1. Integrating Biodiversity Data
Standards and Interoperability
Donald Hobern, GBIF Programme Officer for Data Access and Database Interoperability
Indaiatuba, Brazil, 21 October, 2002

2. Biodiversity Data Environmental Impact Ecosystems Phylogeny Climate
Complex Models
Environmental Impact
Ecosystems
Phylogeny
Analysis
Climate
Names
Distribution
Taxa
Primary Data
Biochemistry
Observations
Descriptions
Specimens
Exchange Protocols
Federated Search
Networks
Exchange

3. Biodiversity Data Standardisation
Complex Models
Environmental Impact
Ecosystems
Phylogeny
Analysis
Climate
Names
Distribution
Taxa
Taxonomic Names
Primary Data
ABCD
SDD
Biochemistry
Observations
Descriptions
Specimens
Exchange Protocols
DiGIR
XML
HTTP
Federated Search
Networks
Exchange

4. GBIF Node Responsibilities
GBIF Portal
Network
Standards
Tools
Consolidated Data
Network
Standards
Tools
Identify (local) Data Nodes
Forward registration metadata from Data Nodes
National Language Interfaces
The diagram shows the responsibilities of different elements within the GBIF network to one another.
The GBIF Secretariat (and the GBIF Portal) is responsible for facilitating the establishment of appropriate data standards and ensuring that tools are developed to support them. The GBIF Portal aggregates data from the Data Nodes to produce the main entry point into the GBIF network. This aggregated view and the associated services are then offered to the Participant Nodes for use within their own sites.
The Participant Nodes (especially the Country Nodes) are responsible for identifying the local institutions which should join the network and for encouraging their involvement. The Participant Nodes should also be involved as moderators in the registration of Data Nodes with the network. This ensures that appropriate checks may be made before any data provider is actually added to the network (as a protection against connection to the network by bogus nodes).
The Data Nodes provide the basic data within the network and register themselves with appropriate metadata.
Data Node
Participant
Data
Metadata
Encourage participation
Manage registration of Data Nodes

5. Data Flow within GBIF Network
User Browser
HTML Data
HTML Data
GBIF Portal
Participant Node
Participant Node
Aggregated Data
Aggregated Data
Service Metadata
Service Metadata
Service Metadata
Detailed Specimen Data
Detailed Specimen Data
Specimen Index Data
Service Metadata
This diagram combines the main data relationships within the GBIF Network.
HTML interactions can also occur directly between the User Browser and Data Nodes.
Collection Node
Collection Nodes

6. Example Interactions: Collection View
User Browser
HTML Data
Collection Node

7. Example Interactions: Global View
User Browser
HTML Data
GBIF Portal
Specimen Summary Data
Collection Node
Collection Node

8. Example Interactions: Participant View
User Browser
HTML Data
Participant Node
Aggregated Specimen Index Data
Specimen Summary Data
GBIF Portal
Collection Node
Collection Node

9. Example Interactions: Participant Network
User Browser
HTML Data
GBIF Portal
Specimen Summary Data
Specimen Summary Data
Network Collection Nodes
Participant Network Node
Specimen Data (Network-specific Format)
Collection Node

10. GBIF DADI Work Programme
Establish the data standards and interchange mechanisms required to integrate species-level and specimen-level data within the GBIF Network
Identify and develop the foundational components of the network as early as possible
Provide tool kits to assist node managers to bring their databases online as rapidly as possible
Promote a community (and open-source) development model for GBIF components

11. GBIF Standards Requirements
Requirements for 2003
Federated Data Access (DiGIR)
Collection Data Exchange Schema (ABCD)
Name Data Exchange Schema (Taxonomic Names)
Geographical Services (Spatial Data)
Resource Metadata
Future requirements:
Structured Descriptive Data (SDD)
Also required:
Description of user requirements for GBIF network