Ecological forecasting relies on natural history observations

Ecological forecasting is an exciting new field that represents a win-win for society and science. Imagine if ecologists could produce societally relevant forecasts of the natural world -- allergens, invasive species, migratory birds -- that could simultaneously help us improve our scientific understanding of pattern and process in that natural world? To realize this vision, natural history observations will be required, across the nation and often in real time, to develop models at the heart of ecological forecasts, and to validate and improve those models in a rapidly changing world.