Central Arizona Phoenix-Long Term Ecological Research Network (LTER)

LTER sites have tended to focus upon pristine locations well removed from the myriad effects brought about by extensive human modification and dominance of ecosystems. The CAP LTER site provides a unique addition to the LTER research by focusing on an arid-land ecosystem profoundly influenced, even defined, by the presence and activities of humans and is one of only two sites that specifically studies the ecology of urban systems.

Biological, physical, and social scientists from Arizona State University and a wide range of local partners are working together to study the structure and function of the urban ecosystem, assess the effects of urban development on the Sonoran Desert, and define the impact of ecological conditions on urban development. Our investigations into the relationship between land-use decisions and ecological consequences in the rapidly growing urban environment of Phoenix is of broad relevance for urban planning.