Ecosystem Approach Community of Practice: SpeciesChart

SpeciesChart

This VREVirtual Research Environment. allows for the comparison of species distribution maps. The comparison may be across different data-sets, algorithm, data-provider, and visualization tool. The purpose is to allow biodiversity researchers to prioritize their activities in the improvement of the data used to generate maps, the algorithm, and to collaboratively share this knowledge.

The service answers a direct need of FIN staff, and is thus of High priority

The proposed solution would first aim to compare the 600 FAO species maps with their AquaMaps and AquaMaps2050 equivalents already in the iMarine e-infrastructure.

• Potential target community: In the project: FAO, FIN, IOC/Unesco with great interest beyond the EA-CoPCommunity of Practice.;
• Users: 10 -15;
• Potential for co-funding: Low;
• Structural allocation of resources: 3 PM (estimate);
• Referred in DoW: No;
• Business Cases: It specifically targets BC2. It is likely that the output will be of interest to BC1, where the tool allows to analyze a time-series of occurrence maps;
• How does the proposed action generally support sustainability aspects. The tool offers to improve the quality and efficiency in the map Quality control and the effectiveness of the work-flow. It reduces staff costs and contributes to collaborations;
• How consistent it is with EC regulations/strategies (eg INSPIRE). Not relevant;
• Re-usability – compatibility - benefits;

The tool aims to build on ICIS for the import of HDC tabular data.;

There is maybe a misunderstanding here. It is import to precise that HDC tabular data is not necessarily available prior to ICIS use, and should be produced: in the case of FAO species distribution layers, the unique source of data will be shared through the Spatial Data Infrastructure discussed until now: discovery of external metadata through CSW, whose content provide online resources to WFSWeb Feature Service/WMSSee Workload Management System or Web Mapping Service.. Hence, for the FAO species distribution layers, the HDC tabular data should be a product of the infrastructure, with an appropriate tool. After eventual data pre-formatting (e.g. transform to HDC), the comparison (including statistical test to be performed) can indeed take place in ICIS ;

Other existing services are planned to be re-used for the visualization of the HDC maps, the pair-wise display of maps, and map-overlays.;

Why visualizing HDC maps, visualization could be done with the source data. "If the comparison is visual, HDC is not needed. Derivated products such as HDC transformed species distributions should have explicit data provenance information.

The tool may call on the existing statistical service to produce: 1. Pair-wise comparisons of maps, 2. Sorting on pair-wise comparison results, 3. Prioritize and / or alert on discrepancies discovered in the maps. This part of the service is speculative, and requires the services of a bio-statistician with expertise in spatial distribution modelling / spatial statistics with focus on ecological data.

Parentage. The tool relates to many iMarine activities in data discovery, management and visualization.

Relation to CoPCommunity of Practice. Software. The tool has no equivalent in the CoPCommunity of Practice..

Relation to D4S technologies

Productivity

The tool has a rather limited coverage if only applicable to the FAO distribution maps. There are only 684 maps (at the moment), and some of these are not of interest to the use-case described.;

In addition, the statistical analysis promises to be complicated to build (WHY??) and the result will be only a prioritization of the comparison activity. It will improve the efficiency of the manager in setting priorities based on map comparison. However, it is likely that other prioritization considerations (e.g. based on species group, economic insters, etc.) will weigh heavier.

When implemented the tool will not directly reduce a work-load, but will only contribute to a better understanding and focus of the activity. Up until the visualization part, the case is clear. However, the comparison and prioritization parts have to be described better.

Presentation

How must the component be delivered to users? (UI Design / on-line help / training material / support)

Policy

Are there any policies available that describe data access and sharing? No.

Have the Copyright / attribution / metadata / legal aspects been addressed from a user and technology perspective? This is a private tool, any specificities need not be addressed by this tool.