considerations for the construction of lichen databases data management

Considerations for the Construction of Lichen Databases

Data Management

Relational Database Platforms Excel MS Access, Paradox, etc. SQL Server Oracle / Sybase

Excel Not recommended for long-term

storage No data-typing enforcement

Excel

MS Access, Paradox, Etc. Desktop database systems Do not scale well Front-end application development Free / cheap and fairly beginner

friendly

SQL Server Microsoft’s database engine for

larger scale databases Serving live data on the web

possible

Oracle / Sybase Enterprise size database systems High cost and maintenance Support for data exchange Recommended if provided

General Database Design Consideration

Databases should be designed to serve the data best not a particular question

General Database Design Consideration

Avoid storing redundant information by designing several tables, linking information as necessary

General Database Design Consideration

Keep information as consistent as possible (e.g. spelling of collector names, description of places)

• Authority tables• Input masks

General Database Design Consideration

General Database Design Consideration

Take advantage of data-typing• Dates in date fields• Numbers in number fields• Don’t mix letters and numbers if possible

(collection number, lat long)

General Database Design Consideration

For any kind of descriptive information (e.g. substrate) consider developing and keyword taxonomy (e.g. bark, coniferous tree, Juniperus deppeana)

The better the keywords the more efficient the information retrieval

General Database Design Consideration

Develop a species checklist for your area or use an existing one to assure highest taxonomic accuracy possible

ASU’s Data Model

SpecimensTLC Records

Secondary Compounds

Multiple Identifications

Types

Localities

Exsiccati

Annotations

R. Schoeninger

ASU’s Data Model Authority tables

• Species check list (accepted names, synonyms, authors)

• List of ecological keywords • List of substrates • List of collectors and determiners• List of localities

Database Types and Implications for Use

Collections or taxonomic databases Observation databases Measurement databases

Collections or Taxonomic Databases

Based on collected specimens Highest degree of taxonomic

information Information on distribution varies No information on abundance

Observation Databases

Based on a sampling design for observations

Emphasis on absence/presence or abundance

Taxonomic value varies

Measurement Databases

Data on the ecology of a species

• Laboratory measurements• Data from a literature search

Interoperability

RegisteringService

&Data

Discovery Tool&

TargetManager

HTML Search

Application

Meta data

Query

Distributed

Databases

Results

Meta Data

Data about data

Taxonomic: NBII, ISO Spatial: FGDC, ISO Ecological: EML Air management?

Standardization Efforts

Geo-referencing the data Metadata standard Keyword standard

Taxonomic thesaurus (ITIS) Geographic thesaurus (Alexandria)