SYMP 23-6
Solving informatics challenges to advance plant ecology: A vision for the next 100 years

Friday, August 14, 2015: 10:40 AM
308, Baltimore Convention Center
Brian J. McGill, School of Biology and Ecology / Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions/Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, University of Maine, Orono, ME
Background/Question/Methods

Ecology now has a decade or two of experience with big data and ecoinformatics. Ecoinformatics presents many opportunities, many of which are presented in the prior talks. Ecoinformatics also presents many serious challenges, some of which have also been highlighted in the previous talks. Keeping in mind the aforementioned opportunities and challenges, as well as assessing technology trends, I present a vision for where big data and ecoinformatics can and should go in the next several decades.

Results/Conclusions

I briefly summarize the technological context of Moore’s and Kryder’s laws and resulting trends in data volumes. I also summarize the changing social context. I then make specific suggestions for the coming decades of ecoinformatics including changes in education, changes in journal policies, and changes in funding approaches. I also identify core areas where we need new tools or new technological development including hardware, data scrubbing and analytical environments.