NCED 2008 Annual Report

Abstract

There are three levels from which to view the changes in Earth-surface dynamics since NCED began operation in 2002. In order of decreasing scale, these are community level, center level, and project level. NCED’s purpose, leading off our Strategic and Implementation Plan (SIP), is to catalyze development of an integrated, predictive science of the processes shaping the surface of the Earth. The last six years have seen explosive growth in transdisciplinary, community-level organizations and initiatives in Earth-surface science; we know of no comparable period in history. We do not claim that this is entirely because of NCED, but NCED has certainly been right in the thick of the change. In addition to our direct involvement in the major initiatives listed below, the presence of a high-profile, energetic, and long-lived organization like NCED has greatly increased the momentum: by providing an organizing center, a launching pad, and examples of what could be accomplished through sustained, collaborative, transdisciplinary research.