Enhancing terrestrial ecosystem sciences by integrating empirical modeling approaches

Strategies to Promote Integrated Experiment-Model Approaches to Terrestrial Ecosystem Study; Bethesda, Maryland, 19-21 March 2012 Field and laboratory experiments and observations, along with models, are foundational approaches to scientific inquiry. Integration of these approaches, however, can be an exceedingly difficult challenge because empiricists and modelers often work in communities separated by cultural differences and communication barriers, reflecting a largely independent evolution of these disciplines. To address this challenge, more than 40 participants gathered for a 3-day workshop to discuss how models can best inform empirical experiments, how data can most effectively inform models, and what strategies can be employed to integrate these two approaches. The workshop was convened with the understanding that such a priori exchange between the empirical and modeling communities can maximize intellectual investments and result in high-quality predictive models and more scientific discovery.