Aeroecology

Aeroecology is the relationship between organisms and the way they utilize and interact with other biotic and abiotic components of the atmosphere. The aerosphere is viewed as habitat and the way that organisms respond to and take advantage of the dynamic aerospace has relevance to the ecology, evolution, and conservation of many of the world's bird, bat, insect, and plant species.

Aeroecology has relied upon traditional ecological field studies such as direct observation or detection of organisms flying overhead (e.g., moon watching, thermal cameras, or bioacoustics). However, the field has been greatly advanced by the inclusion of remotely sensed data, in particular Doppler weather radar or NEXRAD. In March 2012, an international and interdisciplinary Radar Aeroecology Workshop was held at the National Weather Center on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, OK, USA. Experts in the fields of ecology and meteorology discussed how various radar technologies could be applied to aeroecological questions. Aeroecology research groups at both the University of Oklahoma and the University of Delaware continue to advance the development and integration of remotely sensed data to quantify, qualify, and track biological utilization of the lower aerosphere.