II Course on GBIF Node Management Arusha, Tanzania 31 st October and 1 st November 2008 The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Alberto GONZÁLEZ-TALAVÁN Programme Officer for Training GBIF Secretariat

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility SUMMARY 1.Introduction: about this speech. 2.GBIF Basics: mission, open access to biodiversity data, principles… 3.Primary Biodiversity Data: definition, types, users, uses, access, sharing… 4.GBIF Structure: membership, partners, governance & history. 5.Benefits of GBIF: for managers, science, education, developing countries... 6.Conclusions.

INTRODUCTION This speech is an overview of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility - GBIF, in order to give to the listener a general idea of the work that GBIF is doing worldwide, its history, philosophy, structure, etc. The GBIF Secretariat, Denmark The Global Biodiversity Information Facility This lecture is presented by Alberto González-Talaván, Training Officer at the GBIF Secretariat in Copenhagen, Denmark. Most of the practical implementation of GBIF is carried out by its participants, through their own biodiversity facilities and networks, called GBIF Participant Nodes. The importance and role of GBIF Participant Nodes is subject of other lectures in this course, and will not be highlighted here. Please refer to these other lectures for further information.

GBIF BASICS The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Priorities: mobilise biodiversity data, develop protocols and standards, build an informatics architecture, promote capacity building, and catalyse development of analytical tools for improved decision-making. The MISSION of GBIF is to facilitate free and open access to biodiversity data worldwide, via the Internet, to underpin sustainable development.

GBIF BASICS Statement on Open Access to Biodiversity Data The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Research councils and other funding agencies around the world should: promote the inclusion of plans for maintenance and sharing of biodiversity data generated by funded research projects. promote the open dissemination and public availability of these data through mechanisms that cooperate with GBIF. Adopted by the GBIF Governing Board, January 2006

GBIF BASICS GBIF's place in the biodiversity information landscape: The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Promotes digitisation of species-level data. Creates a taxonomic backbone to connect different types of data. Develops information architecture and tools (web services, standards, protocols). Facilitates linkages among different biodiversity levels: molecular, species and ecosystem data.

GBIF BASICS Why facilitate linkages? The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Biological information is in many fragments… Pulling it all together leads to many benefits - the whole is greater than the sum of the parts GBIF helps to connect the pieces to enable questioning across levels of biodiversity...

GBIF BASICS GBIF's role among biodiversity information networks The Global Biodiversity Information Facility

GBIF BASICS GBIF Working Principles (1/2) The Global Biodiversity Information Facility PHILOSOPHY Open and free access to biodiversity data. Avoidance of duplication of efforts. Underpin sustainable development. ARCHITECTURE Distributed network. Common standards and protocols. Procedures for interoperability and data integration. Web services (mostly for machines, but for people too). Global registry for advertisement of shared data.

GBIF BASICS GBIF Working Principles (2/2) The Global Biodiversity Information Facility COMMUNITY BUILDING Protection of Intellectual Property Rights at all levels. Data sources get full accreditation and citation. Collaboraton and sharing of expertise. Ownership of data remains entirely with data publishers. Open source software free and built by the community. Worldwide network of collaborating institutions that share data. GBIF’s Participants’ Nodes promote and coordinate activities of data publishers.

The Virtual herbarium of Mexico holds 700,000 records from 25 institutions. Source: CONABIO (Mexico). PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA GBIF’s focus is on primary biodiversity data The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Primary biodiversity data that are available digitally can significantly improve decision-making and research (as demonstrated by CONABIO of Mexico) Primary data, because at present they are difficult or too time- consuming to access, are not often used in natural resource policy or management decisions

What GBIF means by “primary biodiversity data”? (1/2) The Global Biodiversity Information Facility 1.Censuses, monitor projects, bird banding data, etc. The data is in associated notes, recordings, reports, publications, etc. Observational data Primary Biodiversity Data* is defined as: Digital text or multimedia data record detailing facts about the instance of occurrence of an organism, i.e. on the what, where, when, how and by whom of the occurrence and the recording. * Primary Biodiversity Data definition from the draft GBIF Work Programme Label data on ~ billion specimens in natural history collections, herbaria, botanical gardens, etc. These data have been amassed over ~ 300 years = legacy data. Need to be digitised. Natural History data PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA

What GBIF means by “primary biodiversity data”? (2/2) The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Multimedia data 4.Available from research facilities, but also on the internet. Most of them are already digital. Metadata is essential (different levels). 3.In the form of species desciptions, surveys, tables, maps, etc. Very few information digitised. Automated digitisations partially possible. Literature data Other types 5.Still to be discovered! PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA

Users of GBIF-mediated data The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Scientists, experts, Government officials at all levels, Education at all levels, International organisations and conventions, NGOs and the general public These needs are highly varied, but can be met by open access to the same data(sets). The same data can be analysed differently for different uses. PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA Source: CONABIO (Mexico)

Uses of GBIF-mediated data The Global Biodiversity Information Facility What can you do with georeferenced biodiversity data? Predict effects of climate change Analyse and predict spread of pests and diseases of humans, crops, livestock, wildlife, etc. Predict best places to set up new protected areas Analyse invasive species and predict invasion pathways Provide policymaker-relevant data of all kinds Be a resource for biodiversity science communities Chapman, A. D Uses of Primary Species-Occurrence Data, version 1.0. Report for the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Copenhagen. PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA

GBIF information infrastructure The Global Biodiversity Information Facility PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA

The GBIF Data Portal: data.gbif.org The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Integrates biodiversity data from many sources. Searches:  taxonomic,  geographic:  country,  region, or  bounding-box  by dataset,  or a combination of these Taxonomic browse navigation using choice of classification Multilingual interface Automated web services PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA

GBIF total georeferenced data The Global Biodiversity Information Facility 116 million georeferenced records from a total of 150+ million records, mapped to a 1 X 1 degree grid (Oct 2008) PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA

Biodiversity and information about it are unevenly distributed…. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility biodiversity hotspot holder of large amounts of biodiversity data PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA

GBIF Facilitates Sharing Data with countries of origin The Global Biodiversity Information Facility GBIF-mediated data on the developing world from developed-world institutions PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA

GBIF Statement on Mobilising and Sharing Biodiversity Data with Countries of Origin The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Natural history institutions housing data from other countries should ensure that these are digitised and made openly available. Funding agencies around the world should provide funding for research, capacity building, training and other relevant activities that include digitisation and open dissemination of biodiversity data. Adopted in keeping with CBD Article 17 by the GBIF Governing Board, October 2007 PRIMARY BIODIVERSITY DATA

GBIF STRUCTURE Participating in GBIF (1/3) The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Associate Participants Associate Participants are countries or international organisations that: Sign the Memorandum of Understanding Establish and maintain a GBIF node Voting Participants Voting Participants are countries that in addition: Participate actively in GBIF governance and in the implementation of the GBIF Work Programme. Contribute financially to the GBIF Work Programme.

GBIF STRUCTURE Participating in GBIF (2/3) The Global Biodiversity Information Facility 1.Argentina 2.Australia 3.Austria 4.Belgium 5.Benin 6.Burkina Faso 7.Bulgaria 8.Cameroon 9.Canada 10.Colombia 11.Costa Rica 12.Cuba 13.Denmark 14.Equatorial Guinea 15.Estonia 16.Finland 17.France 18.Germany 19.Ghana 20.Guinea 21.Iceland 22.India 23.Indonesia 24.Ireland 25.Japan 26.Kenya 27.Korea (Republic of) 28.Luxembourg 29.Madagascar 30.Mexico 31.Morocco 32.Netherlands 33.New Zealand 34.Nicaragua 35.Norway 36.Pakistan 37.Peru 38.Philippines 39.Poland 40.Portugal 41.Slovak Republic 42.Slovenia 43.South Africa 44.Spain 45.Sweden 46.Switzerland 47.Tanzania 48.United Kingdom 49.United States of America 49 countries (Oct 2008)

GBIF STRUCTURE Participating in GBIF (3/3) The Global Biodiversity Information Facility 39 international organisations (Oct 2008) 1.BioNET International 2.ANDINONET 3.ASEANET 4.EASIANET 5.SAFRINET 6.Bioversity International 7.BGCI 8.CABI Bioscience 9.CETAF 10.CBOL 11.CYTED 12.Discover Life 13.DIVERSITAS 14.EOL 15.EWT 16.ETI Bioinformatics 17.Finding Species 18.FreshwaterLife 19.IABIN 20.ICIPE 21.ICZN 22.ILTER 23.ISIS 24.ITIS 25.MSEF 26.NatureServe 27.NORDGEN 28.NSCA 29.OBIS 30.PBIF 31.SCAR 32.Species SPNHC 34.TDWG 35.UNEP – WCMC 36.WDCBE 37.WFCC 38.Wildscreen

GBIF STRUCTURE The Global Biodiversity Information Facility GBIF Information Infrastructure Data web services OGC services Global index Registry Metadata management GBIF is an essential partner for many information initiatives

GBIF STRUCTURE GBIF Gobernance The Global Biodiversity Information Facility 1.Governing Board (GB) Establishes policy Oversees finances through its Budget Committee Intersessional actions delegated to its Executive Committee 2.Standing Committees Executive Committee Budget Committee Rules Committee Science Committee Nodes Committee 3.Secretariat Carries out GBIF Work Programme Coordinates activities of the Nodes Promotes GBIF principles Encourages participation in GBIF Recommends policies to Governing Board

GBIF STRUCTURE GBIF Plans The Global Biodiversity Information Facility GBIF is implemented through: Strategic plans: published every FIVE years. They describe the general framework for the work of GBIF. Current strategic plan: : From prototype towards full operation Work Plans: published every TWO years. Work plans include details on the practical implementation and the activities that will be carried out to complete the vision described in the strategic plan. The Work Plan for will be discussed during the 15 th meeting of the GBIF Governing Board in Arusha (Tanzania) in Nov

GBIF STRUCTURE Short GBIF HISTORY: The Global Biodiversity Information Facility January Idea was proposed by the Global Science Forum of the OECD. June 1999 – Endorsed by OECD Science Ministers (but required that GBIF involve whole world, not just OECD countries). March GBIF was established. February Prototype data portal opened (proof of concept of distributed, interoperable biodiversity data). July GBIF Data Portal launched. October 2008 Now the portal serves +150 million data records, from 7621 datasets served by 266 data provider installations in 35 countries. About 60% is observational data and 40% specimen-based.

BENEFITS OF GBIF For policy and management The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Prediction of patterns of spread of new diseases. Ability to understand effects of ecological change on biological resources (forests, fisheries, agriculture, ecotourism, etc.) Evidence-based regulation of GMO crops. Rapid identification and information about control of invasive species. Better prediction of areas most suitable for nature reserves. Means of analysis of environmental concerns.

BENEFITS OF GBIF In conservation and science The Global Biodiversity Information Facility 1.Biodiversity modeling: Current species occurrence. Correlation of species occurrence with ecological parameters. Potential localities for species believed to be rare. Prediction of change in species occurrences based on environmental change. Prediction of spread of invasive species. 2.Large datasets immediately available: Tools for data-cleaning provided. Feedback to data providers very welcome.

BENEFITS OF GBIF For developing countries The Global Biodiversity Information Facility 1.Access to information associated with a country’s primary biodiversity data that are housed in foreign institutions: Travel to obtain the data not required. Difficulty of repatriating and expense of housing actual specimens is avoided. 2.Ability to share fully in the common store of humanity’s knowledge about biodiversity. 3.Opportunity for training in the expert development and use of biodiversity information. 4.GBIF support of and cooperation with GTI and BioNET helps to build in-country taxonomic capacity. 5.GBIF’s Capacity Enhancement Programme for Developing Countries (CEPDEC).

BENEFITS OF GBIF For education and the general public The Global Biodiversity Information Facility 1.Greater amount of reliable scientific content about biodiversity on the Internet. 2.Participant nodes will encourage digitisation of data from their own countries. 3.GBIF and GBIF nodes portals will share data that can be customized to user needs 4.Web portals can be designed to draw on GBIF data but have specific audiences of their own, e.g. World Database of Protected Areas BioCASE Zipcode Zoo

BENEFITS OF GBIF To data publishers The Global Biodiversity Information Facility 1.Higher visibility of the institution or research project as useful to society Global dissemination of the data. Source of the data will be attributed when used. Increases the possibility for future funding and collaboration. 2.Contribution to the ability of everyone to share in the common store of humanity’s knowledge about biodiversity. 3.Feedback from users helps in data quality improvement. 4.Saves collection management resources.

BENEFITS OF GBIF For biodiversity researchers The Global Biodiversity Information Facility GBIF is a distributed megascience facility that, when mature, will provide: 1.access to a persistent data store for specimen and species level data, thus filling a niche similar to that of GenBank for DNA-level data. 2.easy online access to georeferenced biodiversity data via a network portal. 3.a complete, global, electronic index to scientific names and thus to the scientific literature and databases. 4.a means to link together data from disparate sources (e.g. DNA, specimen, species observation and ecosystem) to answer complex questions. 5.opportunities for within- and cross-disciplinary collaboration. 6.a means to infuse biodiversity policy and management decisions with real, scientific data. 7.modern data management and data sharing approaches in taxonomic practice, training and education that will enhance career opportunities.

CONCLUSIONS 1.GBIF’s mission is to facilitate free and open access to biodiversity data. 2.GBIF does its work in partnership with others, avoiding duplication of efforts. 3.GBIF membership is composed of countries and international organisations. 4.GBIF is based in a distributed network and operates in a decentralised manner. 5.GBIF’s work is at present mainly focused in primary biodiversity data, but other types of biodiversity data are also being tackled. 6.Access to GBIF-mediated data is done though data portals (like data.gbif.org), and other web services. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility 7.Data sharing with countries of origin is of paramount importance for GBIF. 8.The benefits of GBIF spread across many sectors: science, policy, conservation, education, developing countries, data publishers…

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility Alberto GONZÁLEZ-TALAVÁN Programme Officer for Training GBIF Secretariat Universitetsparken 15 DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark Tel: Fax: Web: II Course on GBIF Node Management Arusha, Tanzania 31 st October and 1 st November 2008