Document: DEB-3-2-9

What can ecology contribute to a people-dominated world?

JENSEN, D.B.*

The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA 22203 USA ¹

Abstract:
During the 21st century the Earth's species and ecosystems will be subject to the increasing influences of 6-10 billion human inhabitants. The challenge of sustaining human communities, ecosystems and species will be exacerbated by the need for an ever-larger human population to adapt to changes resulting from global climate change. For ecology and ecologists to contribute to the solutions of the societal problems we must address three challenges: 1. How can we use managed lands and waters as experiments to help us understand what human uses of land and water are compatible with the sustenance of species and ecological systems? 2. How can society and ecosystems adapt to the consequences of climate change and land use? 3. How can we change the research, training and other scientific institutions so that ecologists know how to inform societal decisions?.

Keywords:

This abstract is being presented at: 11:15 AM in session:
Symposium # 7: Thirty Questions for Ecology in the 21st Century.