Using biodiversity data
in conservation biology
Dmitry Schigel, Alberto González-Talaván, Tim Hirsch
GBIF Secretariat
SOURCES AND USES
Uses of biodiversity data
Taxonomy, conservation, biosecurity, land-use planning, climate change response,
crop development, resource management, materials development, forensics …
Sources of biodiversity data
Collections, field observations, monitoring activities, genomics, citizen science,
remote sensing, expert knowledge, historical literature, ...
www.gbif.org
WHAT IS GBIF?
Free and open access to
biodiversity information
International open data
research and policy
infrastructure
Funded by governments
92 members:
54 countries &
38 institutions
http://www.gbif.org/participation/summary
GBIF BY THE NUMBERS
574,876,004
species occurrence records
1,611,321
species
15,817
datasets
760
data-publishing institutions
www.gbif.org
GBIF FOR SCIENCE
400
~ 1.5 peer-reviewed
publications a day
350
357
300
250
249
229
200
193
169
150
148
100
89
50
52
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015 (Jan-Jun)
annual number of peer-reviewed publications using GBIF-mediated data
http://www.gbif.org/resources/3427
TYPES OF DATA SHARED THROUGH GBIF
Specimen data from
museum collections
Citizen science
observations
Citizen
Science
33%
67%
Records extracted
from literature
NEW: Projects, surveys, expeditions: sample-based data
www.gbif.org
Extending GBIF for sample-based biodiversity data:
defined sampling protocols and species abundances
Species
Event
Quantity
Sample size
Protocol
Vanessa
cardui
Species
PlotA-2014-06
Event
6 individuals
Quantity
1 kmSample sizeButterfly
transect
Protocol
AglaisVanessa
urticae
4 individuals
Butterfly
transect
cardui PlotA-2014-06
PlotA-2014-07
3 individuals
transect
Species
Event
Quantity 1 km1 kmSample
sizeButterfly
Protocol
Inachis
io Pieris
PlotA-2014-06
1 individual
1 km1 km1 km Butterfly
transect
Aglais
urticae
PlotA-2014-07
8 individuals
Butterfly
transect
rapae
PlotA-2014-08
1 individuals
Butterfly
transect
Thecla
betulae
Aglais
urticae PlotA-2014-07
PlotA-2014-08 2 individuals
3 individuals
1 km1 km
Butterfly
transect
Butterfly
transect
Comparable
Species
Event
Quantity
Sample size
Protocol
PierisSpecies
rapae
PlotB-2014-06
Event
12 individuals
Quantity
1 km Sample size
Butterfly
transect
Protocol
Vanessa
cardui
8 individuals
Butterfly
transect
Pieris
rapae PlotB-2014-06
PlotB-2014-07
15 individuals
Butterfly
transect
Species
Event
Quantity 1 km 1 km Sample
size
Protocol
AglaisVanessa
urticae
PlotB-2014-06
3 individuals
1 km 1 km 1 km Butterfly
transect
cardui
PlotB-2014-07
4 individuals
Butterfly
transect
Pieris
rapae
PlotB-2014-08
8 individuals
Butterfly
transect
AglaisAglais
urticae
urticae PlotB-2014-07
PlotB-2014-08 1 individuals
2 individuals
1 km 1 km
Butterfly
transect
Butterfly
transect
Not comparable
Species
Event
Quantity
Sample size
Protocol
Platichthys flesus
DiveX-20120301
3 individuals
500 m2
Fish dive survey
Sprattus sprattus
DiveX-20120301
71 individuals
500 m2
Fish dive survey
DATA USE: CONSERVATION PRIORITIES
30 endemic Cerrado lizards
Occurrences from GBIF and other sources
MAXENT distribution models
Conservation targets based on
natural rarity, vulnerability, life history
Gap analysis on strictly protected areas
Only one species adequately protected
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2014.09.016
INVASIVE SPECIES WATCH LISTS
20 million records for 884 species
GBIF & Global Invasive Species Database
Models of invasion success for SA:
env suitability & propagule pressure
Watch list of 400 potential invaders
Methodology applicable to any region
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2014.08.014
Conservation challenges in a threatened hotspot: agriculture and
plant biodiversity losses in Baja California, Mexico
Biodiversity and
Conservation
Sula Vanderplank • Exequiel Ezcurra • Jose Delgadillo • Richard Felger •
Lucinda A. McDade
Modern agricultural practices pose
threats to biodiversity worldwide
Historical collections indicate that
habitat loss to agriculture has been a
direct cause of species losses
78% of the vernal pool taxa have been
lost from the flora and 11 % of plants of
riparian and pond habitats
Floristic survey 2005 – 2010, plus
BajaFlora.org, SEINET, CONABIO, and
GBIF
DOI 10.1007/s10531-014-0711-9
Balancing bioenergy and biosecurity policies: estimating current and
future climate suitability patterns for a bioenergy crop
D. J. Kriticos, T.Murphy, T. Jovanovic, J. Taylor, Her* ,J . Rai Son, D.
O’connell
• Paradox: bioenergy crops offer potential benefits to
a world adjusting to climate change, as well as
potential ecological and economic threats
• bioclimatic niche model for a candidate biofuel crop
Millettia pinnata
• Australia as a case study
• comparatively quick and easy method to can
produce a rich array of data products to inform the
interests of both bioenergy proponents and
biosecurity regulators.
doi: 10.1111/gcbb.12068
ENHANCING DATA FITNESS FOR USE
Two task groups on data fitness for use consulting with
professional communities on:
— Agricultural biodiversity
Chair: Elizabeth Arnaud, Bioversity International
— Distribution modelling
Chair: Jorge Soberón, University of Kansas
Recommendations, best practices, and data demands
Data profiles with University of São Paulo, Brazil
Future work - welcome to collaborate!
on marine, invasive & alien species, DNA evidence
www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1308933111
GBIF AND DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIERS
DOI – Digital Object Identifier
•
•
•
•
Persistent resolvable identifiers
Standard for published papers
Simplify citing references
Used in measuring impact
GBIF AND DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIERS
http://www.gbif.org/newsroom/news/ipt-release-supports-doi-citation
EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT AND GLOBAL RELEVANCE
needs in globally aggregated data
Convention on Biological Diversity
data as indicator for Aichi Targets
Global Biodiversity Outlook
regional and national-level products
Intergovernmental platform on
biodiversity & ecosystem services
GBIF as resource, observer and
technical advisor
International Union
for Conservation of Nature
partnership to integrate data and
knowledge products
www.gbif.org