Project initiation meeting of Indo-Norwegian Pilot Project on Capacity Building in Biodiversity Informatics towards IPBES

Role of Biodiversity Information Facilities in sharing and use of biodiversity information

Vishwas Chavan, and Olaf BankiGlobal Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)Email: vchavan@gbif.org

28 October 2011

World governments fail to halt biodiversity lossReuters UK

GLOBAL: World fails to meet biodiversity targetUniversity World News

Biodiversité: objectifs non atteints selon l'ONUAFP

Third of all plants and animals 'at risk of extinction‘Times Online

Biodiversité : les solutions de l'ONU pour éviter la catastropheLe Figaro

UN fears 'irreversible' damage to natural environmentAFP

International call for 'bailout' plan to safeguard biodiversityNY Times

World risks irreversible biodiversity lossThe Hindu

Biodiversity: In News

Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (2010) Rethinking Global Biodiversity Strategies: Exploring structural changes in production and consumption to reduce biodiversity Loss. http://www.rivm.nl/bibliotheek/rapporten/500197001.pdf

MSA: Mean Species Abundance. MSA is an indicator of naturalness or biodiversity intactness

Biodiversity: A Global Context

“If the world made equivalent losses in share prices, there would be a rapid response andwidespread panic.“

Biodiversity: A Global Context

“a wake-up call for humanity”

“a wake-up call for humanity”

A simplistic view: one of many scenarios!

ContentContent

Environmental and human well-being

Environmental and human well-being

PublishersPublishers

ScienceScience

PolicyPolicy

Significance of biodiversity data

GBIF, Global infrastructure for biodiversity data

Vision: A world in which biodiversity information is freely and universally available for science, society, and a sustainable future

Vision: A world in which biodiversity information is freely and universally available for science, society, and a sustainable future

OECD Global Science Forum recommendation in 2000: establish a global initiative to facilitate free and open access to worlds’ biodiversity data

OECD Global Science Forum recommendation in 2000: establish a global initiative to facilitate free and open access to worlds’ biodiversity data

GBIF, Global infrastructure for biodiversity data

“This facility will enable users to navigate and put to use vast quantities of biodiversity information, thereby:

• advancing scientific research…• serving the economic…• providing a basis from which our knowledge of the natural world can grow rapidly..”

“This facility will enable users to navigate and put to use vast quantities of biodiversity information, thereby:

• advancing scientific research…• serving the economic…• providing a basis from which our knowledge of the natural world can grow rapidly..”

GBIF, Global infrastructure for biodiversity data

Responsive to government needs/demands in biodiversity management – government-initiated, and government funded

Responsive to government needs/demands in biodiversity management – government-initiated, and government funded

Developing an advanced informatics infrastructure for the (global) scientific research community for accessing and sharing data and thereby making better use of the huge investments (by national institutions and others) in data collection, storage, management and updating of biodiversity information in countries

Developing an advanced informatics infrastructure for the (global) scientific research community for accessing and sharing data and thereby making better use of the huge investments (by national institutions and others) in data collection, storage, management and updating of biodiversity information in countries

Started in 2001Started in 2001

56 Countries; 47 International Organisations

1000’s of individuals and datasets.....

GBIF, current Participants

October 2011: >312 million occurrence records from >18,000 + datasets from >342 publishers and spanning a wide range of geospatial, temporal and taxonomic coverages, being shared through distributed network

GBIF, data coverage

GBIF, universal access to data

Conservation and

sustainable use of

biodiversity

Policy development and decision

making (at local, national,

regional, and global levels)

Monitoring of status and trends of

biodiversity(sound science)

GBIF-enabled data and analyses

GBIF, Improving the Science-Policy interface

Data intensive science

Data helps in addressing micro to macro level scientific, social, and economic challenges

Data helps in addressing micro to macro level scientific, social, and economic challenges

21st century India: challenges

Exploding populationExploding population

Natural resources based economy

Natural resources based economy

Need for biodiversity information

Need for biodiversity information

It is essential for countries to have a biodiversity data discovery and

mobilization strategy in alignment with their overall national biodiversity strategy & action plan (NBSAP)

It is essential for countries to have a biodiversity data discovery and

mobilization strategy in alignment with their overall national biodiversity strategy & action plan (NBSAP)

“However, we currently lack best practice guidelines on how to develop demand-driven strategies and action plans”

Berents et.al., 2010

“However, we currently lack best practice guidelines on how to develop demand-driven strategies and action plans”

Berents et.al., 2010

Source: Berents, Hamer and Chavan (2011). Towards demand-driven publishing: Approaches to the prioritisation of digitization of natural history collections data. Biodiversity Informatics, 7(2): 113-119.

Importance of strategic planning

Participant BIFs: catalysing data intensive biodiversity science

• Promoting• Policies on open access to biodiversity data• Sharing and use of biodiversity (demonstrating benefits and applications)

• Coordinating• Data sharing activities, including digitization plans• Interactions amongst the network partners, at levels including national, regional, international

• Facilitating• Tools, documentation, best practices for data sharing• Information infrastructure for inventory, discovery, and access to biodiversity data

• Promoting• Policies on open access to biodiversity data• Sharing and use of biodiversity (demonstrating benefits and applications)

• Coordinating• Data sharing activities, including digitization plans• Interactions amongst the network partners, at levels including national, regional, international

• Facilitating• Tools, documentation, best practices for data sharing• Information infrastructure for inventory, discovery, and access to biodiversity data

National BIF: a national partnership

Data Publishers

Data Users

•Research Institutes•Universities

•Biological collections•Conservation NGOs

•Environmental Authorities•Private sector•Practitiones

•Rural communities•Policy & decision makers

Coordinating unit

Steering committee

Coordination unit = GBIF Participant Node

National Biodiversity Information Facilities (BIF)

Build capacity

Help identify data and information

gapsOutreach to communities of data holders and users

Promote best practices in data management

Identify user communities – assess end user needs

Data analysis to help adress scientific questions and decision making needs

Implement informatics

infrastructure

Coordinate data sharing

activities

Helpdesk

Help develop information products and services

Help formulate and adopt data sharing and manahgement policies

BIF (coordinated

by Node)

Promote online publication of scientific data

BIF: in service of society

BIF is a partnership….

• Improve access to biodiversity data and information

• Facilitate the development of biodiversity information products and services for target audiences

• Support research, education, policy and decision-making activities

• Promote scientific collaboration (both nationally and internationally) and enable new fields of research

• Help monitor biodiversity status and trends

• Contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s biodiversity

• Improve access to biodiversity data and information

• Facilitate the development of biodiversity information products and services for target audiences

• Support research, education, policy and decision-making activities

• Promote scientific collaboration (both nationally and internationally) and enable new fields of research

• Help monitor biodiversity status and trends

• Contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of the country’s biodiversity

InBIF: nation’s response to data intensive biodiversity science

‘National Biodiversity Information

Infrastructure’

‘National Biodiversity Information

Infrastructure’

Indian Biodiversity Information Facility

(INBIF), a step towards NBII

Indian Biodiversity Information Facility

(INBIF), a step towards NBII

InBIF

Effective use and sustainable

conservation

Effective use and sustainable

conservation

What are the high-level

policy issues?

What are the relevant scientific

questions?

What are the critical information

requirements?

Survey of MEAs and other

internationalorganizations

Survey of scientific literature, global

assessments (e.g. GBO)and other science based

reports.

Study of the state of thebiodiversity information, identification of existing gaps, assessment of fit-

for-use of the content (e.g. invasive species etc.)

From data to science to policy….

Network of publishersNetwork of publishers

Biodiversity dataBiodiversity data

Ecological Niche ModelingEcological Niche Modeling

Invasive speciesInvasive species

Disease vectorsDisease vectors

MigrationMigrationAdaptationAdaptationDistributionDistribution

PollinatorsPollinators

Endangered speciesEndangered species

Wild relativesWild relatives

Protected areasProtected areas

Genetic diversityGenetic diversity

Population monitoringPopulation monitoring

Uses of biodiversity data

Informing policy - Japan

The Japanese Diet passed its IAS Act in June 2004 - first list of IAS, based on Act, passed in June 2005.

•Invasive alien bass introduced from N. America; predatory, huge impact on indigenous spp;

•Policymakers needed to know which areas of the country are most at risk from invasion;

•Used N. American locality data (via GBIF) to establish EN, applied ENM to Japan;

• Instrumental in convincing authorities to develop IAS Act.

Iguchi, K., et al. 2004. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 133:845-854.

Greater changes than have occurred in the last 10 000 years – way beyond human experience!

Variations in the Earth’s surface temperature AD 1000 to 2100

.

Predicting climate-induced changes in tropical forests composition…..

Species richness - forest genera of Sterculiaceae, Meliaceae, Dipterocapaceae

Summary of CC impacts on tropical forests …

All families and genera suffer >50% niche loss; species loss;

Some gain in potential, but this would require migration and suitable ecological/climate niche (for forests) at destination;

Important implications for REDD, LULUCF and many other CC adaptation/mitigation programmes…..

FamilyAverage habitat

loss

Average habitat

expansion

Percent of species with

more than 50% loss

Percent of species with

more than 90% loss

Dipterocarpaceae 57.1 34.4 56.8 40.5Meliaceae 50.6 29.6 54.5 18.2Sterculiaceae 51.0 32.8 50.3 12.4

Agriculture and climate change

Crop SpeciesArea

Harvested (k Ha)

Alfalfa Medicago sativa L. 15214Apple Malus sylvestris Mill. 4786Banana Musa acuminata Colla 4180Barley Hordeum vulgare L. 55517Common Bean Phaseolus vulgaris L. 26540Common buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum Moench 2743Cabbage Brassica oleracea L.v capi. 3138Cashew nuts Anacardium occidentale L. 3387Cassava Manihot esculenta Crantz. 18608Chick pea Cicer arietinum L. 10672Clover Trifolium repens L. 2629Cocoa bean Theobroma cacao L. 7567Coconut Cocos nucifera L. 10616Coffee Coffea arabica L. 10203Cotton Gossypium hirsutum L. 34733Cow peas Vigna unguiculata unguic. L 10176Grapes Vitis vinifera L. 7400Groundnut Arachis hypogaea L. 22232Lentil Lens culinaris Medikus 3848Linseed Linum usitatissimum L. 3017Maize Zea mays L. s. mays 144376Mango Mangifera indica L. 4155Millet Panicum miliaceum L. 32846Natural rubber Hevea brasiliensis (Willd.) 8259

Natural rubber Hevea brasiliensis (Willd.) 8259Oats Avena sativa L. 11284Oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacq. 13277Olive Olea europaea L. 8894Onion Allium cepa L. v cepa 3341Oranges Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck 3618Pea Pisum sativum L. 6730Pigeon pea Cajanus cajan (L.) Mill ssp 4683Plantain bananas Musa balbisiana Colla 5439Potato Solanum tuberosum L. 18830Rapeseed Brassica napus L. 27796Rice Oryza sativa L. s. japonica 154324Rye Secale cereale L. 5994Perennial reygrass Lolium perenne L. 5516Sesame seed Sesamum indicum L. 7539Sorghum Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench 41500Perennial soybean Glycine wightii Arn. 92989Sugar beet Beta vulgaris L. v vulgaris 5447Sugarcane Saccharum robustum Brandes 20399Sunflower Helianthus annuus L v macro 23700Sweet potato Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. 8996Tea Camellia sinensis (L) O.K. 2717Tobacco Nicotiana tabacum L. 3897Tomato Lycopersicon esculentum M. 4597Watermelon Citrullus lanatus (T) Mansf 3785Wheat Triticum aestivum L. 216100Yams Dioscorea rotundata Poir. 4591

The geography of crop suitability….

Gmin: 60, Gmax: 100Ttmp:0, Tmin: 7, TOPmn: 16, TOPmx: 27, Tmax: 32Rmin: 220, ROPmn: 350, ROPmx: 900, Rmax: 1500

Current suitability: common beans

Changes in bean suitability….

• Impact of a 100mm more drought resistant bean in Africa;

• Change in the range with Ropt less 100mm;

• Green areas show regions that will benefit from such a technology;

• But where are the drought tolerant genes?

Technological options….

Drought tolerance germplasm accessions….

mapping Human Disease mapping Human Disease VectorsVectors

Aedes albopictus “Asian Tiger Mosquito”

Invader - fastest spreading mosquito in the world

Known to transmit Dengue, La Crosse, St. Louis, Eastern Equine, Ross River, Rift Valley, and West Nile Viruses

Tiger mosquito– native range……

Modeled native range in Asia from specimens & observations

Tiger mosquito: modeledpotential continental-US invasion….

Projected Asian ecological niche onto present USA ecological zones to create invasion risk-map.

Tiger mosquito: observedactual US invasion (by county)

Asian Tiger mosquito: world risk-map (present climate niches)

Asian Tiger mosquito: world risk-map (present climate niches)

Data intensive science

Data helps in addressing micro to macro level scientific, social, and economic challenges

Data helps in addressing micro to macro level scientific, social, and economic challenges

vchavan@gbif.orgvchavan@gbif.org