Chairman's Preface 



There has been a dramatic change in public attitudes about the environment and 

 a sudden awareness of the interdependencies of man and other living organisms 

 within the last five years. This change was prefaced by both deterioration of the 

 Nation's environment and increased knowledge about this environment. It is 

 accentuated by a growing realization of the limits of resources, land, and water. 



The science of ecology, which studies dynamics of landscapes, organisms 

 including man, and environment factors, can help solve and prevent many 

 environmental problems. Use of the principles and findings of this science is 

 basic to environmentally responsible action. While classical ecology is a little 

 over a century old, its role in synthesizing and integrating man's activities with 

 natural systems is relatively new. This developing discipline has been asked to 

 provide evaluations and predictions for systems of extreme complexity within a 

 short time- frame. The national need to build additional capability in ecology thus 

 becomes increasingly evident. Therefore, it is important and timely to review the 

 present and future roles of ecology in the Federal Government. Recognizing this 

 fact, the Council on Environmental Quality and the Federal Council for Science 

 and Technology established the Ad Hoc Committee on Ecological Research to 

 advise and to provide expert guidance to the Federal Government on: 



1. Identification of national needs for ecological knowledge and capability; 



2. Assessment of our present ecological knowledge and capabilities and the 

 current status of our efforts to meet these needs; 



3. Development of recommendations for short- and long-term national 

 programs of ecological knowledge and capabilities basic to achieving our 

 national goals; 



4. Coordinating interagency ecological research activities; and 



5. Strengthening the ecological basis for regulatory action for land, air, 

 water and renewable resource management and for land use decisions. 



The Committee, composed of representatives of all Federal agencies that have 

 ecological programs, and outstanding ecological consultants from the academic 

 community, conducted its assignment with a view to how ecology can contribute 

 to national policies and goals, as well as solving national problems. Findings and 

 recommendations were made to assist in achieving our present and proposed acts 

 and policies on environmental needs; clean air and water, health, sufficient 

 energy and raw materials, land use, and environmental quality. 



There is an urgency to implement these recommendations because environ- 

 mental problems that require ecological knowledge for their solutions continue to 

 mount. In addition, natural areas required for ecological research continue to be 

 disturbed and eliminated. Ecology, being a science of complex systems, involves 

 many disciplines, and requires long lead times. The Nation needs the help this 

 science is prepared to give. But the Nation must organize its agencies, individ- 

 uals, organizations, and resources to assist in the obtaining of these solutions. 



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