Biological Field Stations: A Global Infrastructure for Research, Education, and Public Engagement

Abstract

Biological field stations (BFS) constitute a global network for long-term environmental monitoring and research, education, and public information. On the basis of a comprehensive inventory, we identified 1268 contemporary BFS, located in 120 countries. BFS occur in all biomes and cover terrestrial, freshwater, and marine systems, with the majority situated in protected areas. We emphasize the pivotal role that BFS constitute as a strategic infrastructure of global relevance for environmental research and monitoring and discuss their future development.