| Abstract: | This Web site is provided by the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment -- a nonprofit institution dedicated to improving the scientific and economic foundation for environmental policy. The State of the Nations Ecosystems is a comprehensive report prepared by experts from businesses, environmental organizations, universities, and federal, state, and local government agencies, intended for decision makers, opinion leaders, and informed citizens who seek an authoritative, comprehensive, and succinct overview of what the nation most needs to know about the changing state of its ecosystems. This well-presented report offers information from research in many fields, and is organized into chapters covering coasts and oceans, farmlands, forests, fresh waters, grasslands and shrublands, and urban and suburban areas in the US. The entire report may be searched by keyword, and each chapter may be downloaded. This Web site offers a fantastically comprehensive source for a scientifically sound and nonpartisan characterization of US ecosystems, and is careful to highlight existing gaps in the data. |