2.2.1 Network Information System (NIS): The LTER research network has a wealth of long-term data that are being collected by LTER investigators. With the publication of the LTER Catalog of Core Data Sets in 1990, this resource became more widely known within the ecological research community. During the same period, the work of the Office funded connectivity committee with the sites resulted in nearly full Internet connectivity across the LTER Network. This infrastructure for electronic communication and data exchange substantially enhanced the traditional means of networking and electronic versions of the Core Dataset Catalog and the LTER Personnel Directory became available to most researchers in 1991. The evolution of those data repositories from hardcopy versions to on-line databases accessible by e-mail, FTP, Gopher, WAIS, SQL and Web information servers demonstrates the successful use of the latest communications technology in the integration of individual sites into a research network.

While simplified, network-wide access was achieved with these implementations, the capacity for "seamless" information and data queries remains to be established, perfected and enriched. The Office and LTER data management group, in partnership with SDSC, are proposing to building a system from a research perspective that facilitates cross-site data exchange for intersite research, the LTER NETWORK Information System for the 21st Century. The primary goals of the development effort being to 1) Increase the utility of the existing system, and 2) Increase access, query, and retrieval capabilities on intersite data. While the mission is to meet the research needs of LTER scientists, the information system will be open to the wider community of scientists.

Increase Utility of Existing System: The Office will be responsible for further development of the LTERnet Network Support System to maintain and expand the following core activities: 1) the LTERnet Information Server with links to site and international servers, 2) LTER Personnel Directory, 3) Core Dataset Catalog, 4) Cross-site Bibliography, 5) Satellite Imagery Archive, 6) Electronic Connectivity System, and 7) Query and Retrieval Systems to integrate these functions.

Increase Access and Query Capability on Intersite Data: The proposed effort will focus on advances for the Query and Retrieval system that will facilitate: 1) searches for data available anywhere in the LTER network; 2) combining and analyzing data from different sites; 3) answering standardized information requests; 4) economically building query systems for specific projects; and 5) analysis and display tools that are intuitive to researchers.

In addition to these two goals, the system will strive to integrate site-level information systems, not replace them. The envisioned system will be a distributed system using advanced client/server network tools, independent of computer platform, that will ensure the system is useful into the coming decade. The NIS will be designed, constructed and established through partnership of the Office technical staff, San Diego SuperComputer staff and the LTER Data Management Committee. A design document is under development and available via WWW at http://time.lternet.edu/is/.. The following work plan for development and implementation was established at the August, 1995 Data Managers Meeting in Snowbird, Utah:

1996:

• Solidify basic design and implementation strategy
• Establish participation by intersite and synthesis groups
• Adopt metadata standards for ecological data
• Begin development of the "distributed" Bibliography
• Expand and further develop existing WWW based system

1997:

• Develop information model for intersite research group
• Implement and test the intersite research group model and query system
• Continue development of the "distributed" Bibliography
• Expand and further developo existing WWW based system

1998:

• Implement synthesis group's data model and query system
• "Distributed" Bibliography made public
• Put "distributed" Data Catalog and metadata standards on-line
• Expand and further develop existing WWW based system

1999:

• Further development and testing of the synthesis groups query system.
• Expansion of the "distributed" Data Catalog
• Major re-evaluation of the NIS design and function
• Incorporation of new data elements to the NIS

2000:

• Implement information and query systems for additional research groups
• Implement information and query systems for additional synthesis groups
• Make changes called for in the 1999 NIS review

2001:

• Continuation of new data components additions
• Link NIS to other national and international query systems

2002:

• Maintain system, add new system content