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Emergence of the Study of Global Ecology: Is Terrestrial Ecology an Impediment to Progress?
Author(s) -
Mooney H. A.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
ecological applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.864
H-Index - 213
eISSN - 1939-5582
pISSN - 1051-0761
DOI - 10.2307/1941842
Subject(s) - ecology , biosphere , discipline , ecosystem ecology , terrestrial ecosystem , earth system science , global change , environmental resource management , scale (ratio) , geography , ecosystem , climate change , biology , environmental science , sociology , social science , cartography
The emergence of the study of how the earth system operates and is responding to global change has seen the development of large—scale cross—disciplinary research efforts in addition to progress in traditional single—discipline, single—investigator approaches. Although terrestrial (I use this word in the broad sense to include continental systems encompassing terrestrial, wetland, lake, and river ecosystems) ecology is a central area of research for understanding earth system functioning, this field has not engaged in, nor has it the mechanisms for, strategic research planning, and thus it has not provided the momentum apparent in the allied earth sciences. The development and execution of the International Geosphere—Biosphere Program provides one forum for more integrated research planning by ecologists, as well as research opportunities along the entire spectrum of concern of this discipline. However, there needs to be a national focal point for continuing strategic planning for research in terrestrial ecology.