The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network

We are a growing research network focused on developing national strategies that respond to the agricultural challenges of the 21th Century: food security and climate change.

Learn about LTAR research

The LTAR Network is a partnership among 18 premier long-term research sites across the United States.

The Network has a multifaceted focus on satisfying increasing demand for agricultural commodities, protecting the quality of the environment, and enhancing the quality of life in rural areas and the Nation as a whole.

Who We Are

The LTAR Network is a growing group of researchers focused on finding solutions that maintain or increase agricultural productivity, environmental quality, and people well-being in spite of pressures such as climate change.  Read more

Our Research Approach

The LTAR network combines strategic research projects with common measurements on multiple agroecosystems (croplands, rangelands, and pasturelands) and develops new technologies to address local and national challenges and opportunities.
Read more

Data Access

LTAR scientists are responsible for managing a rich legacy of data spanning over seventy years for many sites. Collectively, it is estimated LTAR manages [200+ terabytes] of data.
Read more

The 18 LTAR Network Sites

The 18 LTAR Network Sites collaborate in coordinated strategic research that leverages a rich legacy of research and data collection. Read more

(Click dots to open LTAR site page)

News

Events

LTAR Network Tweets ( @USLTAR )

USLTARUS LTAR@USLTAR·
20 Jan

2021 ARS Discoveries Announcement: Research addressing important agroecosystem problems at 7 LTAR sites was recognized #USLTAR https://ltar.ars.usda.gov/2021/09/24/2021-ars-discoveries-announcement-research-addressing-important-agroecosystem-problems-at-7-ltar-sites-was-recognized/

BBestelmBrandon Bestelmeyer@BBestelm·
13 Jan

3 exciting new papers from @TheJornada @NMSUaes @USDA_ARS :
@USLTAR common grazingland indicators: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190052821001218
Crop phenology classification via deep learning: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/2/286
Heritage cattle landscape use via GPS collars: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140196321002706

BBestelmBrandon Bestelmeyer@BBestelm·
15 Dec

Wind erosion is a critical problem in #rangeland ecosystems that we have not been able to measure adequately until now: the AERO model estimates effects of #climatechange and land management on erosion rates. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875963721001063 @TheJornada @NMSUaes @USLTAR @USDA_ARS

ESAApplicationsEcological Applications@ESAApplications·
13 Dec

New in @ESAApplications:

Predicting spatial-temporal patterns of diet quality and large herbivore performance using satellite time series

https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2503

With #OpenData in @USDA's #AgDataCommons

#Rangelands #Grasslands #RemoteSensing

@USDA_ARS @USLTAR @Kearney_Sean_P

BBestelmBrandon Bestelmeyer@BBestelm·
11 Dec

A nice shot of the @NEON_sci tower @TheJornada and here are @theAGU abstracts from this research site from @USLTER @USLTAR @CZCNet https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm21/meetingapp.cgi/Search/0?sort=Relevance&size=10&page=2&searchterm=Jornada%20&ModelType=Paper https://twitter.com/NEON_sci/status/1469735775336079372

NEON@NEON_sci

We're thrilled to be participating in @theAGU's Fall Meeting once again this year! Tune in this week to see @NEON_sci's presentations, posters, and more. Check back here for event updates and highlights!
Learn more about NEON at #AGU21: https://buff.ly/3DxuwYS

lori_abendrothLori Abendroth@lori_abendroth·
3 Nov

@LICOR_ENV @USLTAR @SchreinerMcGraw Tucker Prairie is a half hour east of Columbia. Details here: https://biology.missouri.edu/tucker-prairie

We are able to use this site to compare with @USLTAR row crop experiments located an hour away. We are assessing capacity for carbon sequestration from non-cultivated prairie.

TheJornadaThe Jornada@TheJornada·
1 Nov

Welcome Dr. Sarah McCord @mccord_se to her role as a Research Ecologist with USDA ARS Jornada unit. Sarah develops computational approaches to use continental-scale, field monitoring and other datasets to understand ecosystem change in #rangelands. @USLTAR

dataEcologistShawn Taylor 🌲🌵@dataEcologist·
21 Oct

A new preprint where I use deep learning models to track crop phenology in @PhenoCam images. Its tricky, and took a lot of trial and error the past 18 months to figure out. 1/2

@USLTAR

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.10.20.465168v1

BBestelmBrandon Bestelmeyer@BBestelm·
14 Oct

This new soil moisture product will be useful for explaining patters in #rangeland production, phenology, and restoration datasets. Take a look @dataEcologist @phenophase @mccord_se @TheJornada @USLTAR @LDN2030 https://twitter.com/NVergopolan/status/1447966923707207681

Noemi Vergopolan@NVergopolan

I am excited to announce SMAP-HydroBlocks:

The first #satellite-based surface #SoilMoisture dataset at 30-m resolution for the United States
🛰️💧🏞️

Data is #OpenAccess and peer-review paper is available @ScientificData

More in this thread👇

BBestelmBrandon Bestelmeyer@BBestelm·
1 Oct

Long-term network research for the next agricultural revolution @USLTAR @USDA_ARS https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2403

Load More...

ABOUT LTAR

 

The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network consists of 18 Federal and university agricultural research sites with an average of over 50 years of history. The goal of this research network is to ensure sustained crop and livestock production and ecosystem services from agroecosystems, and to forecast and verify the effects of environmental trends, public policies, and emerging technologies.