POLINIZADORES: DESAFIOS E OPORTUNIDADES NO DESENVOLVIMENTO DE SISTEMAS DE INFORMAÇÃO ON-LINE

Polinizadores apresentam um grande desafio para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de informação on-line. Além de dados taxonômicos e geográficos é importante integrar informações sobre as diferentes interações inseto - planta. Novas tecnologias de informação e comunicação estão viabilizando a integração de sistemas heterogênios que incluem coleções biológicas, dados de observação, referências bibliográficas e mapas. O artigo procura apresentar os trabalhos desenvolvidos na rede speciesLink

Data Leakage and Loss in Biodiversity Informatics

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.The field of biodiversity informatics is in a massive, “grow-out” phase of creating and enabling large-scale biodiversity data resources. Because perhaps 90% of existing biodiversity data nonetheless remains unavailable for science and policy applications, the question arises as to how these existing and available data records can be mobilized most efficiently and effectively. This situation led to our analysis of several large-scale biodiversity datasets regarding birds and plants, detecting information gaps and documenting data “leakage” or attrition, in terms of data on taxon, time, and place, in each data record. We documented significant data leakage in each data dimension in each dataset. That is, significant numbers of data records are lacking crucial information in terms of taxon, time, and/or place; information on place was consistently the least complete, such that geographic referencing presently represents the most significant factor in degradation of usability of information from biodiversity information resources. Although the full process of digital capture, quality control, and enrichment is important to developing a complete digital record of existing biodiversity information, payoffs in terms of immediate data usability will be greatest with attention paid to the georeferencing challenge.JRS Biodiversity Foundatio

Figure 1 from: Canhos D (2017) Data Management Plan: Brazil's Virtual Herbarium. Research Ideas and Outcomes 3: e14675. https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.3.e14675

Figure 1 - System architecture of the BVH and supporting systems

Biodiversity information systems and publica policies in the digital age

Orientador: Maria Beatriz Machado BonacelliTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de GeociênciasResumo: A tese apresenta como tema a influência das tecnologias da informação e comunicação (TICs) na circulação do conhecimento científico e o seu efeito na elaboração de políticas públicas em biodiversidade. O avanço das TICs está afetando a forma com que o conhecimento é produzido e como os resultados são difundidos. As TICs tornaram possível o envolvimento de mais atores na gênese do conhecimento, atores de diferentes disciplinas, especialidades, instituições, localidades, países, culturas e realidades sociais. O paradigma tradicional de compartilhamento de dados e resultados científicos por meio apenas de publicações em livros e revistas especializadas não é mais suficiente para atender à demanda contemporânea que necessita não só da disponibilidade dos dados, mas dos processos, análises e métodos e, quando possível, em tempo real, proporcionando uma maior transparência e reprodutibilidade dos resultados. Também não basta a disponibilidade dos dados on-line; estes precisam estar organizados de forma padronizada em formatos úteis e utilizáveis, acessíveis, tanto por interfaces humanas, como também via serviços web. Além da tecnologia e da necessidade científica de compartilhar dados, métodos e análises em diferentes escalas e disciplinas, existe uma necessidade de acesso e uso dos dados e aplicativos para processos de tomada de decisão, também em diferentes escalas, do local ao global. Isso é particularmente verdadeiro quando o tema é meio ambiente e desenvolvimento sustentável. A tese argumenta que a política para dados sobre biodiversidade deve promover o seu acesso livre e aberto. Destaca a importância de políticas de longo prazo voltadas ao desenvolvimento e manutenção contínua de infraestruturas de dados para armazenar, organizar, preservar, recuperar e disseminar on-line, de forma livre e aberta, em formato útil e utilizável, dados e informações sobre biodiversidade, geradas com recursos públicos. Indica a necessidade das agências e do poder público se capacitarem para se apropriarem desses dados e informações disponibilizadas nessas e-infraestruturas. Na tese são analisadas três infraestruturas de dados sobre biodiversidade: a rede global GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility); a rede mexicana Conabio (Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, Mexico) e a rede brasileira speciesLink. Para cada rede é apresentada uma breve análise dos pontos fortes e fracos, buscando elementos para avaliar a adequação das políticas de fomento para o desenvolvimento e manutenção desses sistemas. São também apresentados três exemplos de uso da infraestrutura brasileira, a rede speciesLink: (i) para o monitoramento e acompanhamento de programas e projetos e para avaliação e valorização dos serviços científicos prestados por curadores e taxonomistas; (ii) para a identificação de lacunas de dados e conhecimento sobre a ocorrência de espécies da flora e fungos do Brasil; e (iii) para a definição de estratégias de apoio à informatização dos acervos de coleções biológicas do país. A tese procura mostrar a oportunidade, viabilidade e importância de usar e-infraestruturas em biodiversidade, não só para ampliar o acesso e a usabilidade dos dados para o desenvolvimento científico, mas para a elaboração e avaliação de políticas públicas, inclusive para melhorar a qualidade, confiabilidade e completude dos dados e informaçõesAbstract: The theme of this thesis is the influence of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the circulation of scientific knowledge and its effect on the formulation of public policies on biodiversity. Advances in ICTs are affecting the way in which knowledge is produced and how results are disseminated. ICTs have enabled the involvement of more actors in the genesis of knowledge, actors from different disciplines, specialties, institutions, localities, countries, and from different social and cultural backgrounds. Thus, the traditional paradigm of sharing scientific data and results through books and journals is not sufficient to attend contemporary demands that require not only the availability of data, but also processes, analysis, and methods and, when possible, in real time, providing increased transparency and reproducibility of results. But just making data available on-line is not sufficient. It must be organized following accepted standards, in useful and usable formats, and accessible, both through human interfaces and as web services. In addition to the technology and the need to share scientific data, methods and analysis in different scales and disciplines, there is the need to use a data infrastructure with tools for decision making, also in different scales, from local to global. This is particularly true when the theme is environment and sustainable development. The thesis argues that policy for biodiversity data must promote its free and open access. It also stresses the importance of long term policies for ongoing maintenance and development of electronic biodiversity data infrastructures, responsible for storing, organizing, preserving, recuperating, and for on-line free and open dissemination of information and data, generated with public funding. The thesis also indicates the need for public agents and authorities to make efficient and effective use of the data and information provided by such e-infrastructures. The thesis analyses three biodiversity data infrastructures: the global network GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility); the Mexican network Conabio (Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad, Mexico); and the Brazilian network speciesLink. A brief analysis is presented for each network, evaluating strengths and weaknesses, seeking elements to assess the adequacy of policies to promote the development and maintenance of these systems. Three examples of possible uses of the Brazilian network speciesLink are also presented: (i) for monitoring programs and projects and for the evaluation and acknowledgement of scientific services provided by curators and taxonomists; (ii) to identify data and knowledge gaps on the occurrence of species of flora and fungi of Brazil; and, (iii) to define strategies to support the computerization of biological collections in the country. The thesis aims at showing the opportunity, feasibility and importance of using e-infrastructures in biodiversity, not only to increase access and usability of data for scientific development, but for the development and evaluation of public policies, including those to improve the quality, reliability, and completeness of data and informationDoutoradoPolitica Cientifica e TecnologicaDoutora em Política Científica e Tecnológic

L’herbier virtuel A. de Saint-Hilaire, un nouvel outil évolutif pour étudier la botanique du Brésil

Le nouveau site franco-brésilien « Herbier Virtuel A. de Saint-Hilaire » permettra une consultation dynamique de l’ensemble des spécimens et des manuscrits du naturaliste Auguste de Saint-Hilaire, en offrant un lien entre les photos des spécimens et les données associées qui figurent sur les cahiers de récoltes. Cet outil facilitera le travail de taxonomie et de systématique botanique et donnera la capacité à reconstituer avec précision les trajets et la chronologie des explorations de Saint-Hilaire. L’ensemble des spécimens sera progressivement mis en ligne à la suite de la numérisation de l’herbier de Paris (P). Le site mettra également à disposition les principales publications de Saint-Hilaire. La nomenclature et les déterminations sont maintenues à jour de façon dynamique par un lien avec la base de données SONNERAT du MNHN. Dans ce travail, nous proposons en outre un standard pour la citation correcte des spécimens de Saint-Hilaire.The new Franco-Brazilian website “Saint-Hilaire virtual herbarium” offers dynamic online consultation of all specimens and manuscripts of the naturalist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire, providing links between specimen images and associated textual data, including notes available in his field books. This tool aims at facilitating the work of taxonomy and systematic botany and allowing a more accurate reconstruction of the routes and time frame of Saint-Hilaire’s exploration. All specimens are being digitized by the Paris herbarium (P) and added online. The system will also offer Saint-Hilaire’s major publications online. The nomenclature and determinations are automatically updated through dynamic links to the SONNERAT/MNHN database. In this paper, we propose moreover a standard for the correct citation of Saint-Hilaire specimens.</p

Global Biodiversity Informatics: setting the scene for a “new world” of ecological forecasting

Recent developments in information and communication technology are allowing new experiences in the integration, analysis and visualization of biodiversity information, and are leading to development of a new field of research, biodiversity informatics. Although this field has great potential in diverse realms, including basic biology, human economics, and public health, much of this potential remains to be explored. The success of several concerted international efforts depends largely on broad deployment of biodiversity informatics information and products. Several global and regional efforts are organizing and providing data for conservation and sustainable development research, including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the European Biodiversity Information Network, and the Inter-American Biodiversity Information Network. Critical to development of this field is building a biodiversity information infrastructure, making primary biodiversity data freely and openly available over the Internet. In addition to specimen and taxonomic data, access to non-biological environmental data is critical to spatial analysis and modeling of biodiversity. Adoption of standards and protocols and development of tools for collection management, data-cleaning, georeferencing, and modeling tools, are allowing a quantum leap in the area. Open access to research data and open-source tools are leading to a new era of web services and computational frameworks for spatial biodiversity analysis, bringing new opportunities and dimensions to novel approaches in ecological analysis, predictive modeling, and synthesis and visualization of biodiversity information

1816-2016 bicentenário da chegada de Auguste de Saint-Hilaire no Brasil

2016 foi uma oportunidade para comemorar a chegada do naturalista no Brasil. Podemos citar entre alguns eventos passados e futuros: Primeiro Seminário Franco-Brasileiro Botânica e História Rio de Janeiro 1  a 3 de março de 2016-REFLORA Organizado pelo Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (Rafaela Campostrini Forzza) e o Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Marc Pignal). O objetivo deste seminário é debater questões de botânica e história da ciência. Um simpósio recíproco está prevista em Paris...

L’herbier virtuel A. de Saint-Hilaire, un nouvel outil évolutif pour étudier la botanique du Brésil.

International audienceThe new Franco-Brazilian website “Saint-Hilaire virtual herbarium” offers dynamic online consultation of all specimens and manuscripts of the naturalist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire, providing links between specimen images and associated textual data, including notes available in his field books. This tool aims at facilitating the work of taxonomy and systematic botany and allowing a more accurate reconstruction of the routes and time frame of Saint-Hilaire's exploration. All specimens are being digitized by the Paris herbarium (P) and added online. The system will also offer Saint-Hilaire's major publications online. The nomenclature and determinations are automatically updated through dynamic links to the SONNERAT/MNHN database. In this paper, we propose moreover a standard for the correct citation of Saint-Hilaire specimens.Le nouveau site franco-brésilien « Herbier Virtuel A. de Saint-Hilaire » permettra une consultation dynamique de l’ensemble des spécimens et desmanuscrits du naturaliste Auguste de Saint-Hilaire, en offrant un lien entre les photos des spécimens et les données associées qui figurent sur les cahiers de récoltes. Cet outil facilitera le travail de taxonomie et de systématique botanique et donnera la capacité à reconstituer avec précision les trajets et la chronologie des explorations de Saint-Hilaire. L’ensemble des spécimens sera progressivement mis en ligne à la suite de la numérisation de l’herbier de Paris (P). Le site mettra également à disposition les principales publications de Saint-Hilaire. La nomenclature et les déterminations sont maintenues à jour de façon dynamique par un lien avec la base de données SONNERAT du MNHN. Dans ce travail, nous proposons en outre un standard pour la citation correcte des spécimens de Saint-Hilaire

Building Networks to Promote Knowledge of Brazil’s Biodiversity: The experience of the INCT - Virtual Herbarium

The Botanical Society of Brazil (SBB) for many years discussed the need to improve the nation’s herbarium collections, by providing training and educating botanists as specialists in plant and fungal taxonomy. It was in this context that an audacious project was developed, which envisaged personnel training for studies in plant and fungal diversity (particularly taxonomy and curation of collections) and the organization and online delivery of the label data of plant and fungal specimens from the herbaria of Brazil - the National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) Virtual Herbarium.The INCT-Virtual Herbarium had the benefit of the expertise from existing initiatives which, when brought together, made its development possible within a short period of time. These initiatives included: the Herbaria Network of SBB; the Herbarium Network of the Northeast; the Brazilian National Research and Education Network (RNP); and the Reference Center for Environmental Information (CRIA), responsible for the development and maintenance of the speciesLink Network. When it began in 2009, the INCT-Virtual Herbarium brought together 25 Brazilian herbaria sharing 48 plant and fungal databases online (one herbarium can share more than one data set, e.g., plants, fungi, carpological collection), and two US herbaria. Today, the network includes 140 Brazilian herbaria and 25 herbaria from other countries, which hold collections originating from Brazil, thus creating a national virtual herbarium with 190 data sets, sharing over 11 million data records and over 4.5 million associated images.The INCT-Virtual Herbarium is not only a data aggregator, but also an active and integrated community with common objectives such as: free sharing of good quality data; fomenting the important role of herbaria in documenting knowledge of the flora and funga, training, and developing tools and systems to improve data quality and in identifying data and knowledge gaps to help plan new collecting expeditions.The INCT-Virtual Herbarium chose to adopt a collegiate management model, led by a Management Committee of six members from different institutions, together with coordinators of the following subject areas: flowering plant taxonomy, taxonomy of cryptogams, personnel training, liaison with herbaria, product research, and online information systems. A variety of indicators and applications were developed to make online monitoring of activities viable and these are all freely available to anyone interested. Not only the Management Committee but also each partner herbarium can follow the evolution of the INCT, as well as that of each herbarium, in qualitative and quantitative terms.Besides the scientific community, the INCT reaches the general public and decision-makers, providing information that has improved the understanding of preservation and conservation of Brazil’s biological heritage, represented by the botanical and mycological collections. The INCT Virtual Herbarium adopted the speciesLink platform as the basis for its information system. This platform began its development in 2001 with support from the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), and in 2008 was the only network in Brazil with national scope and international recognition.Some initial decisions on the architecture of the network, which would serve the INCT-Virtual Herbarium were fundamental to its success: the use of international standards and protocols; the concept of minimum interference with the collections, where each data provider could retain sensitive data, having full control of its data; the acceptance of the data without a quality filter, as the network has important tools to identify errors; any changes or corrections are made only by those responsible for the curation of the data; recognition and credit awarded to each and every participant.The speciesLink network uses the Darwin Core data standard (Wieczorek et al. 2012) and participated actively with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and other networks in developing the DiGIR protocol (Distributed Generic Information Retrieval) and its later evolution the TAPIR protocol (TDWG Access Protocol for Information Retrieval). The use of these standards and protocols facilitated the process of repatriating collection data of Brazilian material deposited in herbaria in other countries.In 2015 the INCT Virtual Herbarium started to transfer its data sets to GBIF and SiBBr, the Brazilian Biodiversity Information System and the Brazilian node of GBIF. These data sets are updated every month, but their updating in SiBBr and GBIF depends on indexing actions of these networks. The development of the INCT-Virtual Herbarium network has shown that a large community of widely dispersed scientists can work together around an important objective, providing Brazil's biodiversity data, and benefiting the whole community