1. The LEDA Traitbase a database on life-history plant traits Irma Knevel 1,2 Renée Bekker 2 Presented by Ingolf Kühn 3 EVR1-CT-2002- 40022 LEDA 1 Landscape Ecology Group, University of Oldenburg (DE) 2 Community and Conservation Ecology Group, University of Groningen (NL) 3 Department of Community Ecology - Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle (UFZ) (DE) - Leda and the swan -

2. Why a life-history database of plant traits? user Fact Changing land use, pollution, eutrophication, fragmentation Essential Understand and predict the consequences Problem Information scattered and unavailable Solution LEDA TRAITBASE Environmental agencies - Land use managers - Policy makers - Researchers

3. LEDA Traitbase  species-trait matrix for ~ 3000 species  with each record referenced  based on firm data standards and protocols  designed as a web-based database  that operates with a user-friendly interface  where users will be able to download (selected) traits What is the LEDA Traitbase? Online ecological data and information management: Ecoinformatics

4. Area selected: NW Europe

5. 1. To predict plant biodiversity and plant mobility in a changing landscape 2. To pool trans-national expertise on:Functional significance of traits Trait classification Trait measurement Planning Restoration & conservation Applied research tool Objectives: Brook restoration Drentse Aa (NL) What can you expect of the LEDA Traitbase? 

6. LEDA Traitbase construction Species-trait matrix: ~ 3000 NW European species >20 traits of key features persistence, regeneration & dispersability Filling of the matrix:  Collation of existing databases  Literature compilation  Unpublished data BiolFlor Seed bank database Additional measurements  Firm protocols & standards Deduction  Extensive measurements of simple morphological traits (Thompson et al. 1997, validation e.g. Funes et al. 1999) E.g. Seed persistence predicted from seed size and shape Gaps:

7.  canopy height  plant growth form (Raunkiaer)  leaf distribution (along the stem)  clonal growth organs (CGO)  persistence mother-daughter connection  leaf mass  leaf size  specific leaf area (SLA)  tissue density  shoot growth form  lateral spread/year 1. Persistence  plant life span  age of first flowering  seed number per shoot  seed shape  seed weight  seed size  seed longevity (soil seed bank) 2. Regeneration  LEDA traits: Persistence & Regeneration

8.  morphology of dispersal unit (anemochory)  releasing height  terminal velocity  attachment capacity dispersal unit (epizoochory)  survival capacity of digestive tract (endozoochory)  buoyancy (hydrochory) 3. Dispersability LEDA traits: Dispersability

9. Traitbase construction: Data flow chart

10. Traitbase: Architectural overview & principles  Relational schema: About 150 tables  Database Management System: Oracle 9i  Web application container: Apache Tomcat 4.1/5.0  Extensibility: Addition of traits does not require major changes  Openness: Arbitrary SQL queries in addition to standard queries  Reproducibility: Results of online-queries are citable due to versioning Web Application Container Web Application Container Web Query Interface Web Data Input Web Reporting Tool Web Tool for Data-Mining Database System Data Importing Tools

11. Example: Online input form

12. LEDA Traitbase: Status April 2004 Persistence Regeneration Dispersability Average data available = 42% x = data collection finished

13. and visit www.leda-traitbase.org for more information - PLEASE CONTRIBUTE YOUR DATA - Call for help Freely accessible and available November 2005 Thank you for your attention !

14. Landscape Ecology Group - Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (DE) Laboratory of Plant Ecology - University of Groningen (NL) Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology - University of Nijmegen (NL) OFFIS Oldenburg/Computer Science - Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (DE) Institute of Botany - University of Regensburg (DE) Department of Animal and Plant Sciences - University of Sheffield (UK) Department of Plant Ecology - Institute of Botany (CZ) Department of Community Ecology - Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle (DE) Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NO) Laboratory of Forest, Nature & Landscape Research - University of Leuven (BE) The LEDA Traitbase project is funded through the 5 th framework of the EC under the Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Development programme (EESD). Acknowledgements Photo’s by University of Groningen except:  Bishops museum (http://aliens.bishopmuseum.org) -  T. Teearu -  M. Mouissie (RUG) -  Hunze Aa (http://www. hunzeenaas.nl) -  Offwell Woodland & Wildlife Trust (http://www.offwell.free-online.co.uk) -  J. Smalley (http://www.lbap.org.uk/HTML /habitat/ CGrass.htm) -  University of Regensburg LEDA Traitbase partners: