The human mind can grasp the totality of nature only by limiting inquiry to discrete bits of space and time. Of all the scientific disciplines, ecosystem ecology tends to focus on some of the largest spatial entities - lakes, oceans, forested landscapes - over some of the largest periods of time. This provides both enormous opportunities and challenges to ecosystem ecologists.
Unlike a biomedical scientist whose system of study is a cell or organ over a period of days-to-years, ecologists' studies span individual organisms to global ecosystems over a period of days-to-millennia. Thus, the biomedical scientist's need for space may be measured in feet of bench space in a modern laboratory, while ecologists need "outdoor laboratory" space as well as the modern indoor laboratory. The outdoor space may be a lake, stream, forest, meadow, landscape, or, as in the initiative of IES scientists working with the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, an entire city. When studying atmospheric phenomena that ignore geographical barriers or political boundaries, sample collection sites may be hemispheric or global.
Time also matters. Complex ecosystems yield their secrets reluctantly. A trend suggested by data accumulated over a decade may be totally at odds with the pattern revealed in a data set spanning thirty or fifty years. A rare flood or hurricane may drastically alter the structure and function of the ecosystem, but such influences would lie undiscovered if long-term studies weren't undertaken. However, agencies funding research seldom make commitments beyond a few years and renewed funding is never assured.
The Institute of Ecosystem Studies recognizes that the growth of individual ecologists - like growth of the discipline itself - requires time. Thus, while an experiment done by an undergraduate over the summer can yield useful results, an equally important outcome may be that student's chance to learn whether the hard work of research is exciting and rewarding. And research done over two or three years as a postdoctoral associate at IES may be the introductory chapter to a life's work as an ecosystem ecologist.
We at the Institute are fortunate to have our own "outdoor laboratory" of more than 2000 acres, in addition to modern indoor laboratory space. Both are dedicated to research as long as needed, and serve as a home base from which to extend our research out to the Hudson River, the Catskill Mountains and to numerous sites around the globe. Finally, we are privileged to have earned an international reputation for excellence in ecosystem research, and thereby compete effectively for the grant funds that enable us to assemble the materials and staff necessary to continue our work over time.
