This workshop will bring together approximately 25 ecologists and scientists in related disciplines to discuss the response of ecological systems to large-scale spatial and temporal variation in their environment. It will focus on: 1) the basic research that is required to understand and predict the responses of ecological systems to environmental change, and 2) the practical application of ecological knowledge to address the serious changes in the environment of the earth caused by the growing human population. The goal of the workshop is to reach a consensus on a modest number of areas where increased research support may be expected to result in major advances within the next decade. These finding will be presented in two publications: 1) a scientific article in a major interdisciplinary journal, and 2) a non-technical booklet designed for distribution to government officials and funding agencies.
