The U.S. National Academy of Sciences holds the United States membership in DIVERSITAS, an international program of biodiversity science that links biologists, ecologists and social scientists from around the world in support of sustainable use of biodiversity. This project will support activities of the U.S. National Committee for DIVERSITAS, which comprises a group of distinguished scientists that works nationally and internationally to raise awareness of biodiversity issues. The U.S. National Committee (USNC), chaired by Professor Peter Crane of the University of Chicago, contributes to the formulation and execution of a strong DIVERSITAS research program. In early 2009, the USNC will oversee the organization of a National Academies Symposium on Biodiversity Science in Washington, D.C., focusing on three critical scientific and policy debates concerning biodiversity and ecosystem services: climate change and energy, trade and invasive species, and food security. It is timed to commemorate the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin, when there will be broad media interest in biological diversity. In parallel with the planning for the symposium, the USNC will oversee the preparation and dissemination of a report including policy briefs on each of these three issues. After the Symposium, the USNC focus will shift to promoting and organizing U.S. participation in the DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference (OSC) in South Africa, scheduled for October 16-19, 2009.
The crucial role of biodiversity in supporting human well-being provides a common thread to a vast array of scientific investigations and public policy issues, from agricultural productivity and biomedical sciences to energy production, freshwater availability, and human development patterns. Understanding of biological systems ? from organisms to ecosystems ? and how human cultures depend on them are of critical importance to the nation and the world in a time of global development and changing climate. DIVERSITAS provides a crucial mechanism for bringing together the diverse international scientific and policy communities working on these issues, and the USNC for DIVERSITAS ensures that the U.S. is both thoroughly engaged in the work of DIVERSITAS, and receives maximum benefit from the knowledge gained through its activities.
