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Complex Systems Task Group Summaries (2009) / Chapter Skim
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Task Group Summary 8--Ecological robustness: Is the biosphere sustainable?
Pages 65-72

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From page 65...
... Can the modeling of coupled ecological and social systems provide the necessary feedbacks to prevent catastrophic shifts? Do we have an ethical obligation to preserve the regulatory and adaptive mechanisms of the world's ecosystems?
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From page 66...
... TASK GROUP MEMBERS • Luis Amaral, Northwestern University • Elias Greenbaum, Oak Ridge National Laboratory • Ross Hammond, The Brookings Institution • Chris Klausmeier, Michigan State University • Rob Knight, University of Colorado, Boulder
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From page 67...
... Today, climate change is just one of many causes pushing ecosystems into decline, but the polar bears are merely the most visible symbol of a deeper problem. At the 2008 National Academies Keck Futures Initiative Conference on Complex Systems, a group of scientists from interdisciplinary fields tackled the following question: is the biosphere sustainable?
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From page 68...
... A major limitation to formulating solutions is the severe lack of understanding of many, if not most, ecosystem functions. Moreover, a lack of long-term observational data makes it difficult to discern trends from variation.
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From page 69...
... Detailed satellite data are often concentrated in developed countries, but ecosystems do not respect international boundaries. To extend the network of data-gathering, it would be helpful to promote the participation of citizen scientists, using cell phones as a vehicle for communicating data.
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From page 70...
... We have a lot to learn about microbial life, but by experimenting on multiple scales, we can track and model the influence of microbes in ecosystems. Intervention While the proposed WBO will coordinate research worldwide, a similar organization for the United States could operate productively on a national level.
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From page 71...
... A 1987 study estimated that the Global Biosphere Product was US $33 trillion, nearly double the 1987 Gross World Product of US $18 trillion. The numbers show a clear discrepancy between the funds allocated to R&D and the high cost of damaging the ecosystem.
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Key Terms

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  • nutrient cycling
  • complex adaptive
  • human actions

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  • genomes manifest
  • detailed satellite
  • called biosphere
  • tional academies
  • pushing ecosystems

  • cal assessment
  • eight humans
  • ecological research
  • biogeochemical properties
  • ecological robustness

  • local ecosystems
  • experimental stations
  • chris klausmeier
  • coordinate ecosystem
  • required reading

  • emergent properties
  • coordinate research
  • discern trends
  • gross world
  • research worldwide


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