A review of the heterogeneous landscape of biodiversity databases: Opportunities and challenges for a synthesized biodiversity knowledge base
Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Review › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
Aim: Addressing global environmental challenges requires access to biodiversity data across wide spatial, temporal and taxonomic scales. Availability of such data has increased exponentially recently with the proliferation of biodiversity databases. However, heterogeneous coverage, protocols, and standards have hampered integration among these databases. To stimulate the next stage of data integration, here we present a synthesis of major databases, and investigate (a) how the coverage of databases varies across taxonomy, space, and record type; (b) what degree of integration is present among databases; (c) how integration of databases can increase biodiversity knowledge; and (d) the barriers to database integration. Location: Global. Time period: Contemporary. Major taxa studied: Plants and vertebrates. Methods: We reviewed 12 established biodiversity databases that mainly focus on geographic distributions and functional traits at global scale. We synthesized information from these databases to assess the status of their integration and major knowledge gaps and barriers to full integration. We estimated how improved integration can increase the data coverage for terrestrial plants and vertebrates. Results: Every database reviewed had a unique focus of data coverage. Exchanges of biodiversity information were common among databases, although not always clearly documented. Functional trait databases were more isolated than those pertaining to species distributions. Variation and potential incompatibility of taxonomic systems used by different databases posed a major barrier to data integration. We found that integration of distribution databases could lead to increased taxonomic coverage that corresponds to 23 years’ advancement in data accumulation, and improvement in taxonomic coverage could be as high as 22.4% for trait databases. Main conclusions: Rapid increases in biodiversity knowledge can be achieved through the integration of databases, providing the data necessary to address critical environmental challenges. Full integration across databases will require tackling the major impediments to data integration: taxonomic incompatibility, lags in data exchange, barriers to effective data synchronization, and isolation of individual initiatives.
Originalsprog | Engelsk |
---|---|
Tidsskrift | Global Ecology and Biogeography |
Vol/bind | 31 |
Udgave nummer | 7 |
Sider (fra-til) | 1242-1260 |
Antal sider | 19 |
ISSN | 1466-822X |
DOI | |
Status | Udgivet - 2022 |
Bibliografisk note
Funding Information:
B.J.E., B.J.M., B.B. and C.M. were supported by NSF ABI‐1565118. B.J.E., C.M., B.S.M., B.B. were supported by NSF HDR‐1934790. B.J.E., B.M., N.J.B.K., C.V., and B.J.M. acknowledge the FREE group funded by the synthesis center CESAB of the French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB) and EDF. J.‐C.S. and B.J.E. acknowledge support from the Center for Informatics Research on Complexity in Ecology (CIRCE), funded by the Aarhus University Research Foundation under the AU Ideas program. This work was conducted as a part of the BIEN Working Group, 2008–2012. We thank all the data contributors and numerous herbaria who have contributed their data to various data compiling organizations (see the Supplementary Materials) for the invaluable data and support provided to BIEN. We thank the New York Botanical Garden; Missouri Botanical Garden; Utrecht Herbarium; the UNC Herbarium; and GBIF, REMIB, and SpeciesLink. The staff at CyVerse provided critical computational assistance. We thank the more than 50 scientists who participated in our various BIEN working group and subgroup meetings since 2008 including B. Blonder, K. Engemann, E. Fegraus, J. Cavender‐Bares, B. Dobrin, K. Gendler, R. Jorgensen, G. Lopez‐Gonzalez, L. Zhenyuan, S. McKay, O. Phillips, J. Pickering, N. Swenson, C. Vriesendorp, and K. Woods, who participated in a working group meeting, and D. Ackerly, E. Garnier, R. Guralnick, W. Jetz, J. Macklin, N. Matasci, S. Ramteke, and A. Zanne who participated in subgroup meetings. We also acknowledge the critical support of the University of Arizona high‐performance computing resources via the Research Data Center as well as iPlant and CyVerse support from R. Jorgensen, S. Goff, N. Matasci, N. Merchant, M. Narrow, and R. Walls. Furthermore, the long‐term vision, encouragement, and computational support of F. Davis, S. Hampton, M. Jones, N. Outin, and the ever‐helpful staff at NCEAS were critical for the completion of this first stage of the BIEN working group. Special thanks to K. Koenig for cartographic support. We acknowledge the herbaria that contributed data to this work: A, AAH, AAS, AAU, ABH, ACAD, ACOR, AD, AFS, AK, AKPM, ALCB, ALTA, ALU, AMD, AMES, AMNH, AMO, ANGU, ANSM, ANSP, AQP, ARAN, ARIZ, AS, ASDM, ASU, AUT, AV, AWH, B, BA, BAA, BAB, BABY, BACP, BAF, BAFC, BAI, BAJ, BAL, BARC, BAS, BBB, BBS, BC, BCMEX, BCN, BCRU, BEREA, BESA, BG, BH, BHCB, BIO, BISH, BLA, BM, BOCH, BOL, BOLV, BONN, BOON, BOTU, BOUM, BPI, BR, BREM, BRI, BRIT, BRLU, BRM, BSB, BUT, C, CALI, CAN, CANB, CANU, CAS, CATA, CATIE, CAY, CBM, CDA, CDBI, CEN, CEPEC, CESJ, CGE, CGMS, CHAM, CHAPA, CHAS, CHR, CHSC, CIB, CICY, CIIDIR, CIMI, CINC, CLEMS, CLF, CMM, CMMEX, CNPO, CNS, COA, COAH, COCA, CODAGEM, COFC, COL, COLO, CONC, CORD, CP, CPAP, CPUN, CR, CRAI, CRP, CS, CSU, CSUSB, CTES, CTESN, CU, CUVC, CUZ, CVRD, DAO, DAV, DBG, DBN, DES, DLF, DNA, DPU, DR, DS, DSM, DUKE, DUSS, E, EA, EAC, EAN, EBUM, ECON, EIF, EIU, EMMA, ENCB, ER, ERA, ESA, ETH, F, FAA, FAU, FAUC, FB, FCME, FCO, FCQ, FEN, FHO, FI, FLAS, FLOR, FM, FR, FRU, FSU, FTG, FUEL, FULD, FURB, G, GAT, GB, GDA, GENT, GES, GH, GI, GLM, GMDRC, GMNHJ, GOET, GRA, GUA, GZU, H, HA, HAC, HAL, HAM, HAMAB, HAO, HAS, HASU, HB, HBG, HBR, HCIB, HEID, HGM, HIB, HIP, HNT, HO, HPL, HRCB, HRP, HSC, HSS, HU, HUA, HUAA, HUAL, HUAZ, HUCP, HUEFS, HUEM, HUFU, HUJ, HUSA, HUT, HXBH, HYO, IAA, IAC, IAN, IB, IBGE, IBK, IBSC, IBUG, ICEL, ICESI, ICN, IEA, IEB, ILL, ILLS, IMSSM, INB, INEGI, INIF, INM, INPA, IPA, IPRN, IRVC, ISC, ISKW, ISL, ISTC, ISU, IZAC, IZTA, JACA, JBAG, JBGP, JCT, JE, JEPS, JOTR, JROH, JUA, JYV, K, KIEL, KMN, KMNH, KOELN, KOR, KPM, KSC, KSTC, KSU, KTU, KU, KUN, KYO, L, LA, LAGU, LBG, LD, LE, LEB, LIL, LINC, LINN, LISE, LISI, LISU, LL, LMS, LOJA, LOMA, LP, LPAG, LPB, LPD, LPS, LSU, LSUM, LTB, LTR, LW, LYJB, LZ, M, MA, MACF, MAF, MAK, MARS, MARY, MASS, MB, MBK, MBM, MBML, MCNS, MEL, MELU, MEN, MERL, MEXU, MFA, MFU, MG, MGC, MICH, MIL, MIN, MISSA, MJG, MMMN, MNHM, MNHN, MO, MOL, MOR, MPN, MPU, MPUC, MSB, MSC, MSUN, MT, MTMG, MU, MUB, MUR, MVFA, MVFQ, MVJB, MVM, MW, MY, N, NA, NAC, NAS, NCU, NE, NH, NHM, NHMC, NHT, NLH, NM, NMB, NMNL, NMR, NMSU, NSPM, NSW, NT, NU, NUM, NY, NZFRI, O, OBI, ODU, OS, OSA, OSC, OSH, OULU, OWU, OXF, P, PACA, PAMP, PAR, PASA, PDD, PE, PEL, PERTH, PEUFR, PFC, PGM, PH, PKDC, PLAT, PMA, POM, PORT, PR, PRC, PRE, PSU, PY, QCA, QCNE, QFA, QM, QRS, QUE, R, RAS, RB, RBR, REG, RELC, RFA, RIOC, RM, RNG, RSA, RYU, S, SACT, SALA, SAM, SAN, SANT, SAPS, SASK, SAV, SBBG, SBT, SCFS, SD, SDSU, SEL, SEV, SF, SFV, SGO, SI, SIU, SJRP, SJSU, SLPM, SMDB, SMF, SNM, SOM, SP, SPF, SPSF, SQF, SRFA, STL, STU, SUU, SVG, TAES, TAI, TAIF, TALL, TAM, TAMU, TAN, TASH, TEF, TENN, TEPB, TEX, TFC, TI, TKPM, TNS, TO, TOYA, TRA, TRH, TROM, TRT, TRTE, TU, TUB, U, UADY, UAM, UAMIZ, UB, UBC, UC, UCMM, UCR, UCS, UCSB, UCSC, UEC, UESC, UFG, UFMA, UFMT, UFP, UFRJ, UFRN, UFS, UGDA, UH, UI, UJAT, ULM, ULS, UME, UMO, UNA, UNB, UNCC, UNEX, UNITEC, UNL, UNM, UNR, UNSL, UPCB, UPEI, UPNA, UPS, US, USAS, USF, USJ, USM, USNC, USP, USZ, UT, UTC, UTEP, UU, UVIC, UWO, V, VAL, VALD, VDB, VEN, VIT, VMSL, VT, W, WAG, WAT, WELT, WFU, WII, WIN, WIS, WMNH, WOLL, WS, WTU, WU, XAL, YAMA, Z, ZMT, ZSS, and ZT. The BIEN working group was supported by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, a center funded by NSF EF‐0553768 at the University of California, Santa Barbara and the State of California. Additional support for the BIEN working group was provided by iPlant/CyVerse via NSF DBI‐0735191.
Funding Information:
X.F., B.J.E., D.S.P., D.D.B., A.L., E.A.N., J.R.B., K.M.H., K.E., E.B., M.M.N.‐R., T.D.W., and L.L.‐H. acknowledge the support from The University of Arizona Office of Research, Discovery, and Innovation, Institute of the Environment, the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, and the College of Science on the postdoctoral cluster initiative—Bridging Biodiversity and Conservation Science. R.V.G. acknowledges support from Australian Research Council (ARC) Grant DE170100208. L.H. and P.R.R. acknowledge support from Global Environment Facility (GEF). N.J.B.K. was partially supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) #1644641. B.J.M. acknowledges support from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Hatch grant MAFES #1011538 and NSF EPSCOR 2019470. C.M. acknowledges support from NSF Grant DBI‐1913673. N.M.‐H. acknowledges support from the Carlsberg Foundation and support from the Danish, and National Research Foundation to the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate (grant DNRF96). B.J.E. and D.M.N. acknowledge support from NSF DEB (grant 1556651). D.M.N. acknowledges support from Instituto Serrapilheira/Brazil (grant Serra‐1912‐32082). I.Š. acknowledges support from GAČR EXPRO 20‐29554X. J.‐C.S. considers this work a contribution to his VILLUM Investigator project ‘Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World’ funded by VILLUM FONDEN (grant 16549) and the TREECHANGE project funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research | Natural Sciences (grant 6108‐00078B). C.V. was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant Project ‘Ecophysiological and biophysical constraints on domestication in crop plants’ (Grant ERC‐StG‐2014‐639706‐CONSTRAINTS). S.W. acknowledges support from the Strategic Science Investment Fund from the NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
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© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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