Developing digital twins to help understand ecosystems
LTER-LIFE aims to study and predict how global change affects ecosystems. It is one of nine projects that have just won Dutch funding earmarked for setting up and improving large-scale research infrastructure. LTER stands for Long-term Ecosystem Research, an international network of facilities that includes two Dutch locations: the Wadden Sea and De Hoge Veluwe.
Low tide at the wadden sea, the Netherlands (photo: Jurjen Veerman)
LTER-LIFE will be used to better understand the functioning of ecosystems, but also to make better predictions regarding the impact of human interventions. It's similar to using climate models. Researchers should be able to calculate the impact of various climate scenarios, for instance, on the functioning of ecosystems.
"This program offers us the unique opportunity to combine our broad knowledge, expertise and long-term data of coastal areas in a virtual research environment, after which we can start testing how different climate scenarios will affect the Wadden Sea ecosystem" said Katja Philippart who, like Karline Soetaert, is a co-applicant. "Then, we can also start predicting what we can expect from different human interventions meant to mitigate undesirable effects of climate change."
Digital replicas of entire ecosystems
LTER-LIFE will enable ecologists to link scattered long-term data on plants, animals and the environment, share methods for data analysis, modelling and simulation, and build digital replicas of entire ecosystems. Just think of these replicas as 'digital twins'. They will transform the ability to understand and predict how ecosystems will respond under different scenarios and mitigation measures. And there is another important aspect of the project: We will be making long-term data available that might otherwise be lost. Data from maybe 20, 30 or 40 years ago that would be absolutely irreplacable.
The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) is leading the LTER-LIFE project. In addition to NIOZ, the consortium comprises the University of Amsterdam (UvA), the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR). Supporting the project are a large number of scientific, educational and societal partners.
Read more about the project via the NIOO website: nioo.knaw.nl/en/news/developing-digital-twins-to-help-understand-ecosystems.
About NWO-LSRI
Large-scale scientific infrastructure is essential for Dutch science. It may be highly specialised equipment, such as large telescopes, high field magnets or advanced sensors and measurement networks necessary for biological and earth science research. But also ‘virtual’ facilities, such as large databases, scientific computer networks, or data and sample collections. “Investments in large-scale infrastructure contribute to the international position of the Netherlands as a country of knowledge. Science and research cannot do without the right scientific infrastructure,” said Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf.