The Application of Ecological Principles to Urban and Urbanizing Landscapes

gene sequencers through advanced computers and networking to global-observing satellites-coupled with keen scientific curiosity present an opportunity for unprecedented advances. Together, we can make ecological science a mainstay of sustainability. While pursuing that goal, we need to ensure that our best efforts are made available to society along the way. The time of science remaining in its ivory tower is long gone. And, ecological science is at the center of so many of the major crises affecting the planet todaydeforestation, biodiversity loss, land degradation, fisheries decline, coastal pollution, climate change. As scientists, we have a special responsibility not just to increase our understanding of these issues, but also to assess and predict, help evaluate, and, in turn, support decision makers and society at large in averting worst-