2009 Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America

2-7 August 2009, Albuquerque, NM

With fossil fuels waning, a public awareness of global warming and biodiversity issues increasing, and new green technologies breaking into public markets, the world is poised for planning sustainability of a global society. The location of the 2009 meeting, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a fitting forum due to the city’s forward-thinking sustainable initiatives (e.g., Albuquerque Green and Smart Communities Network). It is also fitting that a theme of sustainability follows one of ecological education (ESA 2008), arguably the most important part of sustainable planning. Although a wealth of ecological knowledge is available, there remains a disconnection between knowledge and application. For example, large areas of the landscape are being developed for biofuel agriculture with little regard for the effects on landscape processes. Many of the symposia this year will address this meeting theme of Ecological Knowledge and a Global Sustainable Society.