The Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN) was established in 1988 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to obtain scientific data of ecosystem changes and to study the changes in structure, functions and processes of different ecosystems in China (Fu et al., 2010). Over the past 30 years, CERN has developed into a national innovative scientific and technological facility, including a synthesis center, a data center, five disciplinary sub-centers, and 44 networking stations. CERN's monitoring and experimental activities produce various data that are processed, integrated, and accessed through ecological stations, sub-centers, data centers, and the synthesis center under standardised procedure. CERN conducts network observation and experimentation across China's diverse ecosystems on a long-term basis, serves as a nexus for national ecological research, promotes data sharing, and creates an educational center and collaborative base for ecological researchers.
The Chinese Ecosystem Research Network
