Macrosystems Biology and Early NEON Science Investigator Meeting, Alexandria, Virginia, January 8-10, 2018

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY

Investigators

Abstract

The biosphere has changed more in the past 50 years than during any time in human history. Environmental change, land use change, and the introduction of invasive species that collectively affect living systems by altering the fundamental relationships between life and the non-living environment that sustains it. Many of the changes challenge our understanding of how the biosphere works - how the ecological systems on which we depend will respond to changes in environment, land use, biodiversity, and a host of related environmental factors. Research in Macrosystems Biology is developing the basic scientific knowledge needed to understand the biosphere at regional to continental and annual to decadal scales, to quantify the strong and weak forces regulating the biosphere, and to predict the consequences of environmental and land use change and invasive species on living systems is difficult to extrapolate from studies conducted at local or global scales. Macrosystems ecology seeks to understand ecological processes and interactions at the broadest spatial scales and has potential to help solve globally important social and ecological challenges. Critical advances in this field are shared through publications, presentations, and synthesis activities such as workshops and symposia. This conference award will support a meeting of Macrosystems Biology and Early NEON Science investigators, postdoctoral scientists, and graduate students. Substantial investments in Macrosystems Biology research and education are generating new insights into pattern and process at Macro-scales. The meeting will advance Macrosystems Biology and Early NEON Science by: 1) Providing a forum to summarize and discuss the science of Macrosystems Biology and Early NEON Science; 2) Fostering collaboration and synthesis among scientists and graduate students across funded projects; 3) Facilitating networking and professional development of attendees, especially early career scientists; and 4) Developing a series of synthesis papers. The overarching themes of the meeting include: 1) scaling; 2) team science and education, and 3) big data and associated challenges. Discussion of these themes will yield insights to generate new Macrosystems Biology theory and best-practices that will mark critical advancements in the emerging sub-discipline of Macrosystems Biology. This meeting will broaden impacts through professional development and engagement of a diverse pool of scientists, collaboration and synthesis of active researchers, and by generating new ideas and synthetic research products. The participants represent a broad range of diversity at the meeting across career stage and academic rank, geographic origin, type of academic institution, disciplinary expertise, gender, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic background, sexual orientation, and disability status. A substantial proportion of funding for this meeting is specifically allocated to support early career scientists. The resulting synthesis papers will be published in a special issue in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment following this meeting. Through face-to-face time, formal lectures, break-out groups, and follow up dialogue in developing the special issue, it is anticipated the special issue will galvanize new ideas and advancements in Macrosystems Biology and serve as a benchmark, establishing and describing important elements, methods, and insights in Macrosystems Biology for the broader scientific community.