Could scientific research be improved by

applying WEB 2.0 tools as Citizen Science does?L. Massetti* Email: l.massetti@ibimet.cnr.it

T. de Filippis, L. RocchiInstitute of Biometeorology - CNR - Italy

Phenology 2010 Climate change impacts and adaptations

is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle

events and how these are influenced by seasonal and

interannual variations in climate (WikiPedia)

Phenology

• Impacts of climate change on plant and animals

• Calibration and validation of simulation models

• Validation of data derived by satellite remote sensing

as NDVI

Data management problems

• Data entry can be a high consuming activity

• Avalaibility and integration of historical data series

• Data information exchange between different systems

• Spatial information to match different GIS data sources

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Paper or ASCII files spreadsheet database Internet database

%

Source: COST725 – EPN Database (Updated: 2006)

Percentage of European phenological

dataset and data format

Barn swallow observation (red dot)

Natura 2000 site (gray area)

Web and GIS evolution

In the last years a new paradigm of geographic information emerged from the

integration of WEB and Geographic Information Systems.

The NeoGeography (Michael Goodchild, 2009) well describe the evolution

between producer, communicator and consumer of geographic information in a

new participative approach of territorial knowledge.

WEB 1.0

WEB 2.0

GIS PROFESSIONAL

GEOBROWSER WEB GIS

PARTECIPATIVE APPROACH SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE

GOOGLE MAP, ETC.

CITIZEN SCIENZE

Phenological network and Citizen Science

• Volunteers observe and send data in various ways

(postcards, emails, sms, internet forms)

• A website for a phenological network provides:

• Public section: Information on phenology, observer

guidelines, data and maps access

Private section: Workspace and tools (also using • Private section: Workspace and tools (also using

Google map API) to insert and manage observations

Phenological Network formed by researchers(e.g. IPHEN – Italian phenological network http://www.cra-cma.it/iphen/)

Aim of the work

• Describe a prototype for data collection and analyses

of georeferenced phenological observations using a

web oriented architecture and an user friendly

interface with customized GIS functions for

georeferencing data supplied by the internet georeferencing data supplied by the internet

community.

• Potential improvements in managing data collected by

the research community

http://www.gilia.ibimet.cnr.it

Started in 2004. FFirst arrival of Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica L.)

Observers from:EBN Italiawww.ebnitalia.it

2008 the system was improved using Google map API to drive data management2010 development of a new system that integrates both systems

Input data

Phenological Map

systems

The web architecture as well as the

user interface were developed using

open source tools (OSS) in order to

guarantee the web application

sustainability and the

implementation of customized

Architecture, technologies and components

geospatial functions

System Architecture

ANONYMOUS

USER

REGISTERED

USER

Citizen

GEODATABASE

PostgresGIS

Citizen

Researcher

Administrator

Data structure

SITE

Key code

Geographical position

Species

site description

User

OBSERVATION

Site key code

Type of event

Date

BBCH

1 MSPECIES

AdministratorRegistered User

User BBCH

quantity

Description

Photo

User

EVENTS

USER

Name

Login information

profile

Data visualization - anonymous user

Data visualization - registered user

Button to switch from table to map format

Data entry of a new site or individual

Data entry of an observation

Conclusions

• GILIA “Phenology” include in the same framework the

geographic information and the communication and

interactive methods of WEB 2.0 platforms

• A user friendly interface improves phenological data

management and can be effectively used by researchers.

• Identification through geographical information facilitates the • Identification through geographical information facilitates the

integration and analyses using other GIS data sources

• OSS can reduce system deployment cost, but requires

multiple and complex skill on several software tools

• Shared data property and accessibility must be adequately

addressed

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

L. Massetti Email: l.massetti@ibimet.cnr.it

Could scientific research be improved by

applying WEB 2.0 tools as Citizen Science does?

Phenology 2010 Climate change impacts and adaptations Dublin 14-16 June 2010