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Advancing a coordinated national policy agenda for biodiversity science

Advancing a coordinated national policy agenda for biodiversity science . Mary Liz Jameson, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS Gregory Anderson, University of Connecticut James P. Collins, President of American Institute of Biological Sciences

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Advancing a coordinated national policy agenda for biodiversity science

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  1. Advancing a coordinated national policy agenda for biodiversity science Mary Liz Jameson, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS Gregory Anderson, University of Connecticut James P. Collins, President of American Institute of Biological Sciences Robert Gropp, American Institute of Biological Sciences Director of Public Policy Robert Guralnick, University of Colorado James Hanken, American Institute of Biological Sciences Board of Directors Pat Herendeen, Chicago Botanic Garden David Hibbett, Clark University Lucinda McDade, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden Entomology Collections Network, Nov. 12-13, 2011

  2. Louisiana Pancake Batfish

  3. Darwin's Bark Spider

  4. Tyrannobdellarex

  5. Saltoblattellamontistabularis

  6. Mycenaluxaeterna

  7. Halomonastitanicae

  8. Glomeremusorchidophilus

  9. Philantombawalteri

  10. Psathyrellaaquatica

  11. Varanusbitatawa

  12. Biodiversity science provides the bedrock for all biological concepts – species name and species data. The wealth of biodiversity information increases confidence in what we can infer about the world. New tools allow biodiversity scientists to address broad concepts that were previously unobtainable. Overarching and immediate needs that systematics provide answers to include…

  13. Biodiversity Science Addresses Broad Concepts Human heath and safetyHomeland securityInternational trade Conservation planning Prevention of wildlife traffickingSustaining ecosystemsLand use planningInvasive species predictive modelsDiscovery and explorationClimate changeEmerging infection diseasesManagement of agricultural pestsBiological controlIdentification of disease vectorsForensic scienceBioprospecting for new medicines, foods, and fibers

  14. Who Needs Biodiversity Data? AgriculturalistsEcological ModelersHealth and Homeland SecurityConservationistsCitizen ScientistsEducation SpecialistsLand ManagersClimate Change ScientistsInfectious Disease SpecialistsBiological Control ManagersPoliticiansBiodiversity ScientistsALL OF US!

  15. “Another ambitious challenge will be to expand comprehensive comparisons beyond the level of families, to that of genera and species, bringing mammalian biodiversity into true phylogenetic focus. This is a daunting task, because no single research team will ever amass frozen tissue samples of the 1300 genera and nearly 6000 species of mammals currently recognized, many known from few specimens collected long ago. Here too, phylogeneticists will need to rely on next-generation approaches to generate data from molecules preserved in historical museum specimens. Specimens squirreled away in museum cabinets have never been more valuable to biology at large.” Helgen. 2011. Science 334: 458-459 R W Meredith et al. Science 2011;334:521-524

  16. “Indeed, herbaria – far from fusty archival collections – have broad relevance in current research, emerging as a premium resource for documenting spatiotemporal changes in biodiversity…Analysis of historical samples in herbaria can assist with investigating contemporary problems of bioinvasions and decreased biological diversity. Entomologists and ecologists have too long ignored spatiotemporal information available from historical herbarium specimens, and we urge an integrated approach in the use of such data to address questions, in particular about the origin of invasive species.” Lees et al. 2011. Front Ecol Environ 9: 322–328.

  17. Overarching Goals in Systematics The overarching goals of systematics are achieved collaboratively. By entomologists

  18. Overarching Goals in Systematics The overarching goals of systematics are achieved collaboratively. By entomologists And botanists

  19. Overarching Goals in Systematics The overarching goals of systematics are achieved collaboratively. By entomologists And botanists And parasitologists

  20. Overarching Goals in Systematics The overarching goals of systematics are achieved collaboratively. By entomologists And botanists And parasitologists And bacteriologists

  21. Overarching Goals in Systematics The overarching goals of systematics are achieved collaboratively. By entomologists And botanists And parasitologists And bacteriologists We need to think outside the unit tray…

  22. Reaching Big Goals Chemistry does it.

  23. Reaching Big Goals Ecology does it.

  24. Reaching Big Goals Physics does it.

  25. Large Hadron Collider Large Hadron Collider

  26. National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Large Hadron Collider

  27. Reaching Big Goals Chemistry does it. Ecology does it. Physics does it. They leverage resources. They have an advocacy agenda. They have lobbyists. They speak with one voice.

  28. Reaching Big Goals Systematics does not.

  29. Reaching Big Goals Systematics does not. Our discipline has struggled to advocate effectively and to communicate the vitality and centrality of systematics knowledge and research. .

  30. Reaching Big Goals Systematics does not. Our discipline has struggled to advocate effectively and to communicate the vitality and centrality of systematics knowledge and research. The systematics community lacks a united voice.

  31. But Why? Because no one society represents all systematists. Because no one society speaks for all natural history collections. By the nature of our fields, our community is fractured into many smaller professional societies that are typically taxonomically based: Entomological Society of America American Society of Plant Taxonomists American Ornithologists' Union
American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists American Society of Mammalogists Fragmentation limits the influence that biodiversity scientists have on national science policy and, by extension, scientific advancement and funding at a time when competition for limited resources is increasing

  32. But Why? Fragmentation limits the influence that biodiversity scientists have on national science policy and, by extension, scientific advancement and funding at a time when competition for limited resources is increasing.

  33. The Solution Biodiversity-related scientific research and education needs a coherent, coordinated, and persistent policy agenda if our community is to have avoice that influences the U.S. scientific agendaand allows us to reach our scientific goals.

  34. We Need a Mechanism What is required is a mechanism to: 1) Bring together people who represent systematists of all kinds to articulate a common agenda. 2) Develop an infrastructure to promote biodiversity science to policymakers, agencies, and society.

  35. A Partner The American Institute of Biological Science (AIBS) is a national scientific organization that is well positioned and has the capacity to work with the community to develop and advance a unified policy agenda for biodiversity-related sciences

  36. Why AIBS? • Because AIBS is the umbrella organization for most of the taxonomically oriented societies.

  37. 

American Arachnological SocietyAmerican Bryological & Lichenological SocietyAmerican Fern SocietyAmerican Malacological SocietyAmerican Ornithologists' UnionAmerican Society for MicrobiologyAmerican Society of Ichthyologists and HerpetologistsAmerican Society of MammalogistsAmerican Society of ParasitologistsAmerican Society of Plant TaxonomistsAmerican Society of PrimatologistsBotanical Society of America California Botanical SocietyCooper Ornithological SocietyCrustacean SocietyEntomological Society of AmericaHelminthological Society of WashingtonInternational Society of ProtistologistsLepidopterists' SocietyMycological Society of AmericaPaleontological SocietyPhycological Society of AmericaSociety for Integrative & Comparative BiologySociety for Study of Amphibians & ReptilesSociety of NematologistsSociety of Systematic BiologistsSociety of Vertebrate Paleontology Relevant AIBS Member Societies

  38. Why AIBS? • Because AIBS is the umbrella organization for most of the taxonomically oriented societies. • AIBS was centrally involved with advocacy campaigns that promoted the eligibility of natural history museums for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

  39. Why AIBS? • Because AIBS is the umbrella organization for most of the taxonomically oriented societies. • AIBS was centrally involved with advocacy campaigns that promoted the eligibility of natural history museums for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. • AIBS has recently provided the services Natural Science Collection Alliance (NSC Alliance). With this assistance, the NSC Alliance has successfully developed and implemented a national advocacy campaign that has increased the profile of science collections in federal policy circles. This resulted in an NSF program that provided as much as $500 million to digitize the nation's biological science collections.

  40. Why AIBS? • Two hundred member societies and organizations and 85 member institutions that are natural science collections/natural history museums • Reputation as a trusted broker of reliable information that acts in the interests of the community • Expertise in bridging the communication gap between policymakers and scientists • Established connections with broader scientific community, media, and government • Tools (e.g., Legislative Action Center) that can be used to advance policies or public education campaigns • Communication channels: Public Policy Report, BioScience, ActionBioScience.org • Professionally staffed Public Policy Office located in Washington, DC

  41. Why AIBS? The AIBS Public Policy Office works to: • Reduce the communication gap that exists between the scientific and public policy communities • Build the capacity of the scientific community to successfully engage in the public policy process • Influence the development and implementation of science and STEM education and workforce policy • Assist AIBS member societies and organizations with the development of their policy agendas • Communicate shared interests to the public, scientific community, and policymakers

  42. What Characterizes AIBS? • Integration of research and education • Broad participation of disciplines and science in general • Fostering science as an international activity • Integration with agendas of other societies, engineering, and the humanities for the benefit of all

  43. BioScience Publications in 2011

  44. Why Do We Need Support? To enhance the effectiveness of the systematics which benefits all of biological sciences. To achieve grand challenges in systematics: Tree of life Biodiversity inventory of the United States and the planet A species page for every organism To identify and describe all species on earth To remove impediments in our science: Collecting permits to expedite biodiversity surveys Data access Data interoperability

  45. Goals of Support • Cultivate and develop a sense of professional community among biodiversity scientists. • Provide biodiversity scientists with the skills and communications training necessary to help them become effective advocates for their profession. • Work with the community of biodiversity scientists, including individuals and professional societies, to build an infrastructure (e.g., dedicated staff position at AIBS to coordinate biodiversity policy issues) that will enable the development of national policy priorities that support and advance biodiversity science. • Implement a national campaign that promotes a policy friendly environment for the conduct of biodiversity research.

  46. A Little Background… • As a result of several meetings associated with CollectionsWeb and NSF’s “Future Directions for Systematics and Biodiversity”, a common theme emerged: the systematics community lacks a united voice. • A group of concerned systematists asked to meet with AIBS to discuss the possibility of a partnership. • The Ad Hoc AIBS Committee was developed at the request of systematists.

  47. Ad Hoc AIBS Committee • AIBS has chartered an ad hoc committee charged with assessing if AIBS is the best organization to work with the biodiversity-related science community to help it develop and advance a unified policy agenda. • This committee is charged to propose a long-term mechanism to develop and promote a shared agenda of systematic biologists. • The ad hoc committee will present a preliminary report to the AIBS Board of Directors in December 2011.

  48. United States Science 344: 443. October 2011 “…the report says, biological sciences are the strongest area of U.K. research, including ‘exceptionally high achievements in organismal biology, where the USA suffers.’”

  49. “Rather than an emphasis on the parts of biology –our respective disciplines, the organisms we study, the systems we strive to understand – biology’s future will be enriched by highlighting a common vision that emphasizes questions, concepts, and theories central to a science of life.” James P. Collins President, AIBS January, 2011

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