INFORMATION SYSTEM OF THE MOUNTAIN MESOPHYLL FOREST IN MÉXICO (IS-MMF): COMPILATION AND SYSTEMATIZATION OF DATA AND INFORMATION

Abstract

The information about biodiversity in different fields of knowledge and the strong demand for integrating, synthesizing and visualizing this information for different purposes and types of users allows the development of a new field of research, which can be named biodiversity informatics or bioinformatics. This field represents the conjunction of the use and management of biological information with information tools for their effective analysis and understanding. The information system of the mountain mesophyll forest (IS-MMF) in México is based on information contained in scientific publications; currently, it is the most complete source of primary data and information, of knowledge about vascular plants and vertebrate land organisms that inhabit this plant formation. It has the capacity of providing information necessary to support decision making in programs directed at conservation (protection, sustainability, restoration, reforestation, among others); their basic components are: a data base of bibliographic references, a taxonomic-biogeographical database and its library.