Overview

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Ecosystems are as dynamic and complex as the plant, animal, microbial and the nonliving components of which they are made. Humans are an integral part of most every ecosystem--not only are we agents of change, we are consumers of ecosystem goods and services that range from the provisioning of food, fuel, fiber, and fresh water to the regulation of processes that affect air quality, climate, erosion control, and human diseases. CSREES Ecosystem Program goals are to increase the scientific and public understanding that human well-being is inextricably linked to the sustainable use and management of ecosystems.

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In Focus

• USDA joins Interior Department in adopting 2008-2012 National Invasive Species Management Plan, a federal road map to control and prevent invasive species.
• CSREES co-sponsors forum to share state-of-the-art methods, tools, and processes related to ecosystem services and their effective use in decision making.
• USDA is the lead agency for U.S. Climate Change Science Program report on Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land and Water Resources, and Biodiversity.
• Texas AgriLife Extension Service PDF report spotlights sources of increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition and impacts on native species and ecosystem balance.
• CSREES awards $4.6 million to 13 universities and research labs to develop strategies for management, control, and elimination of weedy and invasive species.
• The CSREES Ecological Goods and Services Working Group focuses on stewardship of healthy working land ecosystems and benefits to human health and livelihood.


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Partnerships

• CSREES participates in the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program in partnership with Commerce, Energy, Interior, EPA, NASA, and the National Science Foundation.
• CSREES coordinates with the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) Section on Ecology.
• CSREES collaborates with the U.S. Department of Energy and with NASA in the North American Carbon Program (NACP), focusing on carbon cycle science research.


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Events

• Competitive Grants Grantsmanship Workshops, Washington, DC/Salt Lake City, UT, September/October, 2008.
• Galaxy III Conference: "Celebrating the Extension System: Strengths, Diversity, and Unique Qualities," Indianapolis, IN, September 15-19, 2008.
• Pathways to Success 2008 Conference: Increasing Human Capacity for Global Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Estes Park, CO, September 28-October 3, 2008.


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Selected Results and Impacts

• With CSREES funds, North Carolina researchers are working to improve understanding of how conservation benefits watersheds.
• Using a CSREES grant, researchers in Delaware are showing how modifying chicken diets can reduce waterway pollution.
• With a CSREES small business grant, a Washington company created an environmentally-friendly solution to the problem of soil erosion.


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Resources

• Consequences of Ecosystem Change for Human Well-being, CSREES. Discussion paper including recommendations for funding portfolios for ecosystem services.
• Invasivespecies.gov, NAL, USDA. Comprehensive, online information system facilitating access to and exchange of invasive species data and resources.
• Agroecology in Action, UC-Berkeley. Videos, reports, abstracts, presentations, and web-based courses on agroecology.


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Contacts

Michael A. Bowers

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