The scientific value of accurately georeferenced global biodiversity data documented by specimen collections and observations is well recognized in the ecological and systematics communities. Access to quantitative geospatial coordinates allows researchers and downstream users to map, verify, analyze, and further document the diversity of life in ways not possible with only descriptive (qualitative) descriptions of place or habitat. Over the past five years, the availability of georeferenced biodiversity data has increased tremendously and been well used by biodiversity researchers. However, only a fraction of potential records are currently georeferenced and available to the community and not all records are systematically verified for accuracy and usability.
Results/Conclusions
We describe how the BioGeomancer and BioGeoBIF projects address these issues by promoting the use of standard methods, interpretations, and estimates of uncertainty in a framework of interoperability standards, services, databases, and shared geographical information with global reach. BioGeomancer allows anyone with an Internet connection and relevant data to participate by adding value to a collective geospatial biodiversity knowledge base. Users can interact with the system through a web workbench or through batch-capable web services. BioGeoBIF applies these methods to the aggregated Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data set through mass automation in a way that value added georeferences and metadata are passed back to data custodians for review and release. Ecologists will benefit directly from these tools by being able to verify their own species occurrence records or by accessing high quality data available through global biodiversity repositories.
