The State of the Nation's Ecosystems Report is intended as the first of a series of comprehensive and periodic reports on the extent, condition, and use of the lands , waters and living resources of the United States. The "ecosystem indicators" that form the heart of this State of the Nation's Ecosystems Report have been selected through a nonpartisan collaboration among government, environmental organizations, the private sector, and the academic community. The indicators thus represent a unique consensus on how the nation's ecosystems can be described--and their status tracked over time--in a fair and balanced way. They characterize what is most important to know about the nation's ecosystems, rather than merely reflecting what happens to have been measured. Finally, the data presented for each indicator are based on solid science--on verified measurements, not opinion--that have been reviewed by experts from all sectors of society.

The first edition of the State of the Nation's Ecosystems Report is issued simultaneously in a print version, published by the Cambridge University Press, and in a Web version available at http://www.heinzctr.org/ecosystems