Increasing spatial and temporal replication through grassroots science: Examples from the Nutrient Network (NutNet)

Replication is a critical component of the scientific process. However, in practice obtaining high replication within an experimental framework can be difficult. In particular, long-term datasets that are well replicated—particularly across distant sites—are rare within ecological research, yet provide a key test of the generality of basic ecological principles. Grassroots initiatives to build experimental networks can fill this void and address numerous and varied ecological questions across broad spatial and temporal scales. The Nutrient Network (NutNet; nutnet.org) provides a key example of the power of grassroots, network-level ecology to increase both spatial and temporal replication in ecological experiments.