Center for Ecosystem Forecasting

Our Mission
We are an interdisciplinary team that develops and applies forecasts of ecosystem dynamics.
We are an action-oriented research center: we collect and analyze environmental data; build and share ecological models and software; create and assess a diversity of forecasting methods; translate and communicate forecasts for decision support; and partner and engage with forecast users. We strive to advance the discipline of ecosystem forecasting globally by leading cutting-edge forecasting research, education, and community engagement.


- Ecology + Models + Uncertainty
- Ecology + Models + Uncertainty
- Ecology + Models + Uncertainty
News & Updates
Follow Along
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Article ItemInaugural winners of new research awards named , article
Established by the Office of Research and Innovation and Office of Faculty Affairs and funded by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the new awards were created to complement the Jacob A Lutz Award for Eminent Scholars.
Date: May 05, 2025 - -
Article ItemScientists suggest amping up efforts to mitigate effects of climate change , article
In an article published in Nature Climate Change, three Virginia Tech Center for Ecosystem Forecasting researchers were among 23 global experts to call for scaling up current near-term iterative ecological forecasting.
Date: Nov 11, 2024 - -
Article ItemEducation modules build student and instructor skills , article
Frustrated with a gap of available data science training opportunities for environmental science undergraduate students and instructors, in 2017 Virginia Tech researchers built a new educational program and extended it to other universities.
Date: Oct 25, 2024 -
Why This Work Matters
We can no longer use historical baselines to predict tomorrow’s environmental conditions.
The environment is changing dramatically, and quickly.
We develop tools to predict future environmental conditions, in the way the National Weather Service currently forecasts weather. The environmental variables we focus on provide critical services for society and bolster our understanding of natural resource management.