Scientific Information
The understanding of ecosystems requires a careful survey not only of abiotic factors of the environment, but also biotic factors contributing to the performance and development of organisms in a certain environment. In biodiversity and ecological research, many data have been acquired from field observations and experiments to describe phenomena and characteristics of defined ecosystems including their inhabitants. The next, essential step for a better understanding of terrestrial biodiversity, genetic resources, ecosystem structures and dynamics will be the integration of functional genomics and informatics to allow a more complete understanding of performance under specific environmental conditions.