1. Ecological Informatics: An Introduction

Ecological Informatics is an emerging discipline that takes into account the data-intensive nature of ecology, the valuable information content of ecological data, and the need to communicate results and inform decisions, including those related to research, conservation and resource management (Recknagel 2017). At its core, ecological informatics combines developments in information technology and ecological theory with applications that facilitate ecological research and the dissemination of results to scientists and the public. Its conceptual framework links ecological entities (genomes, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, landscapes) with data management, analysis and synthesis, and communicating and informing decisions by following the course of a loop (Fig. 1.1).