# Ecological Augur

> Ecological Augur is a source-based plant and ecology research application and a transparent experiment in community-enabling knowledge.

## What it does

- Accepts plant and ecology research questions.
- Consults the Ecological Commons for available occurrence records, taxonomy, conservation data, and related evidence.
- Presents evidence sourced from the Commons separately from information inferred from the AI model's training.
- States gaps, missing data, contested knowledge, and uncertainty explicitly.
- Supports selectable trust groups, which apply different source priorities to Commons research.

## Research approach

Ecological Augur treats AI as a tool for structured interpretation, not as a final authority. Responses are designed to expose their provenance so readers can inspect what the Commons supplied, what the model inferred, and where the available evidence runs out. "No data found" is a valid and informative outcome.

## Experimental objective

The project tests how modern AI tools can support visible, inspectable, and shareable ecological knowledge for restoration communities while preserving human judgment and acknowledging uncertainty.

## Important limitations

- This is an experimental research application, not an authoritative ecological or conservation decision system.
- The interactive question form requires JavaScript.
- AI inference is useful context but is not equivalent to sourced Commons evidence.

## Links

- Homepage: https://EcologicalAugur.replit.app/
- Ecological Commons: https://data.ecologicalcommons.org/