The Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN), one of the founding members of the International Long Term Ecosystem Research Network (ILTER), and Global Terrestrial Observation System (GTOS), was established in 1988 under the auspices of the Chinese government and the World Bank Loan. Through years of effort, it is now well placed to address important issues, serving as a functional network to meet the needs of both the national and international ecological research.

The Mission of CERN is to promote ecosystem conservation and improvement, environmental quality enhancement and agricultural development, and to advance the studies in ecology and related inter-disciplines. Its mandate includes monitoring, research and demonstration on typical ecosystems in China.  

CERN consists of 36 field research stations for various ecosystems, including agriculture, forestry, grassland and waterbody, five disciplinary centers and one synthesis center. All the CERN stations engage in monitoring work, research, experiment and demonstration, while the disciplinary centers are responsible for the calibration of monitoring instruments and data quality control. The synthesis center has the function of data exchange engine and inter-disciplinary research. For years, through its long-term monitoring, research and experiment, demonstration and extension, it has served as an important facility to control desertification, soil erosion, salinization, and eutrophication

To fulfill the mission and accomplish the mandate of CERN, administration has been strengthened since 1999. The management system composes a Steering Committee, a Scientific Advisory Committee, and a Science Committee. The Steering Committee, a decision-making body led by CAS vice president Chen Yiyu, takes overall responsibility for the operation of CERN, monitoring, research, demonstration and policy consultation. The acting body under the Steering Committee is the coordinating office, responsible for day-to-day management. The Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), composing senior professors and CAS members from different ministries and research institutions, provides invaluable scientific consultation and experience to the operation and function of CERN. The Science Committee, dominated by directors from research stations, disciplinary centers and the synthesis center, is responsible, through its direct channel to the Steering Committee, for the criteria of monitoring, data sharing and research foci.

The operation of CERN is in line with three basic regulations, ¡°General by-law¡±, ¡°Best performance assessment¡±, and ¡°Data sharing policy.¡± ¡°General by-law¡± provides a framework for CERN management, and ensures the fulfillment of its objectives through regulatory and effective operation. The ¡°Best performance assessment¡± is conducted annually to enforce monitoring work and data quality control in different stations and centers. The ¡°Data sharing policy¡± is to guarantee a free data flow between the CERN research stations and centers, and an enhanced service to national and international agencies, local authorities as well as the public. The overall purpose of formulating the three official documents is to encourage CERN to become an open forum for national and international ecological and related studies.

There are many key national projects being implemented in different CERN stations, showing its function as both research and demonstration platform and the strength of its research team. The followings are selected national key projects undertaken at the stations.

• Soil quality evolution and sustainable use
• Ecosystem restoration in transitional zone of grassland and farmland
• The process and control of desertification in north China
• Eco-environment evolution and prediction of draught development trend in north China
• The mechanism of high energy transformation in photosynthesis process and its application in crop production
• In addition, CAS has also established research programs to address the imperative issues of the nation¡¯s west development drive, to counter non-point pollution, and to deal with issues of global change and biodiversity protection. The following projects are examples of this kind.
• The ecosystem restoration program in the country¡¯s west consists of three parts: the ecosystem degradation mechanism, technology development and demonstration, sustainable agricultural development and poverty alleviation. Most of the research work and demonstration are being conducted at CERN stations in that region.
• Carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystem in China is in response to the activities of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to provide scientific evidence for policy setting on the reduction of greenhouse gases. It will be implemented in 16 CERN stations for the next 5 years.
• Apart from the two described, there are also projects such as ¡°The movement, transformation and optimum management of NPK in typical farmland eco-systems in China,¡± which involves seven farming stations, ¡°Millennium assessment and management¡±, ¡°Biodiversity conservation and enhancement¡±, etc..