The Role of Online Biodiversity Databases

1. The Role of Online Biodiversity Databases David E. Schindel, Executive Secretary National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution SchindelD@si.edu;http://www.barcoding.si.edu 202/633-0812; fax 202/633-2938

2. Encyclopedia of Life Taxonomic revisions, biotic surveys Published species descriptions Public database records Description/revision not yet published Data not yet released Not yet described Not yet in specimen catalog Not yet examined Not yet curated Not yet collected

3. Producers and Consumers of Taxonomy • Taxonomists are both producers and consumers • Produces tendency for taxonomy to be interest-driven • Funding for taxonomy has been driven largely by basic research agencies • Growth in funding will have to come from new sources

4. Users Taxonomists Applied users Funding sources Support Results Providers Taxonomists What are the Returns on Investment for: • Description of new species? • Phylogenetic analyses? • Taxonomic revisions? • Biotic inventories? • Identification services? • Collection curation? • Creation of public databases? • Education and outreach?

10. TreeBase • Assembling the Tree of Life • Seven annual NSF competitions • 40 project awards to US universities, museums and herbaria • International participation • 3322 authors, 1783 studies • 4878 trees, 84907 taxa

16. The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) • An online encyclopedia composed of 1.8 million web sites • One for each known species • EOL is developing two aspects of the original GBIF work programme • SpeciesBank--assemblage of all kinds of information about species • Digital library of biodiversity literature

17. Components of theEncyclopedia of Life (EOL) • Each site consists of several components • Species page for the general public • Draft pages assembled via mashup technology • Drafts authenticated by experts (“curators”) using controlled wikis • Information protected from being changed by anyone except the curators • But anyone can comment on the information and or suggest things to add • Curators will examine these suggestions and may move some of the information to the protected part

20. Uses of Integrated Data • Research tool • GIS data layer for interdisciplinary research • Predictive tool: • Spread of invasive species • Undersampled areas relative to predicted biodiversity • Anomalies relative to environmental data • Analysis of biodiversity responses to climate change (back-casting to archival data)

21. GEOSS Mission for Biodiversity: Understanding, monitoring and conserving biodiversity Issues in this area include the condition and extent of ecosystems, distribution and status of species, and genetic diversity in key populations. Implementing GEOSS will unify many disparate biodiversity observing systems and create a platform to integrate biodiversity data with other types of information. Taxonomic and spatial gaps will be filled, and the pace of information collection and dissemination will be increased.

22. GEOSS Biodiversity Work Packages • Capturing Historical Biodiversity Data(Led by GBIF) • Biodiversity Observation Network(DIVERSITAS International) • Invasive Species Monitoring System(USA)

23. Example Illustration of Predictive Capacity of Ecological Niche Modeling regarding Species’ Invasions A. Townsend Peterson University of Kansas

24. Abiotic niche Accessibility Biotic interactions Species Invasion Accessibility

25. Abiotic niche Biotic interactions Species Invasion Accessibility

26. Aedes albopictus • Known as the “Asian Tiger Mosquito” • Invader; fastest spreading mosquito in the world • Aggressive daytime biter and pest • Known to transmit Dengue, La Crosse, St. Louis, Eastern Equine, Ross River, Rift Valley, and West Nile Viruses

27. Aedes albopictus Present predicted distribution, native range in Asia

28. Aedes albopictus:USA invasion Projected Asian niche into USA present to create invasion risk-map. How well did GARP perform...

29. Aedes albopictus: USA invasion

30. Aedes albopictus: world risk-map

31. Example Historic museum collections and climate change H. M. Kharouba & J. T. Kerr Canadian Facility for Ecoinformatics Research Department of Biology, University of Ottawa

33. Example Mexico’s use of biodiversity data for resource management Jorge Soberon M. CONABIO and University of Kansas

34. Localities of Plant Specimens in different Herbaria TEX (Universidad de Texas en Austin) UADY (University de Yucatan) CIDIIR (Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de Durango) ARIZ (University de Arizona)

35. Localities of Plant Specimens in different Herbaria XAL (Instituto de Ecología de Xalapa) CAS (California Academy of Sciences) CICY (Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de Yucatan) MEXU (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)

36. Pool the data together... The Virtual Herbarium of Mexico 700,000 registers from 25 Herbaria In Mexico and the United States.

37. The Biodiversity World Information Network (REMIB): • 28 nodes in six different countries • 104 collections, more than 6.3 million data records • DIGIR compliant, . Soon it will join the GBIF network

38. Growth of the database

39. I. The Cactus Moth Cactoblastis cactorum • Devours every single species of prickley-pear that has been tried. • In the US and Mexico there are more than 90 species of Platyopuntia, many endangered, vital componente of arid ecosystems. • In Mexico, Opuntia is the 10th product of agricultural importance

40. Cactoblastis cactorum Data points obtained from the NMNH, USA

41. Climate surface obtained by Floramap (12 layers)

42. Platyopuntia localities MNHSD, IBUNAM, ENCB, MOBOT, NMNH, UAH

43. Predicted number of species of Platyopuntia Opuntia lagunae Fotografías de la planta y el fruto de Jon Rebman Fotografía de las flores de George Lindsay http://www.oceanoasis.org/fieldguide/opun-lag-sp.html

44. Vulnerable areas to Cactoblastis(right climate and right food) Red isolines: High similarity to climate in the original Cactoblastis cactorum sites. Blue regions: Richness of species of Platyopuntia.

45. Selecting areas for new explorations • The biological inventory of Mexico is far from finished • Where to invest scarce resources? • How much to invest?

46. Non-agricultural, non-cattle and non-urban land use

47. Localities with plant species belonging to “arid vegetation”

48. An overlay of “natural vegetation” and “arid” species

49. Natural vegetation, “arid species” and roads

50. Areas selected for floristic expeditions