Special Issue: Visions for an ecologically sustainable future
February 2005
About the Ecological Society of America
The Ecological Society of America (ESA) is the nation’s leading professional
society of ecologists, representing over 9000 scientists, researchers, policy
makers, resource managers, educators and students from 80 countries. For more
information on ESA membership, benefits of membership, and activities, visit
www.esa.org.
About Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
In February 2003, the ESA launched Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. The
aim was to create a high-quality, international, peer-reviewed scientific
journal that was understandable to those reading outside their own area of
expertise. One goal of Frontiers is to foster cross-disciplinary exchange of
ideas and to keep readers up-to-date on current issues in all the subspecialties
of ecology and environmental science. Another objective is to increase outreach
to other scientific communities, in particular federal scientists, scientists
working in NGOs, and environmental practitioners, as well as the policy makers
who rely on the information they produce. For more information about the
journal, visit
www.frontiersinecology.org.
About the Ecological Visions Project
An era of unprecedented environmental change demands immediate and unparalleled
efforts so that ecological science can fully employ its capacity to solve or
ameliorate problems at a global scale. This requires environmental knowledge,
technology, and computational tools, and increased cooperation among diverse
groups of researchers, managers, and policy makers. The ESA Governing Board
charged a committee of scientists from universities, government agencies, and
the private sector to engage in an 18-month effort to recommend actions that
would advance critical research areas and reach those policy makers and agencies
most involved in environmental issues. The Ecological Visions Report, presented
to the Governing Board in May 2004, offers a set of recommendations intended to
inspire action, motivate new programs, and support the development of current
ones. The Board is reviewing these recommendations and is moving forward on the
ones it considers of high priority for ESA. For the full Report visit
www.esa.org/ecovisions.
About the Frontiers Special Issue
Following the completion of the Ecological Visions Report, authors representing
key areas within ecological science were invited to address some of the key
global issues of the 21st century, and in particular to deal with the science,
policy, and social implications of the topic. This special issue of Frontiers
opens with an editorial by the ESA leadership, and an overview article by the
Committee, summarizing the suggested action plans. This is followed by a series
of articles that consider what would need to happen within a particular research
area (eg fisheries, agroecology, invasive species, etc) to become more
forward-looking, effective, and global, always with a focus on sustainability.
Several of Frontier’s usual sections, such as Dispatches (international
news), the Pathways to Scientific Teaching (education section) and Laws of
Nature (environmental law column), are not included in this special issue due to
space considerations. For an example of our usual contents and news section,
please visit
www.frontiersinecology.org/December/
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
The Ecological Society of America
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