Commission for Information Transfer and Networking

Recommendations for botanical database design

During its meeting in Paris, the OPTIMA Commission for Information Transfer and Networking recognised the paramount importance of compatible database designs for future networking of databases in the Mediterranean area. As a first step, it was decided to provide a selection of standards and available standard data, which can be used in the design of new databases.

The Taxonomic Databases Working Group (TDWG) has endorsed several of the standards cited below (see http://trident.ftc.nrcs.usda.gov/npdc/18tdwg.html for more information). An extensive list of references regarding data models and standards for biological collections is published and constantly updated under http://www.bgbm.org/TDWG/acc/Referenc.htm. A list of available computer programmes for collection management is also being build as part of the activities of TDWG's Accessions Subgroup (http://www.bgbm.org/TDWG/acc/Software.htm).

1. Database standards:

Field-level database exchange standard for herbaria:

Conn, B.J. (1996) (ed.): HISPID3. Herbarium Information Standards and Protocols for Interchange of Data.Version 3. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. [TDWG standard] [Electronic version:] http://www.rbgsyd.gov.au/hiscom/hispid_top.html.

Field-level database exchange standards for botanical gardens:

IUCN/WWF (1987): The International Transfer Format (ITF) for Botanic Garden Plant Records. Plant Taxonomic Database Standards No. 1. Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh. [See Wyse Jackson (1997) for latest version.] [TDWG Standard]

Wyse Jackson, D. (compiler) (1997): International Transfer Format for Botanic Garden Plant Records (version 2.00 draft 3.2.). Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Richmond. [proposed TDWG standard] [Electronic version:] http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/BGCI/news.htm

Field-level standard for botanical names:

Bisby, F. (1995): Plant names in botanical databases. Plant Taxonomic Database Standards No. 3, Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh. [TDWG Standard].

Taxonomic descriptions:

Dallwitz, M.J. & Paine, T. A. (1986): Users guide to the DELTA system. CSIRO Division of Entomology Report No. 13, pp. 3-6. [TDWG Standard] [Updates and further information under http://biodiversity.uno.edu/delta/]

2. Standard data:

Authors of plant names:

Brummit, R.K. & C.E. Powell 1992. Authors of plant names. Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. [TDWG Standard] [Searchable database: http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/web.dbs/webdbsintro.html. Dataset can be purchased from RBG Kew and is included in the Index Kewensis CD-ROM.]

Bibliography:

Bridson, G.D.R. & Smith, E. R. (1991): Botanico-Periodicum-Huntianum/supplementum. Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh. 1068 pages. [TDWG standard as to abbreviations for titles of periodicals. To be used in conjunction with Lawrence (1968).]

Lawrence et al. 1968. Botanico-periodicum-huntianum. Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh. [TDWG Standard]

Stafleu, F. A. & Cowan, R. S. (1976-): Taxonomic literature, ed. 2 and its Supplements. Reg. Veg. 125 etc. [Key fields for
this standard are currently being automated as a cooperative project between the Royal Botanic Garden-Edinburgh, the USDA, NRCS, National Plant Data Center and IAPT.] [TDWG Standard]

Geography, Ecology, and Conservation:

FGDC (1997): Appendix I: National Vegetation Classification System: The Upper Levels (Table). FGDC Vegetation Classification and Information Standards. Federal Geographic Data Committee, Vegetation Subcommittee. Federal Geographic Data Committee Secretariat, Reston. [150K Table under http://www.nbs.gov/fgdc.veg/standards/appendix1.htm. Part of the standard vegetation classification system for use by U.S. Federal Agencies and their cooperators.]

Hollis, S. & Brummitt, R. (1992): World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions. Plant Taxonomic Database Standards No. 2, International Working Group on Taxonomic Databases for Plant Sciences (TDWG). Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh. [TDWG Standard] [Electronic version available under http://www.bgbm.org/TDWG/geo/default.htm]

ISO (1988): Codes for the representation of names of countries. Third edition; ISO 3166: 1988 Aug 15; 53 p. [A list of all the countries represented in this version of ISO-3166 along with their 2-letter, 3-letter, and numeric codes, prepared for the MUSE project: gopher://muse.bio.cornell.edu:70/00/standards/iso/iso-3166.]

ISO (1994): Codes from ISO 3166. Updated by the RIPE Network Coordination Centre, in coordination with the ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency at DIN Berlin. http://www.chemie.fu-berlin.de/outerspace/mirror-packages/german/iso-3166.html

ISO (1997): Some Codes from ISO 3166. Updated by the RIPE Network Coordination Centre.Source: ISO 3166 Maintenance Agency. http://www.chemie.fu-berlin.de/outerspace/mirror-packages/german/iso-3166.html

IUCN (1994): IUCN Red List Categories. Prepared by the IUCN Species Survival Commission. As approved by the 40th meeting of the IUCN Council, Gland, Switzerland, 30 November 1994.

Leon, C., Mackinder, D., Rooney, P. & Synge, H. (1995): Plant occurrence and status scheme (POSS). World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. Unpublished. [TDWG Standard]

Takhtajan, A. (1986): Floristic Regions of the World. Floristic regions of the world. University of California Press. Bishen Singh, Dehra Dun. [Pp. vii-xiii accepted as standard phytogeographical regions by TDWG.]

Economic botany:

Cook, E. M. (1995): Economic Botany Data Collection Standard. Prepared for the International Working Group on Taxonomic Databases for Plant Sciences (TDWG). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. [TDWG Standard]

Institutional abbreviations:

Heywood, C. A., Heywood, V. H. & Wyse Jackson, P. S. (1990): International Directory of Botanical Gardens. Koeltz, Koenigstein.

Holmgren, P. K., Holmgren, N. H. & Barnett, L. C. (1990): Index Herbariorum, Pt. 1: The Herbaria of the World (ed. 8). Regnum Vegetabile 120. [TDWG Standard] [An updated version - not yet accepted as TDWG standard, is being made available under http://www.nybg.org/bsci/ih/ih.html]

[Author: W.Berendsohn]

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