Forecasting Ecosystem Services from Wetland Condition Analyses

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Please note that the research grants issued under this rfa will likely involve the collection and interpretation of geospatial information. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications to develop relationships between wetland ecological condition indicators and ecosystem services delivery. There is a great need to extract maximum value from current efforts to conduct wetland condition surveys and to consider the full range of benefits derived from ecosystem services. (Services provided by ecosystems to humans include provisioning [e.g., providing water food, fuel, fiber]; support [soil fertility, nutrient cycling, pollination]; regulation [climate moderation, flood control]; cultural [economic, spiritual, and recreational benefits]; and preservation [biodiversity, renewable resources].) Methods to demonstrate how data on wetland condition can be used to quantify the services provided by wetlands are vital if state and tribal wetland managers are to ensure continued benefit from those services.

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