Climate Change Science Program Hosts Ecosystems Workshop
Press release from the U.S. Climate Change Science Program
dtd 23 February 2004

CONTACT:
Kent Laborde
202-482-5757

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 23, 2004

More than 100 leading scientists from a variety of biological, ecological and environmental sciences will attend a workshop hosted by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) Ecosystems Interagency Working Group Feb. 23 in Silver Spring, Md. During the three-day workshop, participants will provide input on specific areas of ecosystem science and work to develop approaches for conducting further research that will yield improved ecosystem management in the context of a changing climate.

The workshop is open to the public and will focus on the ecosystems chapter of the Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. The strategic plan, published in July 2003, coordinates and directs U.S. research efforts in the areas of climate and global change.

Ecosystems research is a core element of the strategic plan, which broadly describes the research to be done based on three overarching questions:

• What are the most important feedbacks between ecological systems and global change?
• What are the potential consequences of global change for ecological systems?
• What are the options for sustaining and improving ecological systems and related goods and services?

"The CCSP Strategic Plan is a step forward in our efforts to better understand the potential impacts of climate change on our environment and our lives, and ecosystems are of paramount importance to climate research," said Dr. James Mahoney, assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and director of CCSP. "A major focus of the plan is developing resources for decision support. Ultimately, we want science as the basis for a reasonable debate and informed decisions, and the Bush Administration's strategic plan will do that."

Workshop attendees will discuss the ideas expressed under the three major science questions in the ecosystem chapter of the CCSP Strategic Plan and provide feedback on how research should be prioritized under these broad questions. The results of the CCSP/Ecosystems workshop, based on input expressed by the scientific community and the public-at-large, will inform federal government research planning activities that take place after the conclusion of the workshop.

"We look forward to receiving advice from pre-eminent scientists on research priorities in the area of global change and ecosystems," said Susan Herrod-Julius, CCSP ecosystems research and assessment coordinator.

The Climate Change Science Program, a cooperative effort among 13 governmental agencies, is charged with overseeing the Congressionally-mandated U.S. Global Climate Research Program (USGCRP) and the Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI). The CCRI was launched by President Bush in June 2001 to reduce significant uncertainties in climate science, improve global climate observing systems, and develop resources to support policymaking and resource management. For more information, please visit www.climatescience.gov.