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Media Advisory 08-017

National Science Foundation Forum to Address Social and Ecological Systems in a Changing World

Seventh annual symposium on long-term ecological research set for Feb. 28

Long-term ecological research findings on cities such as Phoenix may be applied to global problems.

Long-term ecological research findings on cities such as Phoenix may be applied to global problems.


February 22, 2008

This material is available primarily for archival purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information may be out of date; please see current contact information at media contacts.

On Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008, the National Science Foundation (NSF) will hold its 7th annual mini-symposium on Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER).

This year's forum focuses on the links between ecological and social systems across landscapes that differ greatly in human impacts--from urban to rural and marine to polar.

The symposium will feature talks on such topics as:

  • Landscape transitions in U.S. agriculture
  • Water use in the western U.S., and how it can be used as a template for understanding the "cross-talk" between human and natural systems
  • The importance of weaving native community perspectives into environmental science education
  • How social-ecological interactions affect remote locations such as Antarctica
  • Results of a multi-university effort to teach cross-disciplinary ecosystem research approaches
  • How ecosystem research findings at local scales--such as individual cities and surrounding areas--can be applied to larger geographic regions
Who:

LTER Scientists (please see link to detailed agenda) and NSF Program Directors
http://www.nsf.gov/events/event_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111131

What:Mini-symposium on results of long-term ecological research
When:Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Where:

National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Room 1235
Arlington, VA 22230

Note: For an entry pass to the NSF building, please contact Cheryl Dybas at cdybas@nsf.gov or (703) 292-7734.

Background:

NSF's LTER network comprises 26 field sites located primarily in the United States, but with a geographic span from the Arctic and Antarctic to the tropics.

The sites represent Earth's major ecosystems, and include deserts, grasslands, forests, tundra, urban areas, agricultural systems, freshwater lakes, coastal estuaries and salt marshes, coral reefs and coastal ocean zones.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
Cheryl Dybas, NSF, (703) 292-7734, email: cdybas@nsf.gov
Lily Whiteman, NSF, (703) 292-8310, email: lwhitema@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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