Ecology for a Crowded Planet.

Within the next 50 to 100 years, support and maintenance of an extended human family of 8 to 11 billion people will become difficult at best. The consumption rates already exceed the supply of many resources crucial to human health, and few places on Earth do not bear the stamp of human impacts. Thus, a research perspective that incorporates human activities as integral components of Earth's ecosystems is needed, as is a focus on a future in which Earth's life support systems are maintained while human needs are met. Ecological science has been important in improving human life, and research addressing the sustainability and resilience of socioecological systems has begun.