lessons learnt from edit - linking taxonomy and conservation

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANT

Lessons learned from EDIT - linking taxonomy and conservation

CHRISTOPH L. HÄUSERMuseum für Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for

Research on Evolution and Biodiversitychristoph.haeuser@ mfn-berlin.de

ViBRANTVirtual Biodiversity


The (unique ?) EDIT experience ...!


EDIT = Towards The European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy

- a « network of excellence » supported by the European Commissionfunded by the EC (FP6) for 5 years (2006/07 – 2010/11)coordinated by the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris

(Prof. Simon Tillier)

with the objectives to:

• reduce fragmentation and transform taxonomy into an integrated science

• integrate (European) taxonomic institutions and capacities towards a trans-national entity

• create a European virtual centre of excellence to reduce the taxonomic impediment, both for biodiversity research and conservation

Characterizing EDIT


European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy


EDIT operational organization


EDIT achieving institutional integration:

Maintain organisation with front office and staff (= CETAF)

Sustain joint activities and initiatives, at institutional levels:

Board of Directors (BoD) – CETAF General Meeting

Directors of Collections Committee (DoCC) – NCB + MfN

Informatics Scientific & Technological Committee (ISTC) – BGBM

Distributed European School of Taxonomy (DEST) - RBINS

European (e-) Journal of Taxonomy (EJT) – Be-TAF + NHML + MNHN

Scratchpads – NHML !!!


The issues & challenges …. – for biodiversity research / taxonomy :

1) facilitate data capture / generation

2) improve data quality

3) increase data integration (reduce

„fragmentation“ of efforts)

ViBRANT kickoff meeting, MNHN, Paris 20-21 January 2011

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTThe answers ….The answers ….

1) Facilitate data capture: technology …!??

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTThe answers ….The answers ….

2) Improve data quality: new technology …!?!


Fieldwork

Data collection

Export in standardised formats (shape-files, dbf-files, etc.)

Automated recording of GPS coordinates

Automated recording of date & time

Species authority listsHabitat data

Photos

Facilitated data entry

GBIF distributionmaps

species lists

Output

© M. Bos, A. Turpaud, A. Schäfer-Verwimp

The answers ….The answers ….

3) Increase data integration: new, virtual infrastructures !!!

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTEDIT WP7 objectives

Strengthening the input of scientific taxonomic expertise in Europe for biodiversity conservation programs and management, especially for inventories, assessments, and monitoring of biodiversity;

Furthering development and promotion of standards, techniques and methodologies for cost efficient biodiversity assessments including a new approach for an

"All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory & Monitoring" (ATBI+M) program;

Establishing a European expert task force for undertaking and supporting biodiversity inventories, assessments, and monitoring activities

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTEDIT WP7 „Applying Taxonomy to EDIT WP7 „Applying Taxonomy to

Conservation“Conservation“Objectives of EDIT Workpackage 7 (WP7)

• Applying taxonomy to conservation

• Mobilising taxonomic expertise

• Accessibility of biodiversity data for „protected areas“

Implementation of the objectives=> ATBI+M ”All Taxa Biodiversity Inventories + Monitoring”

“large-scale field inventories to record all biodiversity”


WP7 (ATBI+M) approach

EDIT WP7:

• establishes EDIT ATBI+M pilot sites for areas of conservation concern in and outside Europe in need/want of inventory data

• organizes and supports teams of taxonomic experts for field work to update/complete inventories and undertake monitoring at pilot sites

• tests and develops new standards, protocols, and tools for efficient field recording techniques (automated geo-referencing, field-based ID techniques, GUIDs for records & specimens, etc.)

• delivers primary occurrence data as digital records (compatible with BioCASE/DiGIR/TAPIR protocols) hosted in openly accessible web-based information systems (GBIF: www.gbif.net) for current and future use

EDIT WP7 – « field recording » manual

Las Palmas, 25-27 January 2009


EDIT ATBI+M sites operate now in 4 selected protected areas

Slovakia Germany

Mercantour National Park Alpi Marittime Nature Park

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Spreewald

ItalyFrance

Gemer Region (3 PAs):

Muránska Planina, Slovenský Raj, Slovenský Kras


Field workField work Data recordingData recording OutputOutput

Workflow: conventionalWorkflow: conventional

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTWorkflow: ATBI + MWorkflow: ATBI + M

Data recordingData recordingStandardised Excel data sheets

• for localities

• for events

• for taxonomic data (species)

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTWorkflow: ATBI + M, field toolsWorkflow: ATBI + M, field tools

Data recording with ArcPad

Data recording with ArcPad

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTWorkflow: ATBI + MWorkflow: ATBI + M

Centraldatabase

…. towards (global) data integration…. towards (global) data integration

Datacleaning

Data export


ATBI+M Mercantour / Alpi Marittime (since 2007):

> 180 taxonomists > 5.700 species

ATBI+M Gemer Region (since 2008):

> 50 taxonomists > 2.500 species

ATBI+M - Participation & ResultsATBI+M - Participation & Results

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Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTEDIT ATBI+M data portal

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTATBI+M - Field ManualATBI+M - Field Manual

Contents

• Principles of large biodiversity inventories

• Records and data management

• Technology

Bioacoustics, Camera-trapping, DNA-barcoding

• Habitat oriented methods

Forest canopy, soil & litter, limnology, marine

• Taxa oriented methods

Fungi, bryophytes, higher plants, invertebrates,

arthropods, insects, vertebrates ...

Find here the tips & tricks to optimise your field work

http://www.abctaxa.be/

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTATBI+M ATBI+M –– Outreach Outreach

Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTATBI+M ATBI+M –– Public outreach Public outreach

Repubblica August 2008

presentations

BioBlitz


Challenges remaining ….

• (personal) concerns with free / open sharing of data / information

• reaching & convincing the audiences / stakeholders / users!

• reducing the fragmentation / proliferation of data sources!!

• sustaining the – virtual - infrastructure and contents!!!


Virtual BiodiversityViBRANTOngoing biodiversity observations

>100.000 new data records every day ?!


Three take home messages – from EDIT - for ViBRANT:

= measures for success !?!

1) Science infrastructure: research = discovery / generation of new data / information / knowledge

2) Outreach: increase the partner / stakeholder / user community for the network = good communication!

3) Sustainability: ensure long-term usability and usefulness of the infrastructure & products (> 3, 5, 10 years ….)!



AcknowledgementsMany thanks to:

funding organizations: EC (DG RTD)

all EDIT partners + colleagues, especially those participating in WP7 (ATBIs+M), in particular:

Anke Hoffmann, Alexander Kroupa, Andreas Kunkel, Christiane Quaisser, Mark-Oliver Rödel: MfN, BerlinMerijn Bos, Jutta Eymann, Fabian Haas, Joachim Holstein, Carlos Monje, Martin Nebel, Monika Pfeffer, Marcus

Preussing, Axel Steiner: SMNS, StuttgartWalter Berendsohn, Agnes Kirchhoff, BGBM, Berlin; Klaus Riede: ZFMK, Bonn Eduard Stloukal, Katharina I + II, Comenius University, BratislavaPierre Commenville, Marie-France Leccia: Parc national du MercantourMarta De Biaggi, Luca Giraudo, Patrizia Rossi: Parco Naturale Alpi MarittimePhilippe Bouchet, Vanessa Demanoff, Simon Tillier: MNHN, Paris

many other partners & colleagues, in particular:Swen Renner, Peter Herkenrath: BirdLife InternationalSamy Gaiji, Nick King, David Remsen: GBIF Secretariat, CopenhagenDavid Schindel, CBOL, Washington, D.C.


Thank you very much for your attention !!!

lessons learnt from edit - linking taxonomy and conservation

Documents

edit atbi

data quality

species atbi

wp7 atbi

taxonomic data species

field tools data recording

increase data integration

biodiversity research