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iEcology: harnessing large online resources to generate ecological insights
Citation
Jaric, I and Correia, RA and Brook, BW and Buettel, JC and Courchamp, F and Di Minin, E and Firth, JA and Gaston, KJ and Jepson, P and Kalinkat, G and Ladle, R and Soriano-Redondo, A and Souza, AT and Roll, U, iEcology: harnessing large online resources to generate ecological insights, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 35, (7) pp. 630-639. ISSN 0169-5347 (2020) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.tree.2020.03.003
Abstract
Digital data are accumulating at unprecedented rates. These contain a lot of information about the natural world, some of which can be used to answer key ecological questions. Here, we introduce iEcology (i.e., internet ecology), an emerging research approach that uses diverse online data sources and methods to generate insights about species distribution over space and time, interactions and dynamics of organisms and their environment, and anthropogenic impacts. We review iEcology data sources and methods, and provide examples of potential research applications. We also outline approaches to reduce potential biases and improve reliability and applicability. As technologies and expertise improve, and costs diminish, iEcology will become an increasingly important means to gain novel insights into the natural world.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | ecological knowledge, informatics, big data, monitoring |
| Research Division: | Environmental Sciences |
| Research Group: | Environmental management |
| Research Field: | Conservation and biodiversity |
| Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
| Objective Group: | Terrestrial systems and management |
| Objective Field: | Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems |
| UTAS Author: | Brook, BW (Professor Barry Brook) |
| UTAS Author: | Buettel, JC (Dr Jessie Buettel) |
| ID Code: | 144156 |
| Year Published: | 2020 |
| Funding Support: | Australian Research Council (FL160100101) |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 57 |
| Deposited By: | Plant Science |
| Deposited On: | 2021-04-26 |
| Last Modified: | 2021-05-05 |
| Downloads: | 17 View Download Statistics |
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