POSTSCRIPT
                                                                                                                                                                         and the processes that enabled hosts to
                                                     Questions and answers at the interface of                                                                           persist at low densities for long periods.
                                                                                                                                                                         Answers to these questions also provided
                                                     basic and applied ecology                                                                                           valuable information for improving bio-
                                                                                                                                                                         logical control strategies not only for red
                                                                                                                                                                         scale, but also for other pests.
                                                                                                                                                                                                2–4
                                                                                                                                                                             These studies          have demonstrated
                                                            ost ecologists strive to conduct re-               concern. Alternatively, questions can be                  the importance of both the question and
                                                     Msearch that contributes to both basic                    examined in model systems that are                        the answer in ecological research. In each
                                                     (‘pure’) and applied ecology. We hope                     directly applicable to other systems in                   case, questions were developed to ad-
                                                     that our findings yield new insights into                 which manipulation or sampling are not                    dress basic concepts that were not well
                                                     the structure and function of ecological                  possible.                                                 understood or appreciated at the time.
                                                     systems and that these insights provide                        Although rare, there are studies that                Because they were framed in the context
                                                     direction for more effective conservation                 have made significant contributions to                    of pressing environmental issues, the
                                                     or management. However, studies that                      both basic and applied ecology. Classic                   answers provided valuable information
                                                                                                                                           2,3
                                                     simultaneously advance our understand-                    studies by Schindler            were motivated            for the development of improved conser-
                                                     ing in basic and applied ecology are rela-                by concerns about the cultural eutrophi-                  vation or management practices. As these
                                                     tively rare. Despite our best efforts, most               cation of lakes. By asking questions about                studies illustrate, the challenge for ecolo-
                                                     research ends up having a stronger im-                    the factors that control lake productivity,               gists who wish to work at the interface of
                                                     pact in one area than the other.                          these studies stimulated basic research                   basic and applied ecology is to ask new
                                                          One reason that so few studies con-                  on the effects of increasing productivity                 and innovative questions that will provide
                                                     tribute equally to both areas of ecology is               across a range of ecosystems. At the same                 answers to pressing issues in applied
                                                     that they emphasize different aspects of                  time, results were critical for the develop-              ecology.
                                                     the research process. In basic ecology,                   ment of effective nutrient-control policies
                                                     more emphasis is placed on the question.                  for watershed management. More re-                        Mark H. Olson
                                                                                                                                           4
                                                     In particular, basic ecology progresses                   cently, Murdoch et al. have used theoreti-                Dept of Natural Resources and Cornell
                                                     by posing new and imaginative questions                   cal and empirical approaches to examine                   Biological Field Station, Cornell University, 
                                                     that examine previously unconsidered                      interactions between California red scale                 900 Shackelton Point Rd, Bridgeport, NY 13030,
                                                     processes. These questions typically ask                  (Aonidiella aurantii) and its parasitoid                  USA (mho2@cornell.edu)
                                                     whether a particular process plays a sig-                 wasp (Aphytis melinus). Red scale is an
                                                     nificant role in a given system. Ideally,                 important pest of citrus crops, but has                   References
                                                     the process examined is nonspecific and                   been successfully controlled by Aphytis.                   1 Lee, K. (1993) Ecol. Appl. 3, 560–564
                                                     operates in a wide variety of systems.                    Murdoch et al. asked general questions                     2 Schindler, D. (1974) Science 184, 897–899
                                                     Answers to basic questions are still im-                  that centered on the dynamics of host–                     3 Schindler, D. (1977) Science 195, 260–262
                                                     portant, especially for testing the gener-                parasitoid (or predator–prey) interactions                 4 Murdoch, W.W. (1994) Ecology 75, 271–287
                                                     ality of an ecological paradigm. However,
                                                     innovative questions that involve general
                                                     principles are emphasized because they                                                Trends Guide to Bioinformatics
                                                     can change the way we think about the
                                                     organization of ecological systems.                         At the complex intersection of biology, medicine, mathematics and computer science lies
                                                          In applied ecology, more emphasis is                   the cutting-edge field of bioinformatics. With this issue of Trends in Ecology & Evolutionwe
                                                     placed on finding answers to pressing                       are enclosing a special supplement, the Trends Guide to Bioinformatics, in which we
                                                     environmental problems. Many of the                         examine the background to this novel and rapidly evolving scientific discipline. A series of
                                                     questions in applied ecology are initially                  tutorials, written by expert authors, clearly explains the concepts behind the jargon and
                                                     raised by managers or decision makers                       provides practical examples of how the immense store of data made available through
                                                     who require scientific input into a spe-                    high-throughput sequencing projects can be exploited. Whether you are interested in
                                                     cific issue. Ecologists then spend their                    molecular structure or taxonomy of organisms, the Trends Guide to Bioinformaticsis an
                                                     creative energy designing studies that                      essential tool.
                                                     will provide rigorous answers to allow
                                                     managers or decision makers to make in-                     Introduction Mark Boguski                                Protein classification and functional
                                                     formed decisions. Answers to these ques-                    Text-based database searching                            assignment Kay Hofmann
                                                     tions are often very complicated and                        Fran Lewitter                                            Phylogenetic analysis and comparative
                                                     involve processes that operate across                                                                                genomics James Lake and Jonathan Moore
                                                                                                     1           Fundamentals of database searching
                                                     multiple spatial and temporal scales .
                                                          To conduct effective research at the                   Stephen Altschul                                         Databases of biological information
                                                     interface of basic and applied ecology, we                  Practical database searching                             Minoru Kanehisa
                                                     must recognize the importance of both                       Steven Brenner
                                                     the question and the answer. We should                                                                               Functional genomics
                                                     strive to ask original questions about con-                 Computational genefinding                                Michael Brownstein, Jeffrey Trent and
                                                     cepts that are relevant to a range of eco-                  David Haussler                                           Mark Boguski
                                                     logical systems. As these questions are                     Multiple-alignment and -sequence searches                The future of bioinformatics 
                                                     developed, attention should be paid to                      Sean Eddy                                                Janet Thornton
                                                     how the answers, even if unexpected, can
                                                     be applied to important environmental is-                   For extra copy sales of the Trends Guide to Bioinformatics, please contact:
                                                     sues. For example, effort should be made                    Thelma Reid (t.reid@elsevier.co.uk), Elsevier Trends Journals, 68 Hills Road,
                                                     to address these questions in systems of                    Cambridge, UK  CB2 1LA. Tel: 144 1223 311114; Fax: 144 1223 321410.
                                                     particular management or conservation
                                                      TREE vol. 13, no. 11 November 1998        Copyright © 1998, Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. 0169-5347/98/$19.00   PII: S0169-5347(98)01465-7         469