[Tdwg-obs] Fwd: Re: Survey and Monitoring

13 Nov 2005

      Hello,
The definition for the fundamental unit of observational data can certainly 
include the community concept that Lynn points out. The choice of the term 
phenomenon, instead of taxon allows for this. I believe that Bob Peet's 
comments are going to be important in the discussion of aggregating 
observational data into collecting events (i.e. surveys/monitoring). 
Vegetation blocks are analogous in bird monitoring to point count transects 
(the most well known of these in the United States is the Breeding Bird 
Survey) During a point count transect  multiple species (and numbers of 
individuals) are recorded during each point count during the survey (with 
BBS there are 50 such point counts). It will be very important that we 
address how we can organize and/or aggregate point counts or vegetation 
plot surveys as we incorporate observational data into the general 
Biodiversity informatics community.
"An observation is a collection event that describes a phenomenon, and is
  bound to the spatiotemporal location where it was made. Furthermore, an
  observation describes an occurrence and can be linked to descriptions of
  other occurrences."
Regards,
Steve
...
Hi all - Hopefully a quick question / clarification.
I was wondering if the definition below  " ... the element in which
observational data can be (and is) incorporated in existing Natural
History collections data ... " also includes ecological / natural
communities in addition to organisms? There is quite a wealth of
information being collected at this broader more "habitat" level.  If
these type of data are implicitly covered, is there a need for clarity
to explicitly state that observations include ecological communities in
addition to organisms?
Thanks -
Lynn
At 12:57 PM 11/12/2005 -0500, you wrote:
...
Hello,
Like Lynn, I would like the observations standard to support observations
of communities as well as individual organisms
Consider the VegBank approach
(http://vegbank.org/vegdocs/design/erd/vegbank_erd.pdf):
A vegetation plot (location) can have multiple plotObservation events,
each of which can have multiple taxonObservation events (collectively such
as density, or of individuals), each of which can have multiple
identification events, each of which can refer to multiple taxonomic
concepts.  In addition, the plotObservation can have multiple
identifications, and each of these can refer to multiple community
concepts.
With this approach permanent information about the location, such as
geocoordinates, is associated with the plot.  Transient information about
the plot is recorded with the plotObservation and here we also could refer
to protocols applied. Monitoring can be handled by a recursive loop
linking plotObservations or taxonObservations
Bob Peet
  Robert K. Peet, Professor & Chair         Phone:  919-962-6942
  Curriculum in Ecology, CB#3275            Fax:    919-962-6930
  University of North Carolina              Cell:   919-368-4971
  Chapel Hill, NC  27599-3275  USA          Email:  peet@unc.edu

                http://www.unc.edu/depts/ecology/
              http://www.bio.unc.edu/faculty/peet/

======================================================================
...
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2005 15:35:44 -0500
From: Steve Kelling stk2@cornell.edu
Subject: [Tdwg-obs] Survey and Monitoring
...
        I apologize for the delay in posting to the listserve. As I am

sure it is true for you, it has been quite hectic for me.
        My feeling is that we have a good definition for the

integrative element of observational data. That is, the element in which
observational data can be (and is) incorporated in existing Natural
History
...
collections data. To reiterate;
An observation is a collection event that describes a phenomenon, and is
bound to the spatiotemporal location where it was made. Furthermore, an
observation describes an occurrence and can be linked to descriptions of
other occurrences.
            Now we can begin to talk about the methods of aggregating
observations. To do this means issues such as protocol (including
precision, accuracy, and certainty in the methods), data quality,
inferring
...
negative data, and detectability must be addressed. It is at this point
where observational data can begin to contribute and extend the value of
the data held within biodiversity data networks.
        What I would like to do is begin a discussion on

survey/monitoring techniques and issues. Specifically I would like to
develop the necessary requirements to define methodology metadata. For
example, how does one distinguish between surveys and monitoring? For
example, I consider monitoring as a protocol- driven collection of
observational data gathered repeatedly over a time series at a specific
location. Thus, I would distinguish monitoring from a survey in that a
survey documents an occurrence of an organism(s) at a location at a
particular time, and does not include repeated sampling.
Anyway, I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Steve Kelling
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
607-254-2478 (work)
607-342-1029 (cell)

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Steve Kelling
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
607-254-2478 (work)
607-342-1029 (cell)
Steve Kelling
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
607-254-2478 (work)
607-342-1029 (cell)