The topics represented in this section are among the priority issues facing the research and management communities today.

snowy egret
 

BIRD CONSERVATION
Focuses on data and applications to support the conservation and management of bird populations in North America.

fire
 

FIRE ECOLOGY & MANAGEMENT
Wildfires are an increasing problem in the U.S. What are the natural and human-induced causes of wildfire, and how are the fire research and management communities responding and adapting?

DNA
 

GENETIC DIVERSITY
From the discovery of new species through molecular techniques, to the increasing availability of genetically engineered organisms, to the management of at-risk populations, genetics is playing an increasingly important role in the conservation and use of our natural resources.

zebra mussel
 

INVASIVE SPECIES
Second only to habitat loss as a threat to biodiversity, invasive species are responsible an estimated $138 billion each year in environmental, agricultural, and human health costs in the U.S. With the true globalization of world trade and traffic, how can natural environments be protected from plant, animal, and microbial invaders?

hummingbird
 

POLLINATORS
The global declines in many kinds of pollinator species could potentially impact the global food supply, as many plants depend upon specific pollinators to reproduce.

lynx
 

THREATENED & ENDANGERED SPECIES
Data, information, and regulatory information on species at risk.

cells
 

WILDLIFE DISEASES
Diseases in wildlife are attracting increasing attention, as researchers attempt to determine their impacts to wildlife population health, as well as their potential to infect human populations.