The State of the Nation’s Ecosystems 2008 report, released by the Heinz Center, provides authoritative documentation of key environmental trends. A companion report calls for bold federal and state action to strengthen and integrate the nation’s environmental monitoring. The State of the Nation’s Ecosystems 2008 shows that the acreage burned every year by wildfires is increasing, non-native fish have invaded nearly every watershed in the lower 48 states, and chemical contaminants are found in virtually all streams and most groundwater wells, often at levels above those set to protect human health or wildlife. In contrast, ecosystems are increasing their storage of carbon, there are improvements in soil quality and crop yields have grown significantly, according to Robin O’Malley, Director of the Heinz Center’s Environmental Reporting program.

The ESA Bulletin, appearing quarterly, publishes a wide range of items of interest to ecology, and the content is free to ESA members and nonmembers alike. You can access the latest issue at http://www.esajournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-toc&issn=0012-9623&volume=89&issue=3.

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is known as one of the most important information providers on plant diversity worldwide. It has developed a unique global database of wild plants in cultivation in botanic gardens around the world and, through its membership and other partnerships, it brings together the major players in plant conservation worldwide. Further, its GardenSearch database provides a gateway to the world’s botanic gardens and thus provides a portal to a vast range of information on plant diversity relevant at national and regional levels.