indices, including appropriate fundamental investigations to substan- 

 tiate the indicator value of particular biological organisms. 



The Federal government presently supports extensive biological and 

 environmental monitoring programs on a national scale. These are not 

 presently coordinated or integrated to be of constructive ecological 

 value. It is recommended that a national ecological monitoring 

 program be established which would bring together data from the 

 pertinent existing biological, agricultural, environmental, pollutant, 

 and other survey and monitoring programs. The new function would be 

 coordination, integration, and analysis of the data to produce a 

 national ecological monitoring program. Data from important study, 

 baseline, and monitoring sites (e.g., biome study areas) as well as from 

 impact areas near cities, industries, and river mouths would be 

 included. 



c) Requirements for ecological data have intensified in recent years, 

 and the Committee is concerned about lack of provision for effective 

 ecological data systems. There have been many expressions of need for 

 regional and national ecological data systems. 



Results of ecological research are needed at an early stage in planning 

 so that sound management decisions can be made. Preparers of 

 environmental impact statements would draw on national or regional 

 data storage centers, and data impact statements could also contribute 

 to the data bank. Eventually the data bank would be used to construct 

 an "ecological characterization" of specific regions. 



Computerized environmental data storage and retrieval programs are 

 in existence, but inadequate provision is made for ecological interpre- 

 tation and utilization of data. One cannot at this time program a 

 computer to supply answers to broad environmental problems. 



It is recommended that existing systems of environmental data 

 storage and retrieval, such as those at Oak Ridge National Labora- 

 tory, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Library 

 of Medicine, be evaluated and the best available subsystems selected. It 

 is probably not desirable to initiate a completely new data manage- 

 ment system. 



The National Ecological Service could be a logical organization to help 

 coordinate and implement the other recommendations of this 

 Committee. 



a. Develop improved capabilities for ecological research, Recommendation 2 

 including advances in conceptual frameworks, systems 



science, experimental design, and mathematical 

 models. Augment these tools with basic ecological 

 inventory data. Goals are to develop predictive capabil- 

 ities of the effects of technological and sociological 

 influences on the environment and to improve eco- 

 systems management. 



b. Support Federal involvement in research programs 

 which strengthen the development of ecology as a 

 discipline, in universities, Federal laboratories, and 

 State activities. 



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