WP1 Data sources: requirements, gap analysis and data mobilization

Objectives

• Evaluation of relevant information sources and their data  characteristics, such  as coverage, accessibility, quality, and format, as a basis for a detailed gap analysis with regard to GEO BON needs
• Improving and harmonizing European and national  level taxonomic  backbone data
• Identifying gaps of information sources and setting  priorities in filling the identified gaps
• Developing and refining new approaches for targeted data  mobilization, including citizen science

Key messages

• Underlying biodiversity data are key for evaluating state and trends of ecosystems and species and reporting activities on a European scale.
• The tasks of this work package are dedicated to assess available biodiversity data on various scales, to point out existing gaps in terms of coverage and quality, as well as to give recommendations for closing the gaps.
• A second important set of tasks of the work package focuses on providing data on a European scale (e.g. the taxonomic backbone) and to facilitate mobilization in various fields (specimen-based data or observation data, data from citizen science projects, DNA datasets and others).  

Tasks

Task 1.1 Assessment and evaluation of biodiversity data sources 

Task 1.2 Harmonization of European taxonomic backbone and analysis of taxonomic coverage 

Task 1.3 Gap analysis of available biodiversity information sources and identifying priorities 

Task 1.4 Integrated approaches for focused biodiversity data mobilization 

Task 1.5 Exploring citizen science – based approaches for mobilizing and generating biodiversity data 

• Task-specific reports and scientific papers summarizing the outcomes of the different working groups.
• Recommendations of closing existing gaps in biodiversity data.
• Reports documenting data release and mobilization efforts (e.g. on the taxonomic backbones or on specimen-based biodiversity data).
• Organizing meetings and participation in roundtables and conferences to discuss upcoming issues and strategies related to biodiversity data (DINA Technical Workshop 16-18 September 2014, 2nd EU BON Roundtable on Citizen Science, EU BON - DINA Workshop 26-29 April Stockholm, Workshop "Biodiversity research for and by citizens in Eastern Europe - tools, information services and public engagement" 27-28 June 2016, University of Tartu Natural History Museum, Tartu, Estonia).
• Briefings and research papers targeting specific biodiversity data related topics.
• DINA web system: In order to mobilize natural history collection data, we are developing a sustainable, light weight DINA-web system packaged into an easy-to-install virtual appliance which will be using a version of the Estonian Pluto-F Taxonomy module as a stand-alone module to handle the taxonomy. Read more here and here. 
• Unified Taxonomic Information Service: To establish the EU BON Taxonomic backbone the Unified Taxonomic Information Service (UTIS) has been developed. A REST API allows the EBP and other applications to query and access the taxonomies connected through this service. The EU BON Taxonomic backbone connects the Pan-European Species directories Infrastructure (PESI, EUNOMEN), EUNIS, Natura 2000, the Catalogue of Life (CoL) and the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
• PlutoF citizen science module: Development of new tools and apps: Mobile app 'I Saw a Butterfly' (now on Google play) aims at opportunistic observations of butterflies reporting to PlutoF. Mobile app 'SMBapp' – systematic monitoring app, currently for butterflies, along transect or trails. Mobile application for sound based observations "My nature sound".

Contact us:

Prof. Urmas Kõljalg	Dr. Florian Wetzel
WP1 Lead Leading UTARTU team of EU BON	Co-Lead of EU BON WP 1, Senior Scientist (WP 1. 2. 6  and 7)
University of Tartu, Estonia	Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Germany
Research interests: Integrated questions on taxonomy, molecular ecology and biodiversity informatics	Research interests: biodiversity, biogeography and global change processes, conservation, theoretical biology and the science-policy interface