Conclusions: The Challenge of the Future for Biophysical Ecology

Abstract

Following the presentation of papers, the symposium participants met in small-group workshops to discuss the challenge of the future for research on biophysical ecology. Emerging from these discussions were many ideas and recommendations concerning future work in this field. The participants expressed much concern about the urgent need to understand ecosystems as a whole so that mankind can manage the earth in as productive and stable a manner as possible. Pivotal to this comprehension of ecosystems is the necessity to understand throughly the processes by which green plants function within their habitats. On the one hand, there was recognition of a critical need to understand the detailed mechanisms involving physiological and ecological processes within various components of a plant, and how these processes are integrated into the functional operation of the whole plant. On the other hand, there was a sense of urgency to assimilate whatever information is currently available into large-scale ecosystem modeling so that techniques involving ecosystems management, in particular food production, can be advanced as quickly as possible.