Open-Source Ecology Takes Root Across the World

"During a coffee break at NCEAS, Borer and a few others hatched a plan: They would each set up a small research plot, use the same methods, then pool their data. The vision was a network of sites that would be quick and cheap to set up without the need for major grants, enabling simple experiments around the world. “It's like big science on a shoestring,” says Scott Collins of the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, who later joined the network. The collaboration, called the Nutrient Network—now known as NutNet—has grown far beyond initial expectations, with scientists volunteering at 68 sites in 12 countries. In part, it's popular because the simple experiments are designed to answer a broad set of questions about how grasslands respond to global change—without disproportionate effort by any one individual. “It's not a brand-new idea, but it's novel that they've pulled it off,” says Alan Townsend of the University of Colorado, Boulder, who is not involved. The network also provides an easy way for young faculty members, postdocs, and grad students to get involved in a large collaboration and contribute to high-profile papers...."