Science Archives: Society Activities
National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) (2002 – 2006)
NEON is designed to be a continent-wide research network of geographically-distributed observatories, linked via state of the art communications. Each observatory will consist of a consortium of instrumented field sites and support institutions creating a regional “footprint.” Collectively, the observatories form a “virtual lab” accessed by hundreds of scientists for research to obtain a predictive understanding of the environment.
Science staff worked with staff from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and designers from Free Range Graphics to develop a CD to promote NEON. We assisted in the development of the message to be conveyed, including co-writing the voice over text, choosing examples to portray the benefits of NEON, and assessing the visual impact of the video. We worked with NSF and other scientific organizations to distribute the CD to congressional leaders, agencies, scientific societies, universities, and others to promote the NEON project. Science staff also supported a workshop, held on June 4-5, 2002 in Boulder, CO, to solicit input from researchers on standard measurement and infrastructure for NEON observatories. The workshop report is available at www.sdsc.edu/NEON/june2002/index.html.
In 2004, a 2-year planning effort led by the NEON Design Consortium began, which is producing the key documents that will govern the design, construction, and functionality of NEON. Many ESA members, along with ESA Executive Director Katherine McCarter and Education Director Jason Taylor, have participated in this effort. Further information is available at www.neoninc.org and at NSF's NEON web site, www.nsf.gov/bio/neon/start.htm.
Invasive Species Review (2000 - 2001)
ESA partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey's Biological Resources Division and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a summary review of the state of the knowledge and science on setting priorities for non-indigenous species in the United States. A review paper, “Introduced Species and Vulnerable Habitats in the United States Ecosystems,” was developed by Laura Meyerson, Tom Stohlgren, and Fred Meyerson. This paper reviews and synthesizes the recent literature on introduced species and natural ecosystems subject to invasion.
Senior Ecologist Seminar Series (1997 - 2003)
Jill Baron, Secretary of the ESA Governing Board, presented two Senior Ecologist seminars on "Sustaining Freshwater Ecosystems" on May 16, 2003, at the Environmental Protection Agency and at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (Also see related Issues in Ecology Number 10.
In May 2000, Virginia Dale, Chair of the ESA Land Use Committee, presented a Senior Ecologist Seminar on the ESA Position Paper, "Ecological Principles and Guidelines for Managing the Use of Land," at the Environmental Protection Agency's Watershed Rap Speakers Series and at the Environmental Law Institute. On November 15, 1998, Val Smith spoke on nonpoint pollution of surface waters with phosphorus and nitrogen at both EPA and the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
On April 7, 1998, Eliot Norse spoke on marine biodiversity at both EPA and the World Wildlife Fund.
James Porter, on November 18, 1997, gave a lecture at the Smithsonian, "Multiple stressors on Floridian Coral Reefs: Lessons for a Sustainable Future."
Gretchen Daily, on March 26, 1997, presented, "Ecosystem Services: Benefits Supplied to Human Societies by Natural Ecosystems" at EPA.
William Schlesinger, on February 26, 1996, presented, "Human Alteration of the Global Nitrogen Cycle: Causes and Consequences" at EPA.
ESA Symposium: Cows and Conservation (2000)
The Science Office organized a half-day symposium, "Cows and Conservation: A Role for Ranching in Protecting Biodiversity," at the 2000 ESA Annual Meeting, which focused on efforts that western ranchers are taking to protect biodiversity on their lands. Speakers included ranchers and ecologists working with ranchers to include biodiversity in ranch management and increase our understanding of the ecology of these working landscapes. The symposium was cosponsored by the ESA Western Chapter, the Society for Range Management, The Nature Conservancy, the National Cattleman's Beef Association, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service Wildlife Habitat Management Institute.
Crossing the Moat: Using Ecosystem Services to Communicate Ecological Ideas beyond the Ivory Tower (1999)
ESA 's Science Office and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) co-organized a workshop for the 1999 ESA Annual Meeting. The goal of the workshop was to present and solicit feedback on the initial results of the Ecosystem Services Communication Project, a joint project of ESA and UCS.
ESA/UCS Ecosystem Advanced Technologies in Ecology (1998 - 1999)
Between 1998 and 1999, ESA 's Science Office (then the Sustainable Biosphere Initiative) undertook several activities in an initiative to help facilitate the use of advanced technologies in ecological research. Activities included technical workshops and discussion sessions at ESA 's 1998 and 1999 Annual Meetings, and the creation of a spatial technology information resources guide, providing websites and references to information about available technologies, data, vendors, and user services.
ESA Fellow for EPA's Office of Water (1998)
ESA fellow, Tamara Saltman, worked with EPA/OWOW. Her tasks included managing a process to produce a set of studies examining the implications of policies affecting deposition and ambient concentrations of key pollutants; contributing the ecological expertise and analysis to the studies, and the production of Frequently Asked Questions About Atmospheric Deposition: a Handbook for Watershed Managers. The handbook provides information for managers and scientists on how to decide whether atmospheric deposition is an important source of water quality contamination in a given area, as well as information on atmospheric deposition monitoring and modeling.
Leopold and Hippocrates: Linkages between Human Health and Ecological Change (1998)
This symposium for the 1998 ESA Annual Meeting investigated how ecological change impacts human health and how ecological science can contribute to human health studies. Speakers included: Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, Smithsonian Institution, moderator; Dr. Jonathan Patz, Director, Program on Heath Effects of Global Environmental Change, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health; Dr. Francesca Grifo, Director, Center for Biodiversity Conservation, American Museum of Natural History; Dr. Elaine Matthews, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies; Dr. Paul Epstein, Associate Director, Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School; Dr. Eric Chivian, Director, Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School.
Urban Ecology (1998)
This workshop at the 1998 ESA Annual Meeting, cosponsored with the LTER Network and ESA Applied Ecology Section, focused on the two new urban LTER sites with special attention paid to information users such as land managers and urban planners.
Fisheries as Experimental Systems in Ecology (1997)
The Science Office coorganized this symposium for the 1997 ESA Annual meeting. A summary article was published in the April 1998 ESA Bulletin. ( Kearns, F.R. 1998. Fisheries as Experimental Systems in Ecology. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 79(2):165-166.)
Ecological Assessments and Land Use Planning (1997)
This workshop at the 1997 ESA Annual Meeting explored the development of ecological assessment methodologies and their use in conservation reserve site selection, design, planning, and management.
Human Population and Consumption: What Are the Ecological Limits? (August 1996)
This symposium at the 1996 ESA Annual Meeting focused on the link between human populations and ecological problems. A summary article was published in the April 1997 ESA Bulletin. ( Kearns, F.R. 1997. Human Population and Consumption: What Are the Ecological Limits? Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 78(2):161-163.)
Ecology and the Social Sciences (1995)
SBI organized this symposium for the 1995 ESA Annual Meeting. A summary article was published in the April 1996 ESA Bulletin and four papers appeared in a May 1998 Ecological Applications Special Feature, “Ecology, the Social Sciences, and Environmental Policy.”
