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The Western Ecology Division (WED) is one of four ecological effects
divisions of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research
Laboratory. The four divisions are distributed
bio-geographically. WED's mission is 1) to provide EPA with national
scientific leadership for terrestrial and regional-scale ecology, and
2) to develop the scientific basis for assessing the condition and
response of ecological resources of the western United States and the
Pacific Coast.
The Division addresses scientific issues of major importance in
formulating public policies, programs, and regulations to protect and
manage ecological resources. WED scientists conduct research in a
range of scientific disciplines, usually working in multi-disciplinary
teams. In addition to their work at the Division's facilities and
field sites, they collaborate with leading scientists at research
institutions throughout the world. The research addresses the
ecological processes that determine the response of biological
resources to environmental change and to land and resource
use. Priority is given to those ecological systems at greatest risk,
with emphasis on the scientific uncertainties that most seriously
impede ecological risk assessment.
WED's research approach comprises two aspects: 1) developing an
understanding of the structure and function of ecological systems, and
2) conducting holistic analyses of ecological phenomena at the
ecosystem, landscape, and regional scales. Key scientific disciplines
include: terrestrial biology, aquatic biology, marine biology,
ecology, geography, statistics, microbiology, soil science, plant
science, biogeochemistry, plant physiology, landscape ecology, and
oceanography.
The Division seeks to advance scientific understanding through 1)
experiments conducted in the laboratory and in specialized exposure
chambers, 2) field studies, 3) modeling, and 4) analysis of
large-scale environmental and ecological data sets.
Website: "http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/aboutwed.htm"
[Summary provided by the EPA.]
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