Successful Solutions to Global Biodiversity Data Digitization, Validation, Update, Integration, Access, and Application

John M. Hill, Director, World Data Center of Biodiversity and Ecology

Authors: Thomas Hermann, Thomas Lahr, Gladys A. Cotter, U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Informatics Office, USA; John M. Hill, Crispen Wilson, World Data Center of Biodiversity and Ecology, USA

The World Data Center for Biodiversity and Ecology (WDCBE) helps address the data and information requirements of some of the world’s pressing biodiversity and ecological issues (e.g., invasive species, human/wildlife diseases, and losses in biodiversity). The WDCBE is building the framework and partnerships for housing integrated, updated, and accessible global biodiversity, ecology, and geophysical data for use by the scientific and conservation community. Operationally, WDCBE relies on the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII/U.S. Geological Survey [USGS - which hosts the WDCBE]) and Geospatial Analysis and Monitoring (GAM/USGS). GAM hosts the Global Integrated Trends Analysis Network [GITAN] with WDCBE as the data platform.

The WDCBE is focusing on the: 1) distribution of data and results from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2) development of web-enabled capabilities (tools) to improve the efficiency of digital data input and resulting accuracies, 3) acquisition, integration and accessibility of key global data sets (e.g., protected areas, Global Amphibian Assessment, Important Bird Areas [IBA], Global Biodiversity Information Facility [GBIF] specimens, ecosystems, geospatial data [e.g., topography, hydrology, land cover, land cover change, census]), and 4) creation of long-term data sharing and analysis partnerships with leading international biodiversity and ecological informatics and conservation organizations.

The WDCBE assists partner organizations build capacity to achieve core objectives, primarily the ability to directly engage stakeholders through the internet to improve the quality and comprehensiveness of their data set(s). Numerous global biodiversity and associated geophysical data sets are being created, but are not integrated. Combined data sets allow for the creation and analysis of valued added products and analyses. The following tools are being designed, developed, tested, and deployed to fulfill these needs:

• Global Data Tool Kit (GDT) - an operational and easy to use on-line polygon data entry tool to facilitate an organization’s ability to engage their network in the entry and/or validation of digital data (e.g., protected areas, species distributions, Important Bird Areas, ecosystems). Users can also pull down data sets that are associated with these polygons (e.g., land cover, ecosystems) for analysis and decision making.
• Rapid Land Cover/Ecosystem Mapping Tool - an on-line technique to manually interpret satellite imagery for mapping land cover. Countries need ecosystem maps to meet 2006 and 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) targets.
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) - a taxonomic crosswalk to operationally compare, integrate, and apply global biodiversity data sets. It also provides the museum community with a methodology and data to validate specimen data, while at the same time provides the greater user community with historical observations to increase the spatial accuracy of their particular species distributions.

These capabilities allow countries to begin to: refine species distributions, create Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA), create species lists for protected areas, map ecosystems, conduct GAP analyses in preparation for CBD 2006 and 2010 targets, and evaluate protected area management effectiveness. Pilot projects are being conducted in Paraguay, United States, Cambodia, and Senegal. The WDCBE also actively participates in and makes technical contributions to the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), GBIF, GITAN, and Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN).