Five foundational tools for managing metadata from the USDA Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural science
• Ecosystem science
• Environmental science

Background:

• The United States Department of Agriculture Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Network has generated substantial data (nearly one petabyte) from 19 diverse sites.
• Current data management is locally organized and siloed, limiting network-level analyses and syntheses.
• Robust meta-analyses are needed to understand agricultural management impacts on agroecosystem production, structure, and function across LTAR sites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a foundational framework for a network information management system for the LTAR Network.
• To empower users to find, harmonize, map, and share data across all LTAR network locations.
• To facilitate robust meta-analyses and syntheses of agroecosystem data.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of standard metadata for dataset inventorying, controlled vocabularies, geolocating data, publishing protocols, and reporting research impact.
• Development of dashboards for visualizing data collection.
• Creation of foundational tools for a network information system.

Main Results:

• Standard metadata have been created and implemented across key areas, including dataset inventory, measurement vocabularies, geolocating, protocols, research impact, and data visualization.
• A framework for an LTAR network information system has been established.
• Harmonized data and metadata are now available.

Conclusions:

• The developed tools and standard metadata provide a crucial framework for a LTAR network information system.
• This system will enable improved data discovery, harmonization, and sharing across all network sites.
• The harmonized data and metadata lay the groundwork for synergistic data science solutions and advanced cross-site analyses.