The USDA, steward of agriculture for the nation, has long been concerned about high levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which are known to have harmful effects on agricultural crops, rangelands, forest ecosystems, humans and livestock. The purpose of the UV-B Monitoring and Research Program is to support research which generates an uninterrupted stream of climatology data, determines mechanisms and symptoms of plant and animal response to ultraviolet radiation, and collaborates on developing the Climate-Agroecosystem- UV Interactions and Economic (CAIE) system, a comprehensive climate-crop model that assists with predicting effects of climate change on agriculture for the benefit of policymakers.