1. Avian Knowledge Network: Online Tools for Defense
Moving from Archives to Continuous Data
Elizabeth Neipert
Research Wildlife Biologist US Army Engineer Research and Development Center Environmental Lab
David McNaughton
Bird Conservation Working Group Chair
Assistant Wildlife Program Manager
Fort Indiantown Gap NCTC
Legacy Funded project titled…In partnership with US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Point Blue Conservation Science, US Fish and Wildlife Service, DoD Partners in Flight and Dave
29 March 2018

2. Background in a Flash Coordinated Bird Monitoring Database(CBMD)
Archival in nature
Avian data collected from
Over 1.1 million records from over 75 installations, every Service branch
Areas for Improvement
Data originally collected in raw form
Labor intensive to format and structure
Metadata disconnected from many datasets
Comparisons and data pooling difficult
CBMD non-functional
I’m sure most of you in here have heard either the two of us or Rich Fischer talk about this project or parts of it in past meetings.
The current effort builds on two other Legacy Funded projects for the DoD Coordinated Bird Monitoring Database (CBMD).

3. Clearinghouse for all avian survey data Connect partner datasets
Data are used for decisions on species health, population status, and population trends
We have an archive of past datasets but we need to improve usability and start entering real-time data for our applications
The tool is primarily a data clearinghouse with common storage, online access, and mirroring between several networks.
Read Slide points
The AKN is a collaboration involving many institutions, organized by project, region, and partnership.

4. AKN NODES
The AKN is comprised of a network of nodes. A Node is an online data and resource portal designed to preserve, discover, and summarize information for particular bird conservation needs and objectives.
There are currently 10 nodes that are operational or underway, each designed for a specific geography or theme. The specific focus of each node is determined by node sponsors/partners.
Nodes are where people interact with data and tools to make better decisions. Examples: Avian Knowledge Northwest and Integrated Waterbird Management

5. National Node Partners
Department of Defense
Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Ocean Management
Federal Highways
National Park Service
US Fish and Wildlife Service
US Forest Service
Through DoD’s participation in the Council for the Conservation of Migratory Birds we joined partners listed above to create the National Node.

6. DOD AKN PROJECT Identify common protocols from CBMD
Prioritize data sets and verify data before entry
Develop Defense-specific portal for National Node
Determine the tools and structures for common use in AKN
Create tools for bulk uploading large datasets
Determine process for setting security levels, editing/quality checking data, and loading metadata for uploaded datasets
To move from CBMD to AKN, we need to take several steps to sort, categorize, and federate these data.
Read slide points
All available DoD avian data in a permanent archive, while opening a portal that would allow for unlimited future transmission of data directly to and from the
installation staffs.
So how is it done and what does this look like

7. Metadata Management
Mapping closely associated datasets
Defining standardized protocols and data structures of existing CBMD data

8. Bulk Uploader

9. Data Warehouses & Analysis Tools
Your Data in The AKN
Events
Observations
Species Sharing
Corvus corax Level 3
Data Owner Access Control
Data Warehouses & Analysis Tools
Data Tables
Summaries
Downloads
Graphs
Reports
AKN Schema: We also pay close attention to data security through a system of sharing levels, use agreements, and owners controlling access to data. For example, if you are a Leader in a project, you get access to all data in that project, regardless of data sharing levels. If you are an unidentified member of the public visiting the AKN website, your access may be limited to specific summarized views or entirely restricted, based upon the data sharing level assigned to that record.
Data Owner Access Control
Analysis Database (Data Warehouses)
Data Tables
Summaries
Downloads
Maps
Graphs
Reports
DSTs…

10. Basin & Range Ecoregion
Northern
Basin & Range Ecoregion
(5 states)
3,812 Points
8 studies
AKN NW Node had large data gaps in the northern portion of the Basin and Range in a specific habitat type
The team sought new partners and drew in existing data sets to fill the gap, as seen in the red representation below
DoD lands look exactly like this – blank spaces with extreme importance, and we have those existing data sets.
Likewise, the opposite is true for our analysis looking at our data without the regional data from across the fence

11. Basin & Range Ecoregion
Northern
Basin & Range Ecoregion
(5 states)
21 Species
Distribution Models
Data out in a void really lacks the connectivity we need for analysis
We make better and sound decisions when we can connect at multiple scales and levels of complexity

12. DECISION SUPPORT Increased efficiency Best available data
Returns more robust as underlying datasets grow.
Not perfect, but gives overview of potential impacts and helps with next steps.
AKN is a growing dataset. More and more data will refine the outputs and resolution
Large datasets like ours will make leaps and bounds. We will see the outputs change as more datasets make it into the cloud.

13. DECISION SUPPORT Varies by scale and analysis type
What other birds are in the area? When are they most abundant?
Where have they been spotted?
The AKN tools include useful features for planning
It can show birds likely to occur within a project area
You can set the scale and tailor the inputs for the outcome
Analyst tools can be used on individual datasets to show landscape-level patterns and trends

14. DECISION SUPPORT Varies by scale and analysis type
What other birds are in the area? When are they most abundant?
Where have they been spotted?
AKN Schema: We also pay close attention to data security through a system of sharing levels, use agreements, and owners controlling access to data. For example, if you are a Leader in a project, you get access to all data in that project, regardless of data sharing levels. If you are an unidentified member of the public visiting the AKN website, your access may be limited to specific summarized views or entirely restricted, based upon the data sharing level assigned to that record.
Analyst tools can be used on individual datasets to show landscape-level patterns and trends

15. STATUS OF DOD AKN Current Mapping closely associated DoD datasets
Defining standardized protocols and data structures of existing CBMD data
Working with installations on editing existing metadata in CBMD
Beta Testing with users
Near-Future
Developing tools to import new datasets from all of you (data request tool, bulk uploader, prebuilt protocols)

16. BENEFITS TO DOD Regional and habitat data
External data (other node members) for comparison
Partner coordination
Federal communication
Scientific and statistical tools
Metadata and citation support
Scalability
NEPA, INRMP, and other
planning analysis
Long-term data storage and
security
External data to test how your actions affect avian populations
Tools allow better decision making on species of concern
This project will ensure avian monitoring data collected from DoD installations are aggregated, archived, and retrievable.

17. To Volunteer as Beta Tester
Or For Questions
Please
Elizabeth Neipert
Dave McNaughton
If you have a large dataset of avian data and would like to be out test guinea pig

18. Data Sharing Levels Raw to Clean to Restricted, Level 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5
AKN Reference:
Data Sharing Levels Raw to Clean to Restricted, Level 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5
Level 4 +
Full download data without explicit permission 5
Level 3 +
Simple download data without explicit permission 4
Project View
Level 2 +
Download data with permission, show on map 3
full
access,
always
Protocol Type View
Level 1 +
Summaries (eg phenology 100km**2) 2
Metadata discoverable
Observations 1
Invisible
Raw
Clean
Restricted