Published: Ostroumov S.A., Dodson S., Hamilton D., Peterson S., Wetzel R.G. Medium-term and long-term priorities in ecological studies // Rivista di Biologia / Biology Forum. 2003 (May). 96: 327-332. Abstracts in Eng. and Italian (p. 332). Bibliogr. 20 ref. 
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14595906 ; PMID: 14595906 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Research priorities in ecology and environmental sciences for the future are formulated. The priorities for both fundamental and applied ecology are proposed. The list of priorities includes 50 items. The priorities are relevant to terrestrial, aquatic, and general ecology. The list of priorities is helpful when grant proposals are being prepared, evaluated, and selected for funding.
KEY WORDS: priorities, fundamentals, ecology, environmental sciences, biospheric sciences, life and biomedical sciences, geosciences, ecosystems, biosphere, organisms, levels of life systems, man-made impacts, anthropogenic effects, terrestrial and aquatic, research topics

MEDIUM-TERM AND LONG-TERM PRIORITIES IN ECOLOGICAL STUDIES 

short title:  PRIORITIES IN ECOLOGICAL STUDIES 

S. A. Ostroumov1, S. Dodson2, D. Hamilton3, S. Peterson4, R. G. Wetzel5

1 Department of Hydrobiology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119991; [current address: Laboratory of Physico-Chemistry of Biomembranes, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation];
2 Zoology-Birge Hall, University of Wisconsin, 430 Lincoln Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
3 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, New Zealand;
4 US EPA, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Western Ecology Division, 200 SW 35th Street, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA;
5  Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599.

1.Introduction
2. The list of priorities in ecological research
3.Conclusion

Abstract: Research priorities in ecology and environmental sciences for the future are formulated. The priorities for both fundamental and applied ecology are proposed. The list of priorities  includes about 50 items. The priorities are relevant to terrestrial, aquatic, and general ecology. The list of priorities is helpful when grant proposals are being prepared, evaluated, and  selected for funding.

Keywords: ecology, environmental sciences, priorities, fundamental problems, topics for grants, scientific policy

1.INTRODUCTION
 
We have only "one biosphere to disturb, to manage, to cherish, to understand, to love" (Margalef [1997]).
As we enter the 21st century, we seek to formulate research priorities to complement current efforts for better understanding and unraveling the complexity of ecological processes that occur in the biosphere. “Where shall ecology go, ... and which will be the battlefields of ecology?” (Lindström et al., [1999]).  
Many authors contributed to analysis of the fundamental problems and priorities of modern ecology (e.g.,  Bezel et al., [1994]; Rigler and Peters [1995];  Reynolds [1997]; Mooney [1998]; Alimov [2000]).
The goal of this paper is to continue formulating the priorities in ecological studies in order to optimize the effort of researchers in this fundamentally important area of science.

2. THE LIST OF PRIORITIES IN ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH

The list of priorities given below is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to highlight those research areas we consider to be the most important toward solving critical ecological problems over the next decade and beyond. The list of research items is not in order of importance.   Variants of some priorities are given as the variations in wording may become important in future. The list of the priorities follows:

1.	Interactions among ecosystems;
2.	Variability and boundaries of ecosystems;
3.	Stability of ecosystems; 
4.	How changes at the level of population translate themselves into changes at the level of the ecosystem;
5.	How changes at the level of ecosystems and biomes translate themselves into changes at the level of the biosphere;
6.	Microevolution and macroevolution of ecosystems; 
7.	Prognoses of ecosystem behavior and change;
8.	Links between ecology, genetics, and evolution;
9.	Information flows within and among ecosystems including chemical and other means of transmitting information; (another variant: Information pathways within and between ecosystems including chemical and physical transmissions);
10.	 Biochemical ecology; molecular ecology;
11.	 Ecological fundamentals of bio/phytoremediation;
12.	 Ecological fundamentals of maintaining multi-species artificial ecosystems;
13.	 Links between physiology/behavior of organisms and biogeochemistry;
14.	 Biological/ecological processes that influence or control the stability and sustainability of the biosphere;
15.	 Further characterization of the chemical and physico-chemical parameters of ecosystems;
16.	 Further characterization of very slow and very fast matter/energy fluxes in ecosystems;
17.	 Principles and methods for distinguishing between trends and noise in quantitative characteristics describing ecosystems along the axis of time;
18.	 Determination of the effects of population changes at an ecosystem level;
19.	 Determination of the effects of ecosystem changes at the biosphere level;
20.	 Criteria for evaluating and ranking ecological hazards; 
21.	 Biomanipulation limitations and management of ecosystems;
22.	 Fundamentals of preserving the stability of the biosphere: scientific basis, economics, ecological ethics; (another variant: Scientific foundations, economics, and ethics for preserving biospheric stability );
23.	 Functional boundaries of ecosystems ;
24.	 Controls and maintenance of stability of ecosystems;
25.	 Ontogeny and evolution of ecosystems;
26.	 Functional indicators of ecosystem behavior and change;
27.	Chemical and physical (energetic) fluxes within and between ecosystems;
28.	 Control mechanisms regulating flux rates (biogeochemistry);
29.	 Role and importance of biodiversity in muting flux variations;
30.	 Effects of major ecosystem alterations on biogeochemical resiliency of the biosphere;
31.	 Quantitative criteria for evaluating ecological degradation and restoration;
32.	 Indicators of ecological condition;
33.	 Methods for determining the relative effects in multi-stressor environments;
34.	 Methods for prioritization of resource types requiring intervention;
35.	 Identity and characterization of ecosystems;
36.	 Ecosystem stability and resilience;
37.	 Extrapolation from population level to ecosystem level effects; 
38.	 Extrapolation from ecosystem to biosphere level effects;
39.	 Prediction of ecosystem behavior and changes;
40.	 Remediation of ecosystems (including bioremediation, phytoremediation);
41.	 Cultivation of multi-species artificial ecosystems;
42.	 Methods for determining quantitative trends in ecosystem condition over time with known confidence;
43.	 Field data and field experiments to clarify the degree to which there are wide-spread effects of anthropogenic chemicals on species diversity;
44.	 Composition of communities, and on ecosystem function;
45.	 Bridges between the laboratory toxicology results and effects on community and ecosystem aspects of the aquatic habitat;
46.	 Getting more data on use and distribution of anthropogenic chemicals;
47.	 Studying subtle effects of anthropogenic chemicals on aquatic ecology using long-term, large scale field experiments;
48.	 Interactions across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, particularly at the land-water margin;
49.	Resilience of ecosystems to natural and anthropogenic related stresses;
50.	 Separating natural ecosystem variability from anthropogenic related changes.

3.CONCLUSION

In the previous part of the paper, a list of priorities in ecological studies was formulated that included 50 items. Some of those priorities are close to each other and represent different wording of almost the same research topic. However, we decided to give various forms of similar priorities as sometimes even slight variations in wording are of importance.

We realize that there are many opinions on setting priorities in ecological and environmental studies (see also Yablokov and Ostroumov, [1991]; Likens [1992]; Rand  [1995]; Ehrlich [1997]; Rozenberg et al., [1999]; Zakharov, [1999]; Ostroumov, [1986]; [ 2000]; Dobrovolsky  and Nikitin,  [2000] ; Vernadsky, [2001];Wetzel, [2000]; [ 2001]) and what is given here inevitably reflects the experience and expertise of the individuals who co-authored the text above. We hope the list will help initiate further ideas and discussion. Also, we hope the list will help in preparing, evaluating and selecting new research proposals.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. We thank colleagues who read earlier drafts of the list for comment, encouragement and contributing their ideas. We give our thanks to Dr. K. J. Wilkinson, and Dr. N. van Straalen for comments and criticism. 

REFERENCES
Alimov A.F. [2000]. Elements Of Aquatic Ecosystem Function Theory. Nauka Press, St.Petersburg: 178 p.
Bezel, V.S.,  V.N. Bolshakov and  E.L.Vorobeichik [1994].  Population Ecotoxicology. Nauka, Moscow. 81 p.
Dobrovolsky, G.V. and Nikitin, E.D., [2000] . Sokhranenie pochv kak nezamenimogo komponenta biosfery (Conservation of Soils As an Indispensable Component of the Biosphere). Nauka, Moscow. 185 p. 
Ehrlich P. [1997]. A world of wounds: ecologists and the human dilemma. Ecology Institute, Nordbünte. 210 p.
Likens G. [1992]. The ecosystem approach: its use and abuse. Ecology Institute, Nordbünte. 166 p.
Lindström J., P. Lundberg , E. Ranta , and V. Kaitala  [1999]. Oikos, 50 years of ecology. Oikos. 87: 462-475.
Margalef R. [1997]. Our Biosphere. Ecology Institute, Nordbünte. 176 p.
Mooney H.A. [ 1998]. The globalization of ecological thought. Ecology Institute, Oldendorf/Luhe: 156 p.
Ostroumov S. A. [1986]. Introduction to Biochemical Ecology. Moscow Univ. Press, Moscow. -176 p.
Ostroumov S. A. [2000]. Biological Effects of Surfactants in Connection with the Anthropogenic Impact on the Biosphere. MAX Press, Moscow. – 116 p.
Ostroumov S.A. [ 2002]. Polyfunctional role of biodiversity in processes leading to water purification: current conceptualizations and  concluding remarks. Hydrobiologia.  469: 203-204.
Rand, G.M. (Editor) [1995]. Fundamentals of Aquatic Toxicology. Taylor  and Francis, London. 1125 p.
Reynolds C.S. [1997]. Vegetation processes in the pelagic: a model for ecosystem theory.  Ecology Institute, Oldendorf/Luhe: 374 p.
Rigler F.H., and R.H.Peters. [1995]. Science and Limnology.  Ecology Institute, Oldendorf/Luhe:  240 p.
Rozenberg G.S.,  D.P. Mozgovoi, and  D.B.  Gelashvili [ 1999]. Ecology: Elements of Theoretical Constructs of Modern Ecology. Samara Center of Academy of Sciences, Samara. 397 p.
Vernadsky, V.I. [2001]. Biosphere (Biosfera). Publishing House Noosphere, Moscow. 244 p.
Wetzel R. G. [2000]. Freshwater ecology: changes, requirements, and future demands. Limnology 1:3-9.
Wetzel, R. G.  [2001].  Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems.  Academic Press, San Diego.  1006 pp..
Yablokov A. V., and S.A.Ostroumov  [1991]. Conservation of Living Nature and Resources: Problems, Trend, and Prospects. Springer,  Berlin, Heidelberg, New York.  272 p.
Zakharov V. (Ed.). [1999].  Priorities for Russia’s Environmental Policy. Center for Russian Environmental Policy. Moscow. -96 p.

- - - - - - - -
ADDENDUM (added in 2010). Some publications that supported the paper above.
1.	Ostroumov S. A. Biological Effects of Surfactants. CRC Press. Taylor & Francis. Boca Raton, London, New York. 2006. 279 p. ISBN 0-8493-2526-9 [new facts and concepts on assessment of hazards from chemicals, new look on the factors important to water quality, to sustainability; new priorities in environmental safety];
2.	Ostroumov S. A. On the biotic self-purification of aquatic ecosystems: elements of the theory. - Doklady Biological Sciences, 2004, Vol. 396, Numbers 1-6, p. 206-211. https://www.researchgate.net/file.FileLoader.html?key=60f338228d6f3c5114d223ab81e15d3b;  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sergei_Ostroumov/blog/348_Useful_theory_of_natural_mechanisms_of_improving_water_quality
3.	Ostroumov S. A. Suspension-feeders as factors influencing water quality in aquatic ecosystems. -  In: The Comparative Roles of Suspension-Feeders in Ecosystems, R.F. Dame, S. Olenin (Eds),  Springer, Dordrecht,  2004.  p. 147-164. 
4.	Ostroumov S. A. Some aspects of water filtering activity of filter-feeders // Hydrobiologia, 2005.  Vol. 542, No. 1. P. 275 – 286. http://scipeople.com/uploads/materials/4389/5Hydr542p275water.filt.doc
5.	Ostroumov S. A. On some issues of maintaining water quality and self-purification. - Water Resources. 2005,Volume 32, Number 3,  p. 305-313.
6.	Ostroumov S. A. On the multifunctional role of the biota in the self-purification of aquatic ecosystems // Russian Journal of Ecology, Vol. 36, No. 6, 2005, p. 414–420. 
7.	Ostroumov S. A. Biomachinery for maintaining water quality and natural water self-purification in  marine and estuarine systems: elements of a qualitative theory //  International Journal of Oceans and Oceanography.  2006.  Volume 1, No.1. p.111-118. [ISSN 0973-2667]. Publisher: Research India Publications, Dehli].  Basic elements are formulated for a qualitative theory of the polyfunctional role of the biota in maintaining self-purification and water quality in aquatic ecosystems. The elements of the theory covers the following: (1) sources of energy for the mechanisms of selfpurification; (2) the main functional blocks of the system of self-purification; (3) the list of the main processes that are involved; (4) analysis of the degree of participation of the main large taxons; (5) degree of reliability and the main mechanisms providing the reliability; (6) regulation of the processes; (7) the response of the system towards the external influences (man-made impacts); (8) the analogy between ecosystems and a bioreactor; and (9) conclusions relevant to the practice of biodiversity conservation. In support of the theory, results are given of the author's experiments which demonstrated the ability of some pollutants (surfactants, detergents, and some others) to inhibit the water filtration activity of marine filter-feeders (namely, the bivalve mollusks Mytilus galloprovincialis, Mytilus edulis, and Crassostrea gigas).
8.	Ostroumov S. A.,  Widdows J.  Inhibition of mussel suspension feeding by surfactants of  three classes. // Hydrobiologia. 2006. Vol. 556, No. 1. Pages: 381 – 386. 3 Tables. Bibliogr. 37 refs. [For the first time the negative effects of the three surfactants on the filtration rates by marine mussels were presented in one paper. The xenobiotics tested represented anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants (tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, TDTMA, a representative of a class of cationic surfactants; sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS, a representative of anionic alkyl sulfates; and Triton X-100, a representative of non-ionic hydroxyethylated alkyl phenols). Negative effects of SDS, TDTMA, and Triton X-100 on the filtration activity of marine mussels M. edulis and M. edulis / M. galloprovincialis were discovered. All three surfactants inhibited the clearance rates. This is the first publication of the negative effects of a cationic surfactant on Atlantic mussels Mytilus. The significance of the results for the ecology of marine ecosystems is discussed]. DOI 10.1007/s10750-005-1200-7; http://sites.google.com/site/ostroumovsergei/publications-1/hydrobiologia2006ostwidd; http://sites.google.com/site/3surfactantsfiltrationmytilus/; http://scipeople.ru/uploads/materials/4389/_Hydrobiologia2006%20vol%20556%20No.1%20pages381-386.pdf; http://www.springerlink.com/content/7166067538534421/ 
9.	Ostroumov S. A. Biotic self-purification of aquatic ecosystems: from the theory to ecotechnologies. - Ecologica, 2007. vol. 15 (50), p.15-23. (ISSN 0354-3285). Some basic elements of a new theory for the biological mechanism for water self-purification are presented. Hydrobionts (aquatic organisms) are actively involved in various processes leading to water purification. Not only microorganisms (bacteria, cyanobacteria and fungi), but also algae, plants, invertebrates, and many other groups of organisms are involved, which is discussed and analyzed in the paper. Results of the author's experiments that study the effects of various pollutants on aquatic organisms (freshwater and marine bivalves) are given. The theory is an innovative basis for developing ecological technologies to clean water and to upgrade its quality by using organisms and ecosystems [http://scindeks.nb.rs/article.aspx?artid=0354-32850750015O].
10.	Ostroumov S. A. Basics of the molecular-ecological mechanism of water quality formation and water self-purification.- Contemporary Problems of Ecology, 2008, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 147-152. [MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica; distributed by Springer Science+Business Media LLC; ISSN 1995-4255 (Print) 1995-4263 (Online);  DOI 10.1134/S1995425508010177;   
11.	Cadmium sulphate: effects on mussels // Toxicol. Vestnik  (in Russ., Toxicologicheskiy Vestnik = Toxicological Review, Moscow, ISSN 0869-7922). 2004. No.6. P. 36-37.
12.	Vorozhun I. M., S. A. Ostroumov. On studying the hazards of pollution of the biosphere: effects of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) on planktonic filter-feeders. - Doklady Biological Sciences, 2009, Vol. 425, p. 133–134.  
13.	Solomonova E.A., S.A. Ostroumov. Tolerance of an aquatic macrophyte Potamogeton crispus L. to sodium dodecyl sulphate. - Moscow University Biological Sciences Bulletin. 2007. Volume 62, Number 4. p. 176-179. 
14.	Lazareva E. V., Ostroumov  S. A. Accelerated decrease in surfactant concentration in the water of a microcosm in the presence of plants: innovations for phytotechnology. - Doklady Biological Sciences, 2009, Vol. 425, pp. 180–182.  
15.	Ostroumov S.A., Shestakova T.V. Decreasing the measurable concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in the water of the experimental systems containing Ceratophyllum demersum: The phytoremediation potential // Doklady Biological Sciences 2009, Vol. 428, No. 1, p. 444-447. http://sites.google.com/site/9dbs444/; https://www.researchgate.net/file.FileLoader.html?key=8fd8998627b86102db72c9b237c25054;
16.	Biotic Mechanism of Self-purification of Freshwater and Marine Water. (Ecological Studies, Hazards, Solutions, vol. 9) Мoscow: МAX Press. 2004. IV. 96 p., tab. Bibliogr. 59-85. Abstract in English. Section in English: p.53-58; ISBN 5-317-01120-5. [Diploma of the Academy of Aquatic Sciences, awarded in 2006; another Diploma to the book was awarded at the 7th International Conference ‘Aquatic Ecosystems, Organisms, Innovations’ (2005)].  
17.	Pollution, Self-purification and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems. Мoscow: МAX Press.  2005.  100 p., tab.  ISBN 5-317-01213-9. (Diploma of the Academy of Aquatic Sciences, awarded in 2006).
18.	Ostroumov S. A. Basics of the molecular-ecological mechanism of water quality formation and water self-purification. - Contemporary Problems of Ecology, 2008 (Feb), Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 147-152. [ISSN 1995-4255(Print) 1995-4263 (Online);  DOI 10.1134/S1995425508010177; https://www.researchgate.net/file.FileLoader.html?key=e533be77c87735c6dcc5cfdb9db96cec;  http://scipeople.com/uploads/materials/4389/CPEC2008BasicsMolEcol.Mech.WaterQuali(0147.pdf;
19.	Aquatic organisms in water self-purification and biogenic migration of elements. Moscow. MAX Press. 2008. 200 p.  ISBN 978-5-317-02625-7.
20.	Ostroumov S.A. Towards  the general theory of ecosystem-depended control of water quality. - Ecologica, 2009, vol. 16, No. 54, p. 25-32. (Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119991 Russia). Abstract:  A new set of ecological generalizations formulated in this paper represent, in a systematized form, the basic elements of the qualitative theory of biotic control of water quality and water self-puriﬁcation in freshwater and marine ecosystems.  The theory contributes to a better understanding of the issues of stability and regulation in the biosphere. The theory is supported by the results of the author’s experimental studies of the effects exerted by surfactants, detergents and other pollutants on  aquatic organisms.http://sites.google.com/site/9enecologica16p25theory/

Some of the publications above and the results in them won some awards and Diplomas, including:
Diploma at the 1st International Forum on Conservancy of Nature (Moscow, 7-9th September 2005), signed by Co-Chairs of the Forum, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources of Russian Federation and Vice-President of the Trade Chamber of Russian Federation).  
Diploma of the journal 'Ecology and Life' (awarded 15 October 2005).
Diploma of the competition 'Sustainable use of natural resources and environmental protection – stratery of sustainable development of Russia in the 21st century' at the international conference 'Sustainable Development: Nature-Society-Man' (organized in 2006, Moscow,  by the Ministry of Natural Resources) for the paper by Ostroumov S.A. and Solomonova E.A. "On studies of water self-purification and interactions between pollutants (surfactants) and biota: searching approaches to issues relevant to sustainable use of water resources " (Directive of the Ministry of Natural Resources No.126 of 02 June 2006; the Diploma was signed by the Minister).
Diploma to the book 'Biotic Mechanism of Self-purification of Freshwater and Marine Water' by Dr. S. A. Ostroumov, awarded at the 7th International Conference ‘Aquatic Ecosystems, Organisms, Innovations’ (2005). Diploma of the Academy of Aquatic Sciences for the series of innovative publications on aquatic ecology, interactions between chemicals and organisms, and water self-purification, including the books 'Biological Effects of Surfactants in Connection with the Anthropogenic Impact on the Biosphere'; 'Biological Effects of Surfactants on Organisms'; 'Biotic Mechanism of Self-Purification of Freshwater and Marine Water'; 'Pollution, Self-Purification and Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems'; 'Biological Effects of Surfactants', (awarded in 2006).
Diploma of the Academy of Aquatic Sciences 'for his innovative contribution to improvement of environmental and ecological education', including the book 'Ecology and Hydrobiology. Curricula of  Lecture Courses' (awarded in 2006).
Diploma of the Moscow Society of the Researchers of Nature (awarded in 2007).

Positive evaluations of some of the results in the publications above see in:
Petrosyan V.S. Review of the book: Biological Effects of Surfactants. CRC Press. Taylor & Francis. - Ecological Studies, Hazards, Solutions, 2007. vol. 12, p. 117-119 (in English).
Review of the book: Ostroumov S.A. Biological Effects of Surfactants. CRC Press. Taylor & Francis. Boca Raton, London, New York. 2006. 279 p. – Bulletin Samarskaya Luka. - 2007. - V. 16, № 4(22). - P. 864-867.  Bibliogr. 10 refs. http://www.ssc.smr.ru/media/journals/samluka/2007/16_4_22.pdf
Review of the book: Biological Effects of Surfactants. CRC Press. Taylor & Francis. Boca Raton, London, New York. 2006. 279 p. //  Problems of Biogeochemistry and Geochemical Ecology. 2007.  № 2 (4). p.108.
Review of the book: S.A.Ostroumov. Biological Effects of Surfactants (2006). - Ecologica, 2008. v.15, No. 51, p. 71-72. (YU ISSN 0354-3285; Belgrade; in English). 
Ermakov V.V. Review of the book: : Ostroumov S.A. Biological Effects of Surfactants. CRC Press. Taylor & Francis. Boca Raton, London, New York. 2006. 279 p. – Toxicological Review [Toksikologicheskij Vestnik], 2009, No. 2, p. 40