Abstract
The paper intends to give some answers to the following three questions, related to the need of integrated information systems in ecological research: (i) what are the objectives and objects in ecology, (ii) what are the basic sources of electronically supported information in ecology, (iii) what are then the requirements and how could they be achieved? The first question will be answered in subdeviding the “world” in levels of biological organisation of matter and environmental media, for which further classifications and clear definitions are urgently needed. Related to these deficits data and knowledge are still lacking. Besides that, more could be done out of the already existing information if integration and scaling approaches would be enhanced.The sources for information are basically (relational) database management systems (DBMS), geographical information systems (GIS) and (dynamic) feedback models. In addition, user friendly and cheap data exchanges and accesses to the information systems are needed and to be widely available. Lacking up to now are flexible interfaces to connect the often decentral and specifically designed databases and information systems, and also sufficient meta-informations. In giving some answers to the third question an environmental research information system (UFIS) will be described briefly. It is an operational information system for environmental models, and will be enlarged to data-descriptions in the near future.Although there are still unsolved technical as well as logical problems, the main need of integrated information systems is the ecological information itself.Keywordsecological systemsintegrationinformation systemecological models
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