Priorities for synthesis research in ecology and environmental science

Synthesis research in ecology and environmental science improves understanding, advances theory, identifies research priorities, and supports management strategies by linking data, ideas, and tools. Accelerating environmental challenges increases the need to focus synthesis science on the most pressing questions. To leverage input from the broader research community, we convened a virtual workshop with participants from many countries and disciplines to examine how and where synthesis can address key questions and themes in ecology and environmental science in the coming decade. Seven priority research topics emerged: (1) diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), (2) human and natural systems, (3) actionable and use-inspired science, (4) scale, (5) generality, (6) complexity and resilience, and (7) predictability. Additionally, two issues regarding the general practice of synthesis emerged: the need for increased participant diversity and inclusive research practices; and increased and improved data flow, access, and skill-building. These topics and practices provide a strategic vision for future synthesis in ecology and environmental science.

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Related Dataset #1 : List or Research Questions developed as part of The Future of Synthesis in Ecology and Environmental Science Virtual workshop (February 17th & 18th, 2021)
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Author Halpern, Benjamin S.
Boettiger, Carl
Dietze, Michael C.
Gephart, Jessica A.
Gonzalez, Patrick
Grimm, Nancy B.
Groffman, Peter M.
Gurevitch, Jessica
Hobbie, Sarah E.
Komatsu, Kimberly J.
Kroeker, Kristy J.
Lahr, Heather J.
Lodge, David M.
Lortie, Christopher J.
Lowndes, Julie S. S.
Micheli, Fiorenza
Possingham, Hugh P.
Ruckelshaus, Mary H.
Scarborough, Courtney
Wood, Chelsea L.
Wu, Grace C.
Aoyama, Lina
Arroyo, Eva E.
Bahlai, Christie A.
Beller, Erin E.
Blake, Rachael E.
Bork, Karrigan S.
Branch, Trevor A.
Brown, Norah E. M.
Brun, Julien
Bruna, Emilio M.
Buckley, Lauren B.
Burnett, Jessica L.
Castorani, Max C. N.
Cheng, Samantha H.
Cohen, Sarah C.
Couture, Jessica L.
Crowder, Larry B.
Dee, Laura E.
Dias, Arildo S.
Diaz‐Maroto, Ignacio J.
Downs, Martha R.
Dudney, Joan C.
Ellis, Erle C.
Emery, Kyle A.
Eurich, Jacob G.
Ferriss, Bridget E.
Fredston, Alexa
Furukawa, Hikaru
Gagné, Sara A.
Garlick, Sarah R.
Garroway, Colin J.
Gaynor, Kaitlyn M.
González, Angélica L.
Grames, Eliza M.
Guy‐Haim, Tamar
Hackett, Ed
Hallett, Lauren M.
Harms, Tamara K.
Haulsee, Danielle E.
Haynes, Kyle J.
Hazen, Elliott L.
Jarvis, Rebecca M.
Jones, Kristal
Kandlikar, Gaurav S.
Kincaid, Dustin W.
Knope, Matthew L.
Koirala, Anil
Kolasa, Jurek
Kominoski, John S.
Koricheva, Julia
Lancaster, Lesley T.
Lawlor, Jake A.
Lowman, Heili E.
Muller‐Karger, Frank E.
Norman, Kari E. A.
Nourn, Nan
O'Hara, Casey C.
Ou, Suzanne X.
Padilla‐Gamino, Jacqueline L.
Pappalardo, Paula
Peek, Ryan A.
Pelletier, Dominique
Plont, Stephen
Ponisio, Lauren C.
Portales‐Reyes, Cristina
Provete, Diogo B.
Raes, Eric J.
Ramirez‐Reyes, Carlos
Ramos, Irene
Record, Sydne
Richardson, Anthony J.
Salguero‐Gómez, Roberto
Satterthwaite, Erin V.
Schmidt, Chloé
Schwartz, Aaron J.
See, Craig R.
Shea, Brendan D.
Smith, Rachel S.
Sokol, Eric R.
Solomon, Christopher T.
Spanbauer, Trisha
Stefanoudis, Paris V.
Sterner, Beckett W.
Sudbrack, Vitor
Tonkin, Jonathan D.
Townes, Ashley R.
Valle, Mireia
Walter, Jonathan A.
Wheeler, Kathryn I.
Wieder, William R.
Williams, David R.
Winter, Marten
Winterova, Barbora
Woodall, Lucy C.
Wymore, Adam S.
Youngflesh, Casey
Publisher UCAR/NCAR - Library
Publication Date 2023-01-01T00:00:00
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) Not Assigned
Alternate Identifier N/A
Resource Version N/A
Topic Category geoscientificInformation
Progress N/A
Metadata Date 2023-08-18T18:40:46.332634
Metadata Record Identifier edu.ucar.opensky::articles:26126
Metadata Language eng; USA
Suggested Citation Halpern, Benjamin S., Boettiger, Carl, Dietze, Michael C., Gephart, Jessica A., Gonzalez, Patrick, Grimm, Nancy B., Groffman, Peter M., Gurevitch, Jessica, Hobbie, Sarah E., Komatsu, Kimberly J., Kroeker, Kristy J., Lahr, Heather J., Lodge, David M., Lortie, Christopher J., Lowndes, Julie S. S., Micheli, Fiorenza, Possingham, Hugh P., Ruckelshaus, Mary H., Scarborough, Courtney, Wood, Chelsea L., Wu, Grace C., Aoyama, Lina, Arroyo, Eva E., Bahlai, Christie A., Beller, Erin E., Blake, Rachael E., Bork, Karrigan S., Branch, Trevor A., Brown, Norah E. M., Brun, Julien, Bruna, Emilio M., Buckley, Lauren B., Burnett, Jessica L., Castorani, Max C. N., Cheng, Samantha H., Cohen, Sarah C., Couture, Jessica L., Crowder, Larry B., Dee, Laura E., Dias, Arildo S., Diaz‐Maroto, Ignacio J., Downs, Martha R., Dudney, Joan C., Ellis, Erle C., Emery, Kyle A., Eurich, Jacob G., Ferriss, Bridget E., Fredston, Alexa, Furukawa, Hikaru, Gagné, Sara A., Garlick, Sarah R., Garroway, Colin J., Gaynor, Kaitlyn M., González, Angélica L., Grames, Eliza M., Guy‐Haim, Tamar, Hackett, Ed, Hallett, Lauren M., Harms, Tamara K., Haulsee, Danielle E., Haynes, Kyle J., Hazen, Elliott L., Jarvis, Rebecca M., Jones, Kristal, Kandlikar, Gaurav S., Kincaid, Dustin W., Knope, Matthew L., Koirala, Anil, Kolasa, Jurek, Kominoski, John S., Koricheva, Julia, Lancaster, Lesley T., Lawlor, Jake A., Lowman, Heili E., Muller‐Karger, Frank E., Norman, Kari E. A., Nourn, Nan, O'Hara, Casey C., Ou, Suzanne X., Padilla‐Gamino, Jacqueline L., Pappalardo, Paula, Peek, Ryan A., Pelletier, Dominique, Plont, Stephen, Ponisio, Lauren C., Portales‐Reyes, Cristina, Provete, Diogo B., Raes, Eric J., Ramirez‐Reyes, Carlos, Ramos, Irene, Record, Sydne, Richardson, Anthony J., Salguero‐Gómez, Roberto, Satterthwaite, Erin V., Schmidt, Chloé, Schwartz, Aaron J., See, Craig R., Shea, Brendan D., Smith, Rachel S., Sokol, Eric R., Solomon, Christopher T., Spanbauer, Trisha, Stefanoudis, Paris V., Sterner, Beckett W., Sudbrack, Vitor, Tonkin, Jonathan D., Townes, Ashley R., Valle, Mireia, Walter, Jonathan A., Wheeler, Kathryn I., Wieder, William R., Williams, David R., Winter, Marten, Winterova, Barbora, Woodall, Lucy C., Wymore, Adam S., Youngflesh, Casey. (2023). Priorities for synthesis research in ecology and environmental science. UCAR/NCAR - Library. http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d79w0kd9. Accessed 27 June 2025.

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