S: Socio-economic
The term ‘Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research’ (LTSER) indicates the conceptual inclusion of the human dimension into LTER. Strongly coupled and integrated socio-ecological systems are driven by economic, cultural and environmental forces likewise. Their investigation requires a new generation of socio-ecological research (LTSER) with adequate infrastructure, involving inter-disciplinary research teams and capitalizing on monitoring and investigating data from different sectors. This approach is increasingly favoured, driven in large part by the concept of sustainable development.