U.S. Climate Change
Science Program /
Ecosystems Workshop

In June 2003, the U.S. Climate Change Science Program (CCSP) produced the U.S. Climate Change Science Program Strategic Plan that coordinates and directs the U.S. research efforts in the area of climate and global change.

As a follow-up to the Strategic Plan, the CCSP Ecosystems Interagency Working Group (EIWG) is holding a Workshop February 23rd to 25th, 2004, in the Washington DC metro area to prioritize ecosystem research activities. The next phase for the EIWG is to develop a prioritized list of specific research activities that move beyond being illustrative and to identify methods for producing the associated products.

One core element of the Strategic Plan, ecosystems research, is discussed in Chapter 8, which broadly describes the research to be conducted by the federal government. Specific research activities and products described in Chapter 8 are intended to be illustrative and not exhaustive, representing the types of information different federal agencies can and should deliver. A large component of the workshop is discussion of the ideas expressed in the three major science questions in Chapter 8.

The outcomes of the CCSP / Ecosystem Workshop will help determine specific areas of research that will be given priority based on providing society with the best scientific information to understand what are the most important feedbacks and potential consequences, and to support decisions for managing ecosystem resources. Workshop participants will offer suggestions on broad programmatic approaches to achieve the goals in the Strategic Plan for ecosystems research. The EIWG is seeking input on additional important questions that adhere to the guidelines set forth in Chapter 8:

1. research should focus on building the scientific foundation needed for an enhanced capability to forecast effects of multiple environmental changes on ecosystems;
2. research should be focused on developing products for decision support in managing ecosystems; and
3. near term research priorities are economically important ecosystems and regions where abrupt environmental changes or threshold responses by ecosystems may occur.

Susan Herrod-Julius
Bryce Stokes

Co-chairs, Ecosystems Interagency Working Group

14 January 2004