An Oregon State University professor told the International Botanical Congress that scientific data show alarming degration of the Earth's ecosystems, and a coordinated campaign of research is needed to develop policies that reverse the trends.

"What is at risk here is the quality of life," Dr. Jane Lubchenco said in an interview with the Associated Press.

"It's much worse than most people generally appreciate."

The professor of marine biology and zoology at the university in Corvallis said water is one area where the threat is easily understood.

"Humanity is currently utilizing more than half of the available surface freshwater on the planet" she said. "If we continue, by 2025, three billion people would face water shortages," one quarter of the projected human population.

Lubchenco said in the United States, many people see the environment as a source of products, such as timber or fish. Most people are unaware of the servicesintact ecosystems perform, such as developing fertile soil, purifying water, and flood control.

"All these different ecosystems of the planet are working for us" she said. "We are changing these systems faster than we understand the changes."

During her presentation in St Louis, MO.,Lubchenco talked about the research that has been done to date on the environment. She said the human "footprint" on the Earth is huge: Nearly half of the Earth's land surface has been changed by humans. Fifty dead zones have developed in costal waters that have little or no oxygen. The rates at which species become extinct have been increased expnentially. And human activities that increased carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gasses made 1998 the hottest year on record.

Lubchenco chaired a task force that recommended the National Science Foundation add $1 billion in grants for coordinated research on the environment over the next five years.

"A major new investment is needed," she said.

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Bob Aegerter, Revised - November 17, 1999