Frontiers in Ecosystem Science: Energizing the Research Agenda

Ecosystem science has a long history as a core program at the National Science Foundation (NSF), and although topics of research have fluctuated over the years as in any program, it retains a clear identity and continues to attract exciting proposals. As science is becoming more interdisciplinary, particularly the science of global environmental change, ecosystem scientists often find themselves in positions of intellectual and organizational leadership because of their experience working across disciplines. Now is an appropriate time to energize and bring together the discipline in pursuit of a research agenda for the future. We (Peter Groffman and Kathleen Weathers, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies) have received funding from NSF to organize a series of workshops and discussion groups at multiple scientific-society meetings over the next two years, culminating in a Frontiers of Ecosystem Science Symposium. Relevant target meetings in addition to the LTER All Scientists Meeting include ESA, AGU, ASLO, ASM, ERF, NABS, ISME, IALE, AAG and SSSA. For this workshop, our organizing committee (Groffman, Weathers, Emily Bernhardt – Duke, Trina McMahon - University of Wisconsin, Joshua Schimel - UC Santa Barbara) will make an overview presentation to serve as a jumping off point for the session, which will focus on exciting developments in ecosystem ecology and its interfaces with other disciplines. Results from the discussion will serve as input for our final symposium that will involve approximately 50 participants and will produce a “white paper” that would serve as an evaluation and direction for the science that could be used at NSF and elsewhere.