DATA MODELS TO SHARE INVASIVE SPECIES INFORMATION THROUGH THE GLOBAL INVASIVE SPECIES INFORMATION NETWORK
Annie Simpson, Jim Graham, Elizabeth Sellers, Michael Browne
Abstract
The sharing of standardized invasive species information is vital to improve our understanding of biological invasions and to enable the coordination of effective control efforts. The Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN) is the working body of the Biodiversity Information Standards - TDWG Invasive Species Interest Group (ISIG), and is a collaboration of like-minded invasive species information managers interested in sharing data globally. In 2008, GISIN held two workshops to establish Data Models for information sharing, with funding from the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the US National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and with logistical support from The Polistes Foundation (Discover Life).
Although smaller working groups (with less than 20 participants) were more effective at holding standards discussions, workshop participation did include strong representation from both global and regional data providers. Three GISIN Data Models were accepted: Occurrences, SpeciesStatus (including concepts such as Abundance, Distribution, Harmful, RateOfSpread, Persistence, and RegulatoryListing), and SpeciesResourceURLs (for URL lists of one of the following types: species profile, image, video, experts, or references). The GISIN Models use existing concepts of the Darwin Core draft standard, the Dublin Core standard, and several ISO standards. The GISIN Protocol that utilizes these data models is simplified from, and compatible with, TAPIR (TDWG Access Protocol for Information Retrieval). Because the GISIN Protocol is non-relational and contains fewer elements than the full TAPIR protocol, it has been dubbed a TAPIRlite application.
Funding is being sought for a third workshop (GISIN3) to be held in January 2009, to discuss the four remaining Models of the GISIN Protocol: ManagementStatus, ImpactStatus, DispersalStatus, and Citations.
To facilitate communication among its members and with the interested public, the GISIN has several information tools:
• Non-technical online interface, email listserv, and information repository hosted by the US National Biological Information Infrastructure at http://www.gisinetwork.org
• Technical documents repository and GISIN information system (including directory) hosted by the US National Institute of Invasive Species Science at http://www.niiss.org/gisin
• Wiki for collaborative discussion and standards development hosted by TDWG at http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/InvasiveSpecies/WebHome
• Technical email listserv hosted by the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) Project of the US National Biological Information Infrastructure http://www.hear.org/hearlists/gisintech.htm
Although smaller working groups (with less than 20 participants) were more effective at holding standards discussions, workshop participation did include strong representation from both global and regional data providers. Three GISIN Data Models were accepted: Occurrences, SpeciesStatus (including concepts such as Abundance, Distribution, Harmful, RateOfSpread, Persistence, and RegulatoryListing), and SpeciesResourceURLs (for URL lists of one of the following types: species profile, image, video, experts, or references). The GISIN Models use existing concepts of the Darwin Core draft standard, the Dublin Core standard, and several ISO standards. The GISIN Protocol that utilizes these data models is simplified from, and compatible with, TAPIR (TDWG Access Protocol for Information Retrieval). Because the GISIN Protocol is non-relational and contains fewer elements than the full TAPIR protocol, it has been dubbed a TAPIRlite application.
Funding is being sought for a third workshop (GISIN3) to be held in January 2009, to discuss the four remaining Models of the GISIN Protocol: ManagementStatus, ImpactStatus, DispersalStatus, and Citations.
To facilitate communication among its members and with the interested public, the GISIN has several information tools:
• Non-technical online interface, email listserv, and information repository hosted by the US National Biological Information Infrastructure at http://www.gisinetwork.org
• Technical documents repository and GISIN information system (including directory) hosted by the US National Institute of Invasive Species Science at http://www.niiss.org/gisin
• Wiki for collaborative discussion and standards development hosted by TDWG at http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/InvasiveSpecies/WebHome
• Technical email listserv hosted by the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) Project of the US National Biological Information Infrastructure http://www.hear.org/hearlists/gisintech.htm