1. Research applications of primary biodiversity databases in the digital age
- Author
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Raphael LaFrance, Robert P. Guralnick, Laura Brenskelle, Narayani Barve, Rüdiger Bieler, Pamela S. Soltis, Petra Sierwald, Joan E. Ball-Damerow, Arturo H. Ariño, and Silva, Daniel de Paiva
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,0301 basic medicine ,Databases, Factual ,Computer science ,Species distribution ,Biodiversity ,Plant Science ,computer.software_genre ,01 natural sciences ,Database and Informatics Methods ,Taxonomic rank ,Database Searching ,media_common ,Data Management ,Conservation Science ,Multidisciplinary ,Ecology ,Database ,Publications ,Eukaryota ,Plant taxonomy ,Vertebrates ,Medicine ,Taxonomy (biology) ,Research Article ,Computer and Information Sciences ,Conservation of Natural Resources ,Life on Land ,General Science & Technology ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Science ,Research and Analysis Methods ,010603 evolutionary biology ,03 medical and health sciences ,Databases ,Animals ,Quality (business) ,Ecosystem ,Factual ,Taxonomy ,Research ,Ecology and Environmental Sciences ,Organisms ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Plant Taxonomy ,Invertebrates ,Species Interactions ,030104 developmental biology ,Habitat destruction ,Taxon ,Data quality ,Species richness ,computer - Abstract
We are in the midst of unprecedented change—climate shifts and sustained, widespread habitat degradation have led to dramatic declines in biodiversity rivaling historical extinction events. At the same time, new approaches to publishing and integrating previously disconnected data resources promise to help provide the evidence needed for more efficient and effective conservation and management. Stakeholders have invested considerable resources to contribute to online databases of species occurrences and genetic barcodes. However, estimates suggest that only 10% of biocollections are available in digital form. The biocollections community must therefore continue to promote digitization efforts, which in part requires demonstrating compelling applications of the data. Our overarching goal is therefore to determine trends in use of mobilized species occurrence data since 2010, as online systems have grown and now provide over one billion records. To do this, we characterized 501 papers that use openly accessible biodiversity databases. Our standardized tagging protocol was based on key topics of interest, including: database(s) used, taxa addressed, general uses of data, other data types linked to species occurrence data, and data quality issues addressed. We found that the most common uses of online biodiversity databases have been to estimate species distribution and richness, to outline data compilation and publication, and to assist in developing species checklists or describing new species. Only 69% of papers in our dataset addressed one or more aspects of data quality, which is low considering common errors and biases known to exist in opportunistic datasets. Globally, we find that biodiversity databases are still in the initial stages of data compilation. Novel and integrative applications are restricted to certain taxonomic groups and regions with higher numbers of quality records. Continued data digitization, publication, enhancement, and quality control efforts are necessary to make biodiversity science more efficient and relevant in our fast-changing world.
- Published
- 2019