The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization of scientists founded in 1915 to:
- promote ecological science by improving communication among ecologists;
- raise the public's level of awareness of the importance of ecological science;
- increase the resources available for the conduct of ecological science; and
- ensure the appropriate use of ecological science in environmental decision making by enhancing communication between the ecological community and policy-makers.
Ecology is the scientific discipline that is concerned with the relationships between organisms and their past, present, and future environments. These relationships include physiological responses of individuals, structure and dynamics of populations, interactions among species, organization of biological communities, and processing of energy and matter in ecosystems.
ESA's over 10,000 members conduct research, teach, and use ecological science to address environmental issues that include:
- biotechnology
- natural resource management
- ecological restoration
- ozone depletion and global climate change
- ecosystem management
- species extinction and loss of biological diversity
- habitat alteration and destruction
- sustainable ecological systems
ESA publishes a suite of publications, from peer-reviewed journals to newsletters, fact sheets and teaching resources.
The Society's Public Affairs Office works to infuse ecological knowledge into environmental decision-making, convey ecological science to the media and the general public, and to provide services to the ecological community.
The Science Programs Office, founded in 1992 as the Sustainable Biosphere Initiative (SBI), promotes the continued development of ecological science and its integration into decision-making and education, linking the ecological research and management communities.
The Education and Diversity Programs Office works to increase diversity within ecology-related professions, to engage the public in a dialogue on ecological research and issues, and to improve the quality of ecology education at all levels.
