To members of the Forest List, Here are some useful information for your kind perusal. Regards. Nelson Wong MTC > Advanced Technologies in Ecological Science Project > > The Sustainable Biosphere Initiative (SBI) and NASA's Mission to Planet > Earth are initiating a project seeking to document and enhance the "state > of the science" concerning the use of advanced technologies in > ecological science. In recent years, ecologists and other scientists have > used an increasingly sophisticated array of tools and techniques in > ecological research. Meanwhile, large-scale ecological challenges posed > by human activity, including global climate change, unsustainable > resource use, and threats to biological diversity, suggest scientific > research often at the limits of our technological capabilities. > > The intent of the Advanced Technologies in Ecological Science project is > to gain broad participation in elaborating a research agenda focussing on > the development and refinement of technologies instrumental to ecological > research. More extensive information is provided below. > > Eco-tech listserve > > The associated email list may be subscribed to by sending a message > with the body text > > SUBSCRIBE ECO-TECH (your name) > > to the address > > LISTSERV@UMDD.UMD.EDU > > When participating in eco-tech discourse, send mail to the address > > ECO-TECH@UMDD.UMD.EDU > > The eco-tech list is just being announced now: please feel free to > circulate word of it, and contribute to it. Realize that traffic may be > intermittent at first. Below is an elaboration of the goals and structure of > the Advanced Technology in Ecological Science project. > > Goals > > * To identify ecological questions that are technology-limited (or might be > technology-facilitated), for example: > * What are the relationships between biotic and abiotic components of > ecosystems? How can we measure these components, fluxes and > interactions, and which ones provide the most useful or efficient > information? > * What are the current and predicted future impacts of human activity on > ecosystem functioning? How great is the uncertainty in such predictions? > What does that uncertainty hinge on? > * How have patterns of vegetation (or animal species' ranges) shifted > over time, what factors have influenced these shifts, and how are these > factors changing (or predicted to change in the future)? > * To initiate an ongoing open discussion within the environmental science > community, about the uses of and needs for advanced technologies in > the ecological sciences, including such areas as > * Remote Sensing: sensor design, spectral signature modeling, sensor > platform issues, multi-temporal and multi-spectral issues > * Computational techniques: plant community and ecosystem modeling, > ai and neural network applications, fuzzy logic models > * Multi-scale modeling and coordination issues > * Data visualization, spatial analysis & interpretation approaches > > Activities > > In addition to the Eco-tech list, conference calls focusing on specific topic > areas are being organized. Web pages are in development; discussion > groups and panel presentations at the annual meeting of the Ecological > Society of America in August are exceptional opportunities to draw upon > a diverse range of expertise. The 1996 ESA meeting will be held in > conjunction with the Society for Conservation Biology, the International > Society for Ecological Modeling, the American Society of Naturalists, and > the Association for Tropical Biology, providing a particularly diverse > audience. A panel presentation and discussion is scheduled for > Saturday, August 10, and an evening "open discussion" meeting is > scheduled for Sunday, August 11. > > How You Can Participate > > There are several means to participate in the Advanced Technologies in > Ecological Science project. Sign on to the Eco-tech list, and contribute. If > you have particular interests or experience and you'd like to participate in > pertinent conference calls, send an email to Keith Winston explaining your > interests and background. If you can be at the Providence meeting in > August, that will provide good opportunities to discuss these issues in > person. Other means of participation may be developed: feel free to offer > suggestions, and to distribute information about this project to appropriate > fora. > > Keith Winston > Program Manager > Sustainable Biosphere Initiative > Ecological Society of America > 2010 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. > Suite 400 > Washington, DC 20036 > (202) 833-8748 > Fax: (202) 833-8775 > keith@esa.org
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