[Tdwg-obs] Survey and Monitoring

12 Nov 2005

      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/
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...
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)