The LEDA Traitbasea database on life-history plant traits

Irma Knevel1,2 Renée Bekker2

Presented by Ingolf Kühn 3

EVR1-CT-2002-40022 LEDA

1 Landscape Ecology Group, University of Oldenburg (DE)

2 Community and Conservation Ecology Group, University of Groningen (NL)

3 Department of Community Ecology - Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle (UFZ) (DE)

- Leda and the swan -

Why a life-history database of plant traits?

user

Fact Changing land use, pollution, eutrophication, fragmentation

Essential Understand and predict the consequences

Problem Information scattered and unavailable

Solution LEDA TRAITBASE

Environmental agencies - Land use managers - Policy makers - Researchers

LEDA Traitbase species-trait matrix for ~ 3000 species with each record referenced based on firm data standards and protocols designed as a web-based database that operates with a user-friendly interface where users will be able to download (selected) traits

What is the LEDA Traitbase?

Online ecological data and information management: Ecoinformatics

Area selected: NW Europe

1. To predict plant biodiversity and plant mobility in a changing landscape

2. To pool trans-national expertise on: Functional significance of traits

Trait classification

Trait measurement

Planning

Restoration & conservation

Applied research

tool

Objectives:

Brook restoration Drentse Aa (NL)

What can you expect of the LEDA Traitbase?

LEDA Traitbase construction

Species-trait matrix:~ 3000 NW European species>20 traits of key features persistence, regeneration & dispersability

Filling of the matrix: Collation of existing databases Literature compilation Unpublished data

Bio

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See

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ank

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Additional measurements Firm protocols & standards

Deduction Extensive measurements of simple morphological traits

(Thompson et al. 1997, validation e.g. Funes et al. 1999)

E.g. Seed persistence predicted from seed size and shape

Gaps:

canopy height plant growth form (Raunkiaer) leaf distribution (along the stem) clonal growth organs (CGO) persistence mother-daughter connection leaf mass leaf size specific leaf area (SLA) tissue density shoot growth form lateral spread/year

1. Persistence

plant life span age of first flowering seed number per shoot seed shape seed weight seed size seed longevity (soil seed bank)

2. Regeneration

LEDA traits: Persistence & Regeneration

morphology of dispersal unit (anemochory) releasing height terminal velocity attachment capacity dispersal unit (epizoochory) survival capacity of digestive tract (endozoochory) buoyancy (hydrochory)

3. Dispersability

LEDA traits: Dispersability

Input by the consortium

Input scientific community

Data availableamongst LEDApartners

Data frompublications

Missing datameasured byLEDA partners

Data generatedby non-LEDA partners

Stake holdersLand use managers

Policy consultants

Web-based queryand output form

TutorialsData-mining toolsCheck

andapproval

LEB

Adherentto LEDA

standards

Bulkuploadform

Con-verter

Datainputform

Bulkupload

form

Datainputform

Conversion into database

format

Researchers

LEB:10 LEDA Traitbase partners 5 External expert scientists 1 Member of the EEA (EUNIS)

LEDA

Traitbase construction: Data flow chart

Traitbase: Architectural overview & principles

Relational schema: About 150 tables

Database Management System: Oracle 9i

Web application container: Apache Tomcat 4.1/5.0

Extensibility: Addition of traits does not require major changes

Openness: Arbitrary SQL queries in addition to standard queries

Reproducibility: Results of online-queries are citable due to versioning

Web ApplicationContainer

Web ApplicationContainer

Web QueryInterface

WebData Input

WebReporting Tool

Web Tool forData-Mining

DatabaseSystem

Data ImportingTools

Example: Online input form

Plant traits 5% 10%

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Canopy heightLeaf size Leaf mass Shoot growth form (incl branching)Stem leaf distributionSpecific leaf area Leaf dry matter content (LDMC)Woodiness (incl. stem tissue density)Clonal growth organs (CGO)Bud bank / role CGO / shoot life-spanLateral spread/yearPersistence of daughter-mother connectionNo. daughter shoots/mother shoot/yearPlant growth form (Raunkiaer)Adult longevity (plant lifespan) x

Age of first flowering x

Seed number Seed setting Seed shedding Seed shapeSeed weightSeed bank longevityMorphology dispersal unit Dispersal type Dispersal vector Releasing height Terminal velocityBuoyancyExternal + internal animal dispersal

LEDA Traitbase: Status April 2004P

ersi

sten

ceR

egen

erat

ion

Dis

pers

abili

ty

Average data available = 42% x = data collection finished

Persistence traits: Regeneration traits: Dispersability traits:

data avialable data avialable data avialabledata in Traitbase data in Traitbase data in Traitbase

and

visit www.leda-traitbase.org for more information

- PLEASE CONTRIBUTE YOUR DATA -

Call for help

Freely accessible and available

November 2005

Thank you for your attention !

Landscape Ecology Group - Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (DE)

Laboratory of Plant Ecology - University of Groningen (NL)

Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology - University of Nijmegen (NL)

OFFIS Oldenburg/Computer Science - Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg (DE)

Institute of Botany - University of Regensburg (DE)

Department of Animal and Plant Sciences - University of Sheffield (UK)

Department of Plant Ecology - Institute of Botany (CZ)

Department of Community Ecology - Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle (DE)

Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NO)

Laboratory of Forest, Nature & Landscape Research - University of Leuven (BE)

The LEDA Traitbase project is funded through the 5th framework of the EC under the Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Development programme (EESD).

Acknowledgements

Photo’s by University of Groningen except: Bishops museum (http://aliens.bishopmuseum.org) - T. Teearu - M. Mouissie (RUG) - Hunze Aa (http://www. hunzeenaas.nl) - Offwell Woodland & Wildlife Trust (http://www.offwell.free-online.co.uk) - J. Smalley (http://www.lbap.org.uk/HTML /habitat/ CGrass.htm) - University of Regensburg

LEDA Traitbase partners: