Articles discussing such ecological approaches typically incorporate elements of complex adaptive systems theory.
[5] Knowledge ecosystems operate on two types of technology cores – one involving content or substantive industry knowledge, and the other involving computer hardware and software – telecommunications, which serve as the "procedural technology" for performing operations.
In a corporate training context, a substantive technology would be knowledge of various business functions, tasks, R&D process products, markets, finances, and relationships.
[6] Research, coding, documentation, publication and sharing of electronic resources create this background knowledge.
Computer-to-computer and human-to-human communications enable knowledge ecosystems to be interactive and responsive within a larger community and its subsystems.