What: About 800 scientists, policy-makers and business people will gather next week in Sacramento to discuss the environmentally troubled Earth and its myriad ecosystems during the International Congress on Ecosystem Health. Participants will focus on both regional and global problems. California issues will be highlighted during sessions on the California-Federal Bay-Delta Program, Lake Tahoe, Clear Lake, the Colorado River Delta, the fuel additive MTBE, coastal and marine ecosystems, sustainable agriculture and livestock grazing, to mention just a few. The congress is sponsored by the International Society of Ecosystem Health and hosted by the University of California, Davis. When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 16-18 (presentations) Thursday and Friday, Aug. 19 and 20 (field tours) Where: Sacramento Convention Center (presentations) Local field tours will visit sites listed below. Background: "We're anticipating that the congress will produce a broad range of modern thinking related to ecosystem health and innovative management techniques that can be implemented to restore damaged ecosystems," said Cal Qualset, director of the UC Genetic Resources Conservation Program, which is coordinating the congress. The concept of ecosystem health was developed during the last decade as a new approach to environmental issues. Instead of looking at the fitness of one individual or species, ecosystem health considers the condition of all the plants and animals in a given habitat. Visuals (local field tours planned for Aug. 19): 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. -- The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area. This 3,700-acre area was declared to be a Globally Important Bird Area in November 1998. Federal, state and local partnerships, established with the local environmental and agricultural communities, led to the preservation and restoration of wetlands in the bypass. From Sacramento, take Interstate 80 toward Davis. As soon as you cross the Yolo Causeway, exit onto the frontage road and turn right onto County Road 32A. Cross under I-80 and drive up onto the levee where you'll meet the tour group. You can reach the wildlife area headquarters at 4521 County Road 32B by proceeding east along Road 32B, which parallels I-80. 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. -- The City of Davis wastewater treatment plant and wetlands restoration site. This 400-acre site, which was previously farmland, is now being returned to a native California wetlands ecosystem. From Sacramento, take Interstate 80 toward Davis and exit at Mace Boulevard. Turn right onto Mace and continue to the stop light at Pole Line Road. Turn right onto Pole Line (which becomes County Road 102) and drive north to County Road 28H. Turn right onto Road 28H and drive east for about 2 miles until you come to the wastewater treatment plant on your left. 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. -- UC Davis' Long Term Research in Agricultural System, now in its sixth cropping season, is a 100-year experiment on agricultural sustainability that compares conventional and alternative farming systems. Take Interstate 80 to Highway 113 and head north toward Woodland. Exit at Russell Boulevard and turn left (west) onto Russell, which becomes County Road 32. Continue 5.5 miles to the LTRAS site and turn left onto Kinsella Lane.