2. Global change Connectivity The role of science Issues to be addressed this morning Symposium overview

3. Global change According to the U.S. Global Change Research Act of 1990, global change is defined as: “Changes in the global environment (including alterations in climate, land productivity, oceans or other water resources, atmospheric chemistry, and ecological systems) that may alter the capacity of the Earth to sustain life.”

4. Research elements Atmospheric composition Climate variability and change Global water cycle Land-use and land-cover change Global carbon cycle Ecosystems Human contributions and responses Observing and monitoring the climate system Communications International research cooperation

5. BiodiversityBiodiversity Biogeochemical cyclesBiogeochemical cycles Climate changeClimate change EcohydrologyEcohydrology Infectious diseaseInfectious disease Invasive speciesInvasive species Land use/coverLand use/cover

6. BIOGEOCHEMISTRY BIOGEOCHEMISTRY - To what extent are pollutants entering the food and water supply and what are their origins? ECOHYDROLOGY ECOHYDROLOGY - How is groundwater level and stream flow impacted by land use? INVASIVE SPECIES INVASIVE SPECIES - How do invasive species alter productivity and economic value of the landscape? BIODIVERSITY BIODIVERSITY - What role do certain species play in ecosystems that make them critical for preservation? INFECTIOUS DISEASES INFECTIOUS DISEASES - What is the geographic origin and migration pattern of disease vectors? LAND USE LAND USE - How much can we harvest from or disturb ecosystems before they suffer irreversible degradation? CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE - To what extent is climate change altering productivity of natural and manmade ecosystems?

7. Connectivity

9. Sinks Canyon, Fremont County, Wyoming Annual inorganic nitrogen deposition 1984-2007 http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu

10. What is the role of science? What is science? Body of knowledge gained from scientific inquiry Process of acquiring knowledge through observation and hypothesis testing (an hypothesis is a candidate explanation for an observation) Science does not attempt to acquire knowledge about human purpose, values and ethics.

11. What is the role of science? Generate knowledge and understanding about the natural world Provide an unbiased assessment of the potential consequences of human actions or public policy

12. Issues to be addressed What do we know about climate change? How do we study climate change impacts on rangelands? What have we learned about impacts of climate change on rangelands? How will we adapt to climate change? How do we obtain and use information about climate change in rangeland management?