What is macrosystems ecology? Video
We conduct data-intensive research on lake ecosystems. We have steadily increased the size and complexity of the datasets that we use to develop the knowledge and theories around landscape limnology and macrosystems ecology. In conducting this research, we have developed two focus areas to address the challenges of conducting data-intensive research in ecology.
(A) Developing novel quantitative tools to analyze ecological research questions at broad scales. For this focus area, we collaborate with computer scientists and statisticians to develop needed computational approaches for analyzing large ecological datasets to answer fundamental questions at broad spatial and temporal extents.
(B) Studying the cultural issues surrounding the increased use of data-intensive methods in ecology and the challenges these methods pose to how science in ecology has been and will be conducted in the future. For this focus area, we collaborative with philosophers and historians of science and psychologists to analyze the challenges and offer solutions to address them.
The synergies resulting from the combined use of data-intensive, open, and team science to answer twenty-first century ecological questions. Data-intensive science is facilitated by synergies between team science and open science (depicted by the double-headed red arrows), such as the perspectives, methods, and expertise contributed by those who practice open and team science and contribute to collaborative data-intensive research. Furthermore, team science practices facilitate data-intensive science by providing practices that ensure effective and productive collaboration, often across disciplines, and by identifying key individuals, such as disciplinary brokers who are essential for spanning disciplines to meet research objectives. Likewise, open science greatly facilitates data-intensive science by providing the tools and approaches for effectively sharing data and code and fostering the effective transfer of knowledge, data, and tools among team members and eventually all researchers. From Cheruvelil, K.S. and P.A. Soranno. 2018. Data-intensive ecological research is catalyzed by open science and team science. BioScience. 68(10):813-822. doi: 10.1093/biosci/biy097
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