1. Campinas, 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 1 Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data William Ulate Rodríguez Biodiversity Informatics Unit This presentation will probably involve audience discussion, which will create action items. Use PowerPoint to keep track of these action items during your presentation In Slide Show, click on the right mouse button Select “Meeting Minder” Select the “Action Items” tab Type in action items as they come up Click OK to dismiss this box This will automatically create an Action Item slide at the end of your presentation with your points entered.

2. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 2 Costa Rica Today Evolution of key indicators from the 2000 UNDP Human Development Report INDICATORUNIT1940196019802000 UNDP Human Development Index Coefficient N.D.0,550,750,71 Population1.0006561,1992,2763,943 Poor Homes%N.D.501921 Life expectancyYears46,962,572,677,4 Child Mortality1.000123681910,2 Literacy%73849095 Per capita PIB 1990 US$ 0,7021,082,0224,028

3. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 3 Costa Rica Today National Income for some of the Main Products

4. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 4 What is INBio? National Biodiversity Institute of Costa Rica Non-governmental non-profit organization Declared of public interest Created in 1989 Strategic alliance with SINAC www.inbio.ac.cr

5. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 5 Mission “To promote a greater level of awareness of the value of biodiversity, as means to ensure its conservation and improve the quality of life of human beings.”

6. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 6 SINAC National Conservation Areas System Collections from Protected Areas Partnership alliance Information needs Capacity building Parataxonomists

7. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 7 Categories Digitalization Access and Interoperability Electronic Catalog of Names Outreach and Capacity Building

8. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 8 Digitalization Information on four levels: 1.Specimens 2.Species 3.Ecosystems 4.Genes

9. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 9 Digitalization 1.Information on specimens GBIF as a first step. Resources vs. workload. Growing trust. 2.Information on species. Beyond basic collection information. Standards and Protocols

10. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 10 Digitalization 3.Information on ecosystems UNESCO’s classification EML (CI’s TEAM) 4.Information on genes A few years ago, Genomics’ goals viability was considered almost unreachable and could be easily underestimated…

11. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 11 Categories Digitalization Access and Interoperability Electronic Catalog of Names Outreach and Capacity Building

12. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 12 Data Access and Interoperability Global and Thematic Networks Using XML, Web services, SOAP, DiGIR More data structured & accessible –ABCD (Access to Biological Collection Data) Schema –TDWG’s SDD (Structure Descriptive Data) subgroup Semantic Web (ontology) –Plant Ontology Consortium (POC) –Inga bella

13. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 13 Categories Digitalization Access and Interoperability Electronic Catalog of Names Outreach and Capacity Building

14. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 14 Electronic Catalogue of Names Global Taxonomical Impediment Several taxonomical hierarchies –Species 2000, ITIS, Nomencurator Morphological and molecular taxonomy To develop in situ conservation actions we understand it might not be necessary to know all biodiversity that is being protected, but we might need to know it to assure we are being successful.

15. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 15 Categories Digitalization Access and Interoperability Electronic Catalog of Names Outreach and Capacity Building

16. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 16 Outreach and Capacity Building Building Mutual Trust among stakeholders How to take that information to decision- makers hands at the right time? Being there Are initiatives really generating information for end-user needs? Needs defined by end-users come out either too specific or too ambiguously (don’t know/anything)

17. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 17 Outreach and Capacity Building Technology should help by... –Accelerating the publishing process –Bringing feedback on the access to information providers –Granting access to scientifically validated information Impact on conservation might be a relevant reward to information providers and the means to get to the users’ real needs.

18. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 18 Atta Effective queries to Atta’s dynamic Web-reports during the first 16 months of operation between May 2001 and Oct. 2002 Total external queries: Total Countries: 1. U.S.A. (3443) 11. Venezuela (50) 2. C.R. (2864) 12. Japan (49) 3. Spain (294) 13. Belgium (46) 4. Mexico (289) 14. Argentina (39) 5. Colombia (100) 15. Netherlands (37) 6. Canada (92) 16. U. K. (34) 7. Germany (85) 17. El Salvador (28) 8. Guatemala (80) 18. Sweden (21) 9. Brazil (62) 19. Austria (16) 10. Peru (62) 20. Chile (15) 7.9 thousand 40 countries (54% from America) 21. Australia (14) 31. Italy (7) 22. Ecuador (13) 32. Norway (7) 23. Nicaragua (12) 33. Panama (5) 24. Russia (12) 34. Portugal (5) 25. France (11) 35. Israel (4) 26. Puerto Rico (11) 36. Bolivia (3) 27. (10) 37. Cuba (2) 28. Korea (8) 38. S. Africa (2) 29. Switzerland (8) 39. Malasia (1) 30. Honduras (7) 40. Ucrania (1)

19. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 19 Atta Effective queries to Atta’s dynamic Web-reports during the first 16 months of operation between May 2001 and Oct. 2002 Most wanted: 1.Plants 2.Insects 3.Mollusks

20. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 20 Atta (Querying statistics from May 2001 to Oct. 2002) Very different types of Institutions (367) : –Academic –Museums –Conservation institution –International Cooperation –Agricultural Research –Pharmaceutical –Internet Service Providers Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin Universite Catholique de Louvain Australian Museum The Nature Conservancy Commission of the European Communities U.S. Department of Agriculture Agriculture and Agrifood Canada Numico Research (The Netherlands) Tokyo Telecommunication Network Co., Inc Jaring (Malasya) Andinatel S.A. (Ecuador)

21. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 21 Biodiversity Information Challenges

22. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 22 Biodiversity Information Challenges Mutual Trust Intellectual property rights. Scientific culture: won’t share until published ITC capacity and network culture Communications infrastructure Lack of standards on information quality Doubts in quality or difficult to verify

23. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 23 Biodiversity Information Issues

24. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 24 Biodiversity Information Issues

25. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 25 Biodiversity Information Challenges We need: –scientifically validated, –relevant, –representative, –up-to-date, –multiple scales, –accesible information.

26. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 26 Biodiversity Information Challenges Friendly tools that generate reports for decision-making (politicians, policy- makers, resource managers, etc.) Capacity building at individual, institutional and country levels Relevance in conservation and sustainable development.

27. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 27 Biodiversity Information Challenges We are betting that sharing public information will bring more knowledge and we expect to increase know-how in return to share it again.

28. Scientific and Technical Issues on Collection and Access to Biodiversity Data 3-6 March, 2004 Inter-American Workshop on Access to Environmental Data 28 THANK YOU