Advance%20Innovative%20and%20Anticipatory%20Research

1
Advance Innovative and Anticipatory Research

• Vision 2A Build the Intellectual and Technical
  Infrastructure for Ecology

Nina Sweppenheiser, Kelli Sheets, Brandis Mooney,
Amanda Henry
Prepared for BIO 344 - Ecology at Wilkes
University 1 October 2004
2
Rationale

• Understanding the science of ecology
• Limitations
• Other areas are more advanced

3
AR Action 1

• Fully scope and then promote the four pronged
  Ecological Research for Sustainability Initiative

4
Goal of Initiative

• Develop research projects
• Have large scale experiment and data collection
• Synthesize solutions
• Then link those solutions to real life
• Create a resource for a responsive future
  ecology

5
To Sustain Ecosystems we need

• New ways of thinking of ideas
• New ways of testing ideas
• No limits
• Easily Obtain information
• Funds that support idea generation
• NSF incubation grants

6
Support other initiatives and link with other
Networks
7
Relevance to NE PA

• NE PA consists of many ecological systems
• Water Pollution-Mines
• NE PA consists of research issues

8
Ecological Systems of NE PA

• Mine Drainage Sites
• Watersheds
• Estuaries
• Forests

• Wetlands
• Creeks
• Bogs

9
Research Issues in NE PA

• Biotechnology
• Ecological Restoration
• Natural Resource Management
• Habitat Destruction and Reconstruction
• Species Extinction

10
Vision Relevance to Wilkes University

• This specific vision initiative will have a
  positive impact on the approaches to research and
  the type of research done at Wilkes (expansion of
  research ideas)
• Senior Research Projects
• Faculty Research
• Will result in more advanced research in any
  ecological or scientific topic and will be
  supported with unlimited access to information
  and technological tools

11
Anticipatory Research

• Case Study Understanding exchanges between large
  rivers and their flood plains
• River-floodplain ecosystems are dynamic and
  biologically diverse
• The movement of organic matter into and out of
  the floodplain is important to humanity and
  wildlife
• It would be to our benefit to fully understand
  the biological mechanics of this habitat

12
Questions that need to be answered

• In order to make sure there is enough water for
  both humans and the natural system, these
  questions need to be answered
• Under what conditions and at what scales is the
  floodplain a source of organic matter to the
  river?
• Under what conditions and scales does the
  floodplain store such matter?

13
Questions Continued

• Are there thresholds in physical processes,
  habitat connectivity, or biotic community
  composition that cause the system to change
  state, such that the floodplain releases rather
  than stores carbon?
• The answers to these questions are imperative to
  our understanding of how to preserve and restore
  ecosystems along rivers.

14
Vision Importance

• The average American in the world today doesnt
  have strong feelings towards furthering
  ecological research.
• They dont see it as affecting their every day
  lives.
• They may not see the consequences as being in the
  foreseeable future.
• If educated somewhat on the issue, they may see
  investing money in ecological research as chance.

15
Should anyone care?

• Ecological understanding rests on knowledge that
  is gained from multiple avenues, including
  experimentation, theory and modeling, comparative
  observations, long term study, and synthesis.
• Evidence and facts sell people
• Better technology and communication will provide
  people with more proven facts that ecology is
  something that needs to be taken seriously

16
Should anyone care?

• Anticipatory research to use novel ideas,
  powerful data acquisition and management tools,
  and new technology that is developed to prepare
  for and perhaps build defenses, against what is
  coming next.
• People need to be aware that the choices that
  they make today will affect the lives of their
  children and grandchildren
• Our future lies in maintaining our environment
• Supporting new research methods and technology
  will allow for discovery of new solutions or
  approaches to possible ecological threats of the
  future

17
Building Blocks

• This vision is the building blocks needed for a
  proactive and responsive future ecology.
• Stronger research methods and the ability to use
  higher technological resources will lead ecology
  beyond where it stands today
• The first step in trying to change peoples ways
  of thinking is to show them straight out the
  cause and effect of a situation
• There has to be a point where someone decides
  that this is an important issue and will carry
  support into the future

18
Sources

• Ecological Visions Committee. (2004) Ecological
  Society of America. Ecological Science and
  Sustainability for a Crowded Planet. www.esa.org.