[Taxacom] Global biodiversity databases

[Richard Pyle]

Hi Stephen,

> Question 1: Do you expect a comprehensive and reliable GBD to exist in the
> foreseeable future (or do you think that one or more already exist)?

Yes.

> If so, do
> you think it is likely to come from an existing initiative, and if so,
which
> one(s)?

Too many to mention: GBIF, CoL/ITIS, EoL, WoRMS, ALA, GN*, numerous
nomenclators (IPNI, Index Fungorum, ZooBank, IRMNG, and many others),
Wikispecies/Wikipedia, etc., etc.  I don't think it's right to think in
terms of "a" database.  I think the key is building infrastructures that
allow existing databases to become more tightly integrated.

> Question 2: Which would you prefer, (A) data verified by "experts"; or (2)
> data verifiable by the user (via referencing)?

Is there a difference?  I would hope that users who contribute via
referencing have some level of expertise.  Perhaps you meant whether anyone
with time/interest/expertise can contribute content  (open model), vs. a
very small number of people having access to contribute content (closed
model).  I prefer the former.

> Question 3: What kinds of data do you want to be able to access from a
GBD?

Code-relevant Nomenclature bits (original publication/authorship,
typification, homonymy, objective synonymy, etc.), index of "usages" of
names in literature and elsewhere (including historical and current
classifications, syonymies, etc.), cross linkage to museum specimens,
genetic data (GenBank, BOLD, etc.), non-vouchered observations and
images/video/audio recordings, dynamically generated distribution maps,
phylogenetic hypotheses, and a suite of tools and services to analyze and
visualize patterns, trends, etc.

> Question 4: Which existing initiative currently comes closest to what you
> would ideally like to see?

Almost all of them. What we need to do now is make them all work together
seamlessly.

Aloha,
Rich

P.S. I just reat Tony Rees' post, and I agree with everything he wrote. Like
Tony, I'll cite an online presentation that encapsulates some of my thinking
on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSzL2NwRemU



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