Ecosystems under pressure - the role of experimentation

Welcome to the AnaEE Science Conference 2024 with the theme the role of experimentation! Ecosystems services are crucial for society and human welfare. It is essential to protect ecosystem functioning in order to mitigate the challenges of the Anthropocene. Novel management strategies are needed to secure biodiversity, promote greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration, ensure drinking water quality and quantity, and sustain or develop food production. Experimentation and modelling are of uttermost importance to understand the functioning of ecosystems and their behaviour under anthropogenic pressures such as climate change, pollution, land use and management practices. The goals of the AnaEE Conference 2024 are to discuss the role of agriculture, forests and natural ecosystems in reducing GHG emissions and increasing carbon sequestration, as well as to discuss the importance of holistic approaches that integrate across ecosystem boundaries spanning from terrestrial to freshwater ecosystems. A stakeholder session will be held to summarize the outcomes of the conference and initiate a discussion aimed at policy makers, practitioners, farmers and industry, as well as other related scientific communities, to leverage the added value of the AnaEE infrastructure and find answers to the most pressing ecosystem challenges. Training will be provided during the conference to users and facility managers. At the end of the conference, a session for facility managers will be the opportunity to discuss internal issues and strategy for AnaEE.