Science Community Resources
ESA and its program offices are engaged in wide range of activities that help link ESA members to the scientific community at large and that help make community resources available to members. These activities include efforts to stimulate international collaboration, promote data sharing, make ecological expertise available to decision makers, and support the development of infrastructure for ecological research. The links on this page provide further information about these activities and resources.
Ecological Dimensions of Biofuels Production and Use
Production of fuels from plants and agricultural and forestry wastes can reduce both society's dependence on fossil fuels and net emissions of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the major contributor to global warming. Expanded use of this bioenergy requires assuring that its production and consumption are truly sustainable.
A one-day conference on the Ecological Dimensions of Biofuels will be held on March 10, 2008 , in Washington , D.C. For more information, click here.
For additional sources of information on the ecological dimensions of biofuels, click here.
ESA Southeast Knowledge Partnership Pilot Project
Stemming from the Society’s Visions Report in 2004, an Ecological Society of America Steering Committee has been working to move forward on complementing the Society’s national-level environmental policy activities with regionally focused policy and education initiatives.
Federation of Ecological Societies of the Americas
Collaboration among ecological societies of the Americas — to address common goals, needs, and emerging challenges.
The Joint Working Group on Data Sharing and Archiving, representing the major professional societies that publish ecology, evolution, and organismal biology journals, was formed at a September, 2004, NSF-sponsored workshop on data sharing and archiving, hosted by the Ecological Society of America (ESA). The objectives of this follow-on project are to implement recommendations from that workshop, including:
- Facilitate continuing communication among professional societies on data sharing and archiving issues via a dedicated web site and periodic e-mails;
- Widen participation in these activities by professional societies and international organizations;
- Support three workshops to (1) develop a strategy for creating data registries, which describe data sets and provide information on how to access them, (2) identify, and develop means to reduce or eliminate, cultural and other barriers to data sharing, and (3) develop a set of requirements and recommendations for data centers in ecology, evolution, and organismal biology.
The Science Office is continuing to coordinate these efforts as a service to the biological sciences communities, with support from NSF. Further information about this effort, and about data sharing resources is available at Science Community Resources/Data Sharing page.
The Ecological Information Network (EIN) is a database of ecological experts who have volunteered to answer questions or provide input on various scientific issues. The EIN is an online, publicly available electronic directory of biographical and professional information regarding ecological experts. The EIN is open to all scientists with expertise in all areas relevant to the field of ecology. The EIN is a joint project of ESA and the National Biological Information Infrastructure.
Ecological Science Experts work with ESA staff to contribute ecological expertise to current affairs and appropriate policy issues.
The Invasive Weeds Awareness Coalition (IWAC) works with a wide variety of governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations at regional and national levels to raise awareness and increase the understanding of invasive plant management issues in the U.S. ESA is an active partner in IWAC, and Science Office staff help organize the National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week (NIWAW) held each year in Washington, DC.
The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) is an alliance of researchers, conservation and environmental groups, private industry, and state and federal agencies concerned about the health of the continent's pollinating animals. ESA, represented by Science Office staff, is a NAPPC partner and active participant in the annual meeting, task forces, and committees.
Plant Conservation Alliance - ESA has joined many professional societies, arboreta, and other organizations as a Cooperator with the Plant Conservation Alliance, a cooperative program of a number of Federal agencies, which seeks to address problems related to native plant conservation and restoration. The Science Office represents ESA at Alliance meetings.
The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON ), sponsored by the National Science Foundation, will be the first national ecological measurement and observation system designed both to answer regional- to continental-scale scientific questions and to have the interdisciplinary participation necessary to achieve credible ecological forecasting and prediction. Many ESA members, along with ESA Executive Director Katherine McCarter and Education Director Jason Taylor, have participated in the development and design of NEON. Further information is available at www.neoninc.org and at NSF's NEON web site, www.nsf.gov/bio/neon/start.htm.
The International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008 is an intense, internationally coordinated campaign of research that will initiate the dawn of a new era in polar science. IPY 2007-2008 will include research in both polar regions and involve strong links to the rest of the globe. Multi- and interdisciplinary in scope, IPY will truly be international in participation. More information can be found at http://www.us-ipy.org/.
The Encyclopedia of Earth is a free, fully searchable collection of articles about the Earth, its natural environments, and their interaction with society. Articles are written by scholars, professionals, educators, and experts who collaborate and review each other's work. The articles are written in non-technical language and will be useful to students, educators, scholars, professionals, as well as to the general public. ESA is a Content Partner in the Encyclopedia.
