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Executive Summary
Pages 1-6

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From page 1...
... The scientific excitement and challenge of understanding the complex environmental systems humans depend on make the environmental sciences centrally important as humankind attempts a transition to a more sustainable relationship with the Earth and its natural resources. This report was written in response to a request from the National Science Foundation (NSF)
From page 2...
... Important research areas include quantifying the sources and sinks of the nutrient elements and gaining a better understanding of the biological, chemical, and physical factors regulating transformations among them; improving understanding of the interactions among the various biogeochemical cycles; assessing anthropogenic perturbations of biogeochemical cycles and their impacts on ecosystem functioning, atmospheric chemistry, and human activities, and developing a scientific basis for societal decisions about managing these cycles; and exploring technical and institutional approaches to managing anthropogenic perturbations.
From page 3...
... Important research areas include improving understanding of hydrologic responses to precipitation, surface water generation and transport, environmental stresses on aquatic ecosystems, the relationships between landscape changes and sediment fluxes, and subsurface transport, as well as mapping groundwater recharge and discharge vulnerability.
From page 4...
... may be modified. Important research areas include developing spatially explicit budgets for selected key materials; developing methods for more complete cycling of technological materials; determining how best to utilize materials that have uniquely useful industrial applications but are potentially hazardous to the environment; developing an understanding of the patterns and driving forces of human consumption of resources; and developing models for possible global scenarios of future industrial development and associated environmental implications.
From page 5...
... IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES s The identification of grand challenges in environmental sciences and priorities for immediate research investment is only a prelude. The key then becomes implementation.
From page 6...
... 6 GRAND CHALLENGES IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Recommendation: NSF, together with other agencies as appropriate, should conduct workshops that include research scientists in academia, the relevant agencies, and the private sector, as well as potential users of the research results, to discuss and plan research agendas and address implementation issues.


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