National Academies Press: OpenBook

Climate Change and Ecosystems (2019)

Chapter: Preface

« Previous: Front Matter
Suggested Citation:"Preface." National Academy of Sciences. 2019. Climate Change and Ecosystems. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25504.
×

PREFACE

Climate change is already having a dramatic effect on many ecosystems, leading to questions about what the future will bring. In recent years, plant and animal populations have changed much more quickly and drastically than anticipated, and there is evidence that the pace of change is accelerating. Researchers have grown increasingly concerned about the changes observed, especially in light of the many valuable services that ecosystems provide to human societies.

This state of heightened concern was the backdrop to the Sackler Forum on Climate Change and Ecosystems that was held in Washington, DC, on November 8-9, 2018. Jointly organized by the National Academy of Sciences and The Royal Society, the forum brought together leading scientists and practitioners in the fields of climate change, ecology, land use, and biodiversity who study terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems—research communities that do not commonly have opportunities to collaborate.

The forum had moments of both pessimism and optimism, and attendees recognized that the effects of climate change are context specific and could lead to negative, neutral, or positive outcomes. Climate change is posing widespread and complex challenges to species and to ecosystem function, as well as to associated services that natural systems provide to society. The forum highlighted current research frontiers such as the effects of climate extremes; interactions among climate and other stressors; the timing, sequence, and clustering of climate-related events; and tipping points for abrupt change. At the same time, society can adapt to altered conditions with the help of healthy ecosystems by using nature-based solutions to climate-related challenges. Greater understanding of ecosystems could reveal how they can best be managed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The forum highlighted that healthy, well-managed landscapes and seascapes have the potential to be part of the solution to the climate change challenge.

Although there is room for greater understanding, enough is known to take informed action now. Researchers at the forum demonstrated that they are reaching beyond their fields and taking responsibility for discussing, disseminating, and promoting their work to inform political and societal decisions. They are also going beyond identifying problems and are offering compelling solutions that can be widely implemented, with the potential to deliver broad societal benefits.

The Sackler Forum provides an opportunity for leading scientists, primarily from the United States and United Kingdom, to identify research opportunities, build multidisciplinary and international collaborations, and discuss how science can provide or inform solutions to pressing international problems. Few issues are as important for the future of human society and life on Earth as the past, current, and future interactions of climate change and ecosystems.

MARCIA MCNUTT VENKI RAMAKRISHNAN
President, National Academy of Sciences President, The Royal Society
Suggested Citation:"Preface." National Academy of Sciences. 2019. Climate Change and Ecosystems. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/25504.
×
Page 1
Next: Acknowledgments »
Climate Change and Ecosystems Get This Book
×
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

The National Academies convened a forum on November 8-9, 2018 to highlight current research frontiers such as the effects of climate extremes, interactions among climate and other stressors, the timing, sequence, and clustering of climate-related events, and tipping points for abrupt change. Topics of discussion at the forum pertained to the changes ecosystems are currently undergoing, sustaining ecosystems, the impact of ecosystems on global climate change, societal adaptation to climate change, and priorities for future research. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions from the forum.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!