EcoCommons Australia virtual laboratories with cloud computing: Meeting diverse user needs for ecological modeling and decision-making
Big ecological data and cloud computing have transformed biodiversity and climate research, and EcoCommons Australia advances this shift by integrating upgraded infrastructure, improved ensemble modeling, transparent workflows and reproducible analytics. Building on platforms like BCCVL and ecocloud, EcoCommons uses a user‑centered design process—from stakeholder surveys to collaborative testing—to streamline data access, model building and post‑analysis evaluation. Four case studies demonstrate how its modular tools support diverse environmental problem‑solving needs. The platform reduces barriers to ecological modeling, enabling researchers to efficiently explore biodiversity–climate interactions across terrestrial, freshwater and marine systems.
Subject Tags
- Biodiversity
- Climate impacts
- Conservation Technology
Abstract
Biodiversity decline and climate change are among the most important environmental issues society faces. Information to address these issues has benefited from increasing big data, advances in cloud computing and subsequent new tools for analytics. Accessing such tools is streamlined by virtual laboratories for ecological analysis, like the “Biodiversity and Climate Change Virtual Laboratory” (BCCVL) and “ecocloud.” These platforms help reduce time and effort spent on developing programming skills, data acquisition and curation, plus model building. Recently this functionality was extended, producing EcoCommons Australia—a web-based ecological modeling platform for environmental problem-solving—with upgraded infrastructure and improved ensemble modeling, post-model analysis, workflow transparency and reproducibility. We outline our user-centered approach to systems design, from initial surveys of stakeholder needs to user involvement in testing, and collaboration with specialists. We illustrate EcoCommons and compare model evaluation statistics through four case studies, highlighting how the modular platform meets users' needs.
Citation
Bayraktarov, E., Low-Choy, S., Singh, A. R., Beaumont, L. J., Williams, K. J., Baumgartner, J. B., ... & Mackey, B. (2025). EcoCommons Australia virtual laboratories with cloud computing: Meeting diverse user needs for ecological modeling and decision-making. Environmental Modelling & Software, 183, 106255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2024.106255
TNC Authors
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Elisa Bayraktarov
Data and Science Director, Australia
The Nature Conservancy
Email: e.bayraktarov@tnc.org