Systems Ecology is based on the complex systems theory that seeks to understand how global properties emerge from the interaction of system components ("the whole is more than the sum of the parts"). The challenge is to identify the emerging properties at the community-scale of  organisms and more broadly at the ecosystem layers, thus countering the classic reductionist approaches. More generally, a major challenge for innovation in System Ecology is to know how to explain diversity using ecological theories involving interaction mechanisms at the bio-molecular scale.

We propose to address these issues through the development of dedicated mathematical and computer modeling approaches, inspired by Systems Biology. Challenges include:

1. the complexity of modeling interactions at the molecular level between actors in the community
2. the need to move towards quantitative knowledge about diversity, while the nature of interactions in the community is qualitative
3. the incomplete understanding of how communities interact with their environment

In the continuity of the Biogenouest inter-regional project EcoSyst, which structures this new scientific theme, we propose a day of work to enhance the skills in Western France and expose recent advances to the interface of Ecology, the Environment, Modeling, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology. The applications concern the analysis of species and communities of interest in agronomy, sea and health.

This day will take place from 9:30 to 17:00 on Friday, June 1st, 2018, at the Cité des Congrès in Nantes.

Registration is free but mandatory before May 4th, 2018. A meal will be offered in the middle of the day.

We invite you to come and present your work and progress during the two reserved sessions (morning and afternoon), in a fifteen-minutes presentation. A very short summary is required for this in the "Filings" section.