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Executive Summary
Pages 1-4

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From page 1...
... to agricultural and urban ones; intensification of various nutrient cycles; biotic mixing, including the introduction of nonnative species into many ecosystems worldwide and the loss of other species; changes in the hydrological cycle; changes in the climate due to humancaused changes in atmospheric chemistry; changes in the size and distribution of human populations; the conversion of natural landscapes to provide transportation infrastructure such as roads, railways, harbors, and airports; and the greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles using that infrastructure. The panel developed a conceptual model (see Chapter 3)
From page 2...
... To evaluate the scientific questions that arise from considering the conceptual model, the panel considered the importance of each factor that produces environmental effects in the model, whether there are areas in which understanding ofthe factors in the model end their effects are impeded by lack of scientific knowledge, and the degree to which each scientific research topic would be likely to lead to large progress on other, related topics. The panel recommends a research initiative that comprises efforts to understand four areas of global change research: (a)
From page 3...
... Other important research questions involve the role of genetic change in the ability of an introduced species to spread and how the presence of introduced species will affect the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Mounting a large, coordinated, and sustained effort to understand aspects of global change not emphasized in the current cTimate-related research agenda is a significant undertaking, but it is essential to understand, predict, and deal with the major global changes that have already occurred and whose pace seems likely to accelerate.


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