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Current funding for the Gi21 program ended on September 30, 2008 and the information found in the program modules is up-to-date as of December 31, 2008.  To facilitate use of the modules from now till the future continuation of the program, new documents can be posted from each module and sub-module main pages and the community discussions are open.  However the main module pages and documents will not be updated.  If you have any questions, please contact Kirsten Clark.

An ecosystem is defined as place having unique physical features, encompassing air, water, and land, and habitats supporting plant and animal life. EPA supports environmental planning that addresses all the factors, both natural and human, affecting an ecosystems of a given region. An example of protecting an ecosystem is the watershed approach in which all pollution sources and habitat conditions in a watershed are considered in developing strategies for restoring and maintaining a healthy ecosystem. EPA protects ecosystems that support plant, animal, and aquatic life through a combination of regulatory and voluntary programs designed to reduce the amount of pollutants entering their environment. (http://www.epa.gov/ebtpages/ecosystems.html)

Note: Training materials related to this submodule are incorporated into the Training Materials section on the main Environment page.