Information Management and Biodiversity Research – The Role of the Biodiversity Information System of Colombia Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute – Coordinator Institution –

Contents Context A national alliance Sharing biodiversity information –Quality and accesibility of data –Controlled vocabulary for researchers –Information for multiple purposes: research and decision making Building and strenghting national capacities Colombia, the region, the world Intellectual Property Rights

– A scientific tradition of more than 200 years – Megadiversity – Biological collections, databases, publications – It means an enormous ammount of data and information – Strong environmental legislation – Complex institutional landscape: Environmental authorities (policy and decision makers) Science and technology system Other sectors of society (both public and private) An Overview to the Context in Information Sharing of Colombia

Institutional Landscape NGOs Government research institutes Universities and academic research centres Biological collections Scientific societies and networks Data Providers Ministerio de Ambiente: National authority General public National System of Protected Areas Regional and local environmental authorities Users

Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute Created by Law 99/1993 Mission To promote, coordinate and make research that contributes to the knowledge, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Colombia One of its functions The implementation of an information system, as a supporting tool for the National Biodiversity Inventory

Our strategy to implement the system To encourage alliances with agencies, researchers and authorities to build a National Information Network: Biodiversity Information System of Colombia

What are we doing? –Making available a broad range of information resources by providing tools to facilitate access, sharing and use of biodiversity data –These advances are being available nationally and internationally How are we achieving this? –By promoting a cultural change towards the open sharing of data : Confidence and transparency Intellectual property rights (Creative Commons) Clear rules and policies for data sharing Distributed ownership ( equal opportunities for contribution and participation )

SIB today – Our vision The Biodiversity Information System of Colombia (SiB) is a national alliance developed to facilitate data and information management. We seek to efficiently support research, education and decision making processes related to knowledge, conservation and sustainable use of the biodiversity of Colombia

Biological Characterizations Protected Areas Threatened species Conservation Traditional knowledge and uses of biodiversity Access to genetic resources Design of policies and strategies Research processes Heterogenous data, for specific purposes Decision Making Policies Research Education Information Needs Strategic information Products & Services Research and biodiversity information

National Environmental System / Biodiversity S+T National System Data with a purpose: SiB Colombia and Biodiversity Research Research Processes Research Institutes Biological Collections Universities NGOs More than an Information Facility, SiB is a knowledge community: supporting not only research / decision making processes, but providing tools for the scientific community and the decision makers. We do that by strenghting the decision makers capacities in handling and using information, as well as the tools available

National capacity building Data and Information Contents Technological Infrastructure Information Products & Services Available at present >>> Access to distributed information Processing and analysis information tools Strategy: Implementation Work Areas

Alliances as the base of Biodiversity Information management processes MEMBERSHIP SCHEMA SIB`s Director Committee Advisory Members Information managers (owners) Multipliers Metadata administratorsData administrators Coordinator Institution Coordinator Team Sub-national and thematic Networks SYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS Involved Stakeholders Interested Groups General Public

Information Biological Species Organisms Specimens Uses Distributed Searches Historia natural CATÁLOGO de organismos Taxonomic Information Taxonomic Authority Files Species use Who How Yoscua: Traditional uses and knowledge catalogue Terminology Methods and Attributes Catalogue Non-structured information Simple searcher Context National Metadata Catalogue Ocurrencies Scientific Terminology Common terminology Taxonomic Authority Files Thesauri SiB as a Reference Center: supporting biodiversity research and management Biota Electronic Magazine Methodologies

Reference for Biodiversity Research and Management Information Biological Species Organisms Specimens Uses Historia natural Taxonomic Information Species use Who How Terminology Methods and Attributes Catalogue Non-structured information Context Ocurrencies Scientific Terminology Common terminology Taxonomic Authority Files Thesauri Methodologies

Archivos de autoridad taxonómica, Tesauro, Catálogo de métodos y atributos (en funcionamiento desde ) Reference InformationDescription Information available Taxonomic Authority FilesScientific Names names Thesauri on biodiversity issues (7 micro-thesauri) Terms on biodiversity terms Biodiversity Research Methods and Atributes Catalogue Names and description of the methods and attributes used for biodiversity research 700 attributes and 120 methods

Information Biological Species Organisms Specimens Uses Historia natural Taxonomic Information Species use Who How Terminology Non-structured information Context National Metadata Catalogue Ocurrencies Scientific Terminology Common terminology Methodologies Reference for Biodiversity Research and Management

National Biodiversity Metadata Catalogue (Context information for data sets on biodiversity) Cataloguing Tool Searches on SIB portal

Pacific Node (IIAP) Caribe Node (Invemar) Amazonia Node (Sinchi + partners ) National Catalogue SIB Col Orinoquia Node (CAR2 + partners ) Corpochivor Node National Network on Biodiversity and Environmental Metadata Andes

Information Biological Species Organisms Specimens Uses Distributed Searches Historia natural CATÁLOGO de organismos Taxonomic Information Taxonomic Authority Files Species use Who How Yoscua: Traditional uses and knowledge catalogue Terminology Non-structured information Simple searcher Context Ocurrencies Scientific Terminology Common terminology Biota Electronic Magazine Methodologies Reference for Biodiversity Research and Management

Distributed Searches Basic Data Real time searches Remote – Distributed Access Data property and custody Data and Metadata More than 1Million Data (since june 2006)

Species of Colombia – On-line Catalogue - YOSCUA: Uses and traditional knowledge about species (Wiki)

Some Cases of Use

On-line information service: species of Colombia with commercial potential Ministry of Environment Biotrade Colombia and Biodiversity Information System of Colombia at Humboldt Institute

Risk analysis tool for supporting decision making on GMO Ministry of Environment Biodiversity Information System of Colombia at Humboldt Institute

Benavides & Aguía, 2006 A tool for mobilising heterogeneous datasets in a distributed environment based on the use of controlled vocabularies National Environmental Authority Biodiversity Information System of Colombia at Humboldt Institute

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