchers, from national to international institutions. Access modalities and data exchange of co-operative projects are organised by the head of the facility. In general no user fees are charged. Data is given freely though some funds are charged for data preparation in case of bigger projects. Access policy for the Multifunctional Research Platform “Eisenwurzen” is in the responsibility of the distributed organizations. A general access policy is under construction as is a central office for projects at the regional level of “Eisenwurzen”.

FINANCE

Total cumulative investment for initial construction/setting up of this RI

2M – 20M EUR

Yearly operational costs

100.000 – 500.000EUR

Main sources of funding for setting up RI or important equipment

Main sources of funding for operational costs

SCIENTIFIC IMPACT

Please explain why you consider your research infrastructure or facility with research equipment significant for your scientific community or users

The long-term ecosystem site „Zöbelboden“ is master site of the Multifunctional Research Platform (MFRP) “Eisenwurzen”. It’s multi-scale and multi-site approach follows the basic concept of the Network of Excellence ALTER-Net (FP6) which aims at the development of an integrated and harmonised network of multi-functional long-term ecosystem research platforms to support inter alia the inter-disciplinary investigation of long-term processes related to the different components of biodiversity at relevant spatial and temporal scales. The process of integration shall result in the establishment of a lasting infrastructure for integrative ecosystem research within the European Research Area.

RESEARCH SERVICES PROVIDED TO USERS AND RESEARCHERS

Research services provided to users and researchers

Federal Environmental Agency in Austria is providing access to the following infrastructures and services: measuring towers; gouging weirs; permanent measuring plots; meteorological stations with exhaustive equipment (cloud deposition, UV radiation); radio transceiver installation; detailed DEM (6000 geodetically surveyed points); object-relational information system (central ontology mapping); consistent time and space referencing across about 100 projects and their data that can be obtained through their databases.

Entry created by Elke Dall on February 17, 2010
Modified on October 7, 2013