Defining and Unraveling Biocomplexity

TLDR

Biocomplexity has emerged as an interdisciplinary field addressing complex biological systems—from biodiversity and ecosystem function to functional genomics—and is supported by NSF funding. This article aims to define biocomplexity, examine its characteristics, and speculate on its future within the scientific and funding contexts that fostered its development.

Abstract

The 21st century is an exciting time for biological scientists and other researchers interested in complex systems. Relating biodiversity to ecological function and sustainability, understanding the dynamics of coupled human and natural systems, and unraveling functional genomics at scales ranging from organisms to community assemblages— to provide just a few examples— are challenging research opportunities that portend exciting and significant breakthroughs for science and society. Biological scientists and their colleagues from physical, social, mathematical, and other disciplines are poised to explore many of these complex issues. In response to the need to address questions of increasing breadth and complexity, the study of “ biocomplexity” has emerged and continues to develop as both a research focus and a research program, funded through the National Science Foundation. Because biocomplexity has so rapidly developed, it seems appropriate to define biocomplexity, examine some of the characteristics of biocomplexity, and speculate on the future of biocomplexity studies. The objective of this article is to address these three issues in the context of both the scientific and funding environments that gave rise to biocomplexity.