Scaling Ecological Insights

Abstract:

Human society faces its most existential challenge yet with a requirement to stem an accelerating global loss of biodiversity. Achieving this outcome requires a strong theoretical understanding of ecological systems and human impacts on (and benefits from) them. Deriving this information from the natural world, and putting it to work to assess the health of an ecosystem and its changes remains a difficult task. Yet scaling ecological insight is possible by harnessing rapid advances in data collection through applications such as remote monitoring, storage, the availability of massive computing infrastructure, deep algorithmic advances, and global access to local information and predictions. Putting this technology to work in the service of global sustainability objectives presents one of the most fascinating and significant opportunities for the field of ecology over the coming decade.