AERC is administered by a Board of Directors composed of the President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Directors-at-Large. Elections for these positions, based on a nominated slate of candidates, are held at the annual business meeting. The Directors-at-Large serve 3-year staggered terms whereas other Presidential terms, formerly one year, are now two years. The Secretary and Treasurer are frequently re-nominated and elected for multiple years.

The main, re-occurring activities of the AERC are its annual symposia congressional briefings, and business meetings, which typically occur in the fall in Washington D.C., hosted by the Smithsonian Institution. For the past several years the symposia have been held at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, hosted by the Smithsonian Institution. Symposia themes cover a wide range of topics reflecting ecosystem interests among academia, federal agencies, and policy-makers.

AERC is a member organization of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). AERC works closely with the AIBS Public Policy Office and AERC representatives participate in AIBS-hosted functions such as workshops and roundtables.

Documents concerning AERC's history and purpose, research objectives, By-Laws, and Constitution may be accessed by clicking on the respective link shown above.