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/

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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)

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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)