Technical Abstract: Semi-arid regions cover one-fifth of the world's land surface and are important components of the global land-surface-atmosphere system. The complexity of this system requires an integrated approach to observing land-surface-atmosphere interactions. This integrated approach is demonstrated in the many poster presentations given as part of this symposium. The majority of studies focused on components of the energy or water balance (surface fluxes, evapotranspiration, transpiration) as they relate to global change processes in the USA or Mexico. Most researchers took a predominantly hydrometeorological approach to the research while others took a predominantly ecophysiological approach; the two approaches being integrated by common research objectives and coordinated measurement periods. Hydrometeorological variables, primarily in grassland, shrub steppe, and riparian areas, were evaluated by direct measurement, remote sensing, modeling, or a combination of techniques. Most of the studies presented were done as part of the integrated Semi-Arid Land-Surface-Atmosp studies included CASES-97 and JORNEX. Several presentations summarized two decades of research conducted as part of the AZET evapotranspiration inventory in Arizona, while one examined drought in Argentina and another modeled precipitation patterns over the continental USA.