Research at the sites aims to understand long-term ecological phenomena both at specific sites and across diverse ecosystems. An additional representative from each site, funded by the sites and, occasionally, invited representatives of federal agencies such as the EPA, Forest Service, National Park Service, or other countries with their own ecological research programmes, also attend. Additionally, a week-long All Scientists Meeting is supported approximately every three years.
Organisation is distinctly bottom up and science-driven by the site principal investigators.
LTER Connectivity LTER has recognised the increasing need for rapid communications as intersite activities have increased, and has appointed committees and working groups to evaluate the need of individual sites for computer networking, both on-site and within the LTER Network. The aim is to acquire basic, standardised communication, data handling and analytical capabilities for all LTER sites. These are currently being acquired and archived by the Network Office for distribution across the Network. The proliferation of electronic networks in the United States has caused some problems in establishing and maintaining their intercommunication, but most of these have been solved via LTERnet and the Internet and Bitnet host computers. Whilst there is a recognised need to share data for comparative analysis and synthesis, the issue of proprietary interests has not been completely resolved.