@article {10.3897/mycokeys.8.6605, title = {LIAS light {\textendash} Towards the ten thousand species milestone}, journal = {MycoKeys}, volume = {8}, year = {2014}, month = {01}, pages = {11{\textendash}16}, publisher = {Pensoft Publishers}, abstract = {

Over the past 12 years, the lichen trait database LIAS light as a component of the LIAS information system, has grown to a considerable pool of descriptive data based on 71 different qualitative, quantitative, and text characters, for nearly 10.000 lichen taxa, being phylogenetically arranged according to the MycoNet classification. It includes information on morphological, ecological and chemical traits. Multilinguality or internationalization options have become a central challenge of the project. At present, 18 language versions of the database and web interface exist. LIAS light data are accessible in DELTA format and to be used locally and web browser-based, via NaviKey applet.

}, doi = {10.3897/mycokeys.8.6605}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.8.6605}, author = {Rambold, Gerhard and Elix, John A. and Heindl-Tenhunen, B{\"a}rbel and K{\"o}hler, Thomas and Nash III, Thomas H. and Neubacher, Dieter and Reichert, Wolfgang and Zedda, Luciana and Triebel, Dagmar} } @article {10.3897/mycokeys.5.4302, title = {An appraisal of megascience platforms for~biodiversity~information}, journal = {MycoKeys}, volume = {5}, year = {2012}, month = {12}, pages = {45{\textendash}63}, publisher = {Pensoft Publishers}, abstract = {

The megascience platforms Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), Catalogue of Life (CoL), Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), International Barcode of Life (iBOL), International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) and JSTOR Plant Science, all belong to a group of global players that harvest, process, repurpose and provide biodiversity data on all kinds of organisms. Each of these platforms primarily focus on one data domain, for instance, taxonomy and classification, occurrence, morphology, ecology, and molecular data.The present contribution describes aspects of processing and provision of biological research data on these platforms, focusing on the technical implementation of data exchange, copyright issues, and data sharing policies as well as their implications for data custodians, owners, providers, and publishers. With the exception of JSTOR Plant Science, most international initiatives seek long-term business models and funding mechanisms to provide online data openly and free of charge. For example, currently GBIF depends on governmental commitments for its funding, and CoL is financed by EU or national grants, as well as being based on Species 2000, a British non-for-profit company, and ITIS. These business models are compared with that of JSTOR Plant Science, the commercial portal of the Global Plant Initiative (GPI). All initiatives currently meet challenges of sustainability with regard to data curation as well as software development for maintaining the complexity of their services. All platforms discussed here also harvest and provide mycological and lichenological research data.

}, doi = {10.3897/mycokeys.5.4302}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.5.4302}, author = {Triebel, Dagmar and Hagedorn, Gregor and Rambold, Gerhard} } @article {230, title = {Ecosystems: Time to model all life on Earth}, journal = {Nature}, volume = {493}, year = {2013}, month = {2013/01/17/}, pages = {295 - 297}, abstract = {To help transform our understanding of the biosphere, ecologists {\textemdash} like climate scientists {\textemdash} should simulate whole ecosystems, argue Drew Purves and colleagues.}, keywords = {Environmental sciences, Mathematics and computing}, isbn = {0028-0836}, url = {http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v493/n7432/full/493295a.html}, author = {Purves, Drew and Scharlemann, J{\"o}rn P. W. and Harfoot, Mike and Newbold, Tim and Tittensor, Derek P. and Hutton, Jon and Emmott, Stephen} } @book {231, title = {FINAL PROOF: Global Biodiversity Informatics Outlook: Delivering Biodiversity Knowledge in the Information Age}, year = {2013}, month = {2013/09//}, pages = {41}, publisher = {GBIF Secretariat}, organization = {GBIF Secretariat}, abstract = {Much progress has been made in the past ten years to fulfil the potential of biodiversity informatics. However, it is dwarfed by the scale of what is still required. The Global Biodiversity Informatics Outlook (GBIO) offers a framework for reaching a much deeper understanding of the world{\textquoteright}s biodiversity, and through that understanding the means to conserve it better and to use it more sustainably. The GBIO identifies four major focal areas, each with a number of core components, to help coordinate efforts and funding. The co-authors, from a wide range of disciplines, agree these are the essential elements of a global strategy to harness biodiversity data for the common good.}, url = {http://www.biodiversityinformatics.org}, author = {Hobern, Donald and Apostolico, Alberto and Arnaud, Elizabeth and Bello, Juan Carlos and Canhos, Dora and Dubois, Gregoire and Field, Dawn and Garc{\'\i}a, Enrique Alonso and Hardisty, Alex and Harrison, Jerry and Heidorn, Bryan and Krishtalka, Leonard and Mata, Erick and Page, Roderic and Parr, Cynthia and Price, Jeff and Willoughby, Selwyn} } @article {232, title = {Comparison of Technical Basis of Biodiversity e-Infrastructures}, year = {2012}, month = {2012/10/31/}, institution = {Cardiff University}, abstract = {

Deliverable D3.1 \“Technical Interoperability Specifications\”, prepared on the basis of available information at the time of writing, is the output of CReATIVE-B task T3.1, which aims to \“Compare the technical basis of e-infrastructures (for biodiversity research)\”. It provides a synopsis comparison of the technical approaches of the e-infrastructures analysed within the scope of the project and elaborates the interoperability analysis by defining it and making a quantitative comparison of the technical facts gathered thus far. It reflects as accurately as possible the technical findings, structured along dimensions of interoperability that match the functional areas and layers of the research infrastructures being analysed. Deliverable D3.1 aims at shedding light on existing similarities and differences between participating research infrastructures thus forming a solid information and knowledge basis for future interoperability guidelines developments in D3.2 and D3.3.

}, isbn = {D3.1}, url = {http://creative-b.eu/documents/10826/9f2f2ed9-f6b6-443a-a06d-fd3c46875a84}, author = {Hardisty, Alex and Manset, David} } @article {233, title = {Towards a Roadmap for Biodiversity and Ecosystem research in Europe}, year = {2013}, month = {2013/03/19/20}, address = {Brussels}, abstract = {

a. Toward a research infrastructure RoadmapThe European Commission expressed its interest to receive within two months a preliminary Roadmap for research infrastructures supporting research on biodiversity, ecosystem and ecosystem services. The initial conclusions of the workshop as presented in this document provide a basis for a more elaborated document. The involved European infrastructures and their associated Integrated Activities are invited to suggest persons to serve as editors of this roadmap document. Depending on the disciplinary profiles of the suggested persons, it may be necessary to identify expertise from missing areas. The proposed editing team resulting from this consultation is expected to include 6 to maximum 10 persons trusted by the community to expand this this report to a Roadmap within two months, while allowing others to contribute through an on-line forum or other mechanisms. The participants of the workshop will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed team. Depending on time, experts on specific topics may want to meet together to discuss in more detail common priorities to be included in the emerging Roadmap. As for example the working group that discussed e-infrastructure in the workshop agreed to organize another workshop to analyse einfrastructure gaps. b. Structuring the research infrastructure community The editing team above will be invited to also consider how a more permanent structure dealing with updating the common Roadmap for research infrastructures could be established. Initial options as were recommended in the workshop of 19 and 20 March 2013 are presented in paragraph 3.5 of this report. Any further plans might be discussed in an appropriate session of the upcoming INTECOL conference (18-23 August 2013)9 and the planned European Biodiversity Informatics Conference (first week of September 2013).

}, url = {http://ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures/pdf/workshop_april_2013/workshop-report.pdf}, author = {European Commission} } @article {234, title = {A decadal view of biodiversity informatics: challenges and priorities}, journal = {BMC Ecology}, volume = {13}, year = {2013}, month = {2013/04/15/}, abstract = {Biodiversity informatics plays a central enabling role in the research community{\textquoteright}s efforts to address scientific conservation and sustainability issues. Great strides have been made in the past decade establishing a framework for sharing data, where taxonomy and systematics has been perceived as the most prominent discipline involved. To some extent this is inevitable, given the use of species names as the pivot around which information is organised. To address the urgent questions around conservation, land-use, environmental change, sustainability, food security and ecosystem services that are facing Governments worldwide, we need to understand how the ecosystem works. So, we need a systems approach to understanding biodiversity that moves significantly beyond taxonomy and species observations. Such an approach needs to look at the whole system to address species interactions, both with their environment and with other species.}, keywords = {Biodiversity, Data sharing, Decadal vision, e-Infrastructure, Grand challenge, Informatics, Research infrastructure, Systems approaches}, isbn = {1472-6785}, url = {http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6785/13/16/abstract}, author = {Hardisty, Alex and Roberts, Dave and The Biodiversity Informatics Community} }