Polish Long-Term Ecological Research (PoLTER)

International network has been founded in 1980 in USA. Full international character the organisation reached in 1993. Since that year congresses in Great Britain (1993), Hungary (1995), Panama and Costa Rica (1996), and further in Taiwan (1997), Italy (1998), Republic of South Africa (1999) USA (2000), Great Britain (2001), and Canada (2002) were organised. The International Long-Term Ecological Program is connected with the International Geosphere, Biosphere Program (IGBP) and Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) executing its task mainly through Global Terrestrial Network (GT-Net).
In 2000 the world network constituted: 21 Country Members, 10 countries awaiting membership and 14 countries interested in participation in ILTER.

Poland was firstly introduced to international congress in 1996, when the stages of national net formation were presented. Formally, Poland jointed International Network in 1998 on the basis of bilateral agreement between the President of Polish Academy of Sciences and Chair of the International Committee of ILTER. The Organising national network has been ceded to the International Centre for Ecology, PAS.

The first network comprised: Masurian Lakeland, Bialowieza Forest, Zegrzynski Dam Reservoir, Kampinoski National Park, Bieszczady Mountains and Tatra Mountains.