National biodiversity data infrastructures: ten essential functions for science, policy, and practice

BioScience, vol. 75, pp. 139–151

Abstract

Today, at the international level, powerful data portals are available to biodiversity researchers and policymakers, offering increasingly robust computing and network capacities and capable data services for internationally agreed-on standards. These accelerate individual and complex workflows to map data-driven research processes or even to make them possible for the first time. At the national level, however, and alongside these international developments, national infrastructures are needed to take on tasks that cannot be easily funded or addressed internationally. To avoid gaps, as well as redundancies in the research landscape, national tasks and responsibilities must be clearly defined to align efforts with core priorities. In the present article, we outline 10 essential functions of national biodiversity data infrastructures. They serve as key providers, facilitators, mediators, and platforms for effective biodiversity data management, integration, and analysis that require national efforts to foster biodiversity science, policy, and practice.

Authors 16

1. Anton Güntsch corresponding

   Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin · Freie Universität Berlin

   Affiliation as printed

   Center for Biodiversity Informatics and Collection Data Integration at Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin   Berlin ,

2. Jörg Overmann corresponding

   Leibniz Institute DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures · Technische Universität Braunschweig

   Affiliation as printed

   Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures

   Microbiology at the Technical University of Braunschweig

3. Barbara Ebert corresponding

   Gesellschaft für Biologische Daten e.V.

   Affiliation as printed

   German Federation for Biological Data and the NFDI4Biodiversity consortium

4. Aletta Bonn corresponding

   Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research · German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research · Friedrich Schiller University Jena

   Affiliation as printed

   Biodiversity and People at the Helmholtz-Center for Environmental Research - UFZ, Friedrich Schiller University Jena

   German Center for integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)

5. Yvan Le Bras corresponding

   PatriNat

   Affiliation as printed

   French Biodiversity Data Hub (PNDB) e-infrastructure, PatriNat support and research unit, French Museum of Natural History, Concarneau marine station ,

   French Biodiversity Data Hub (PNDB) e-infrastructure, PatriNat support and research unit, French Museum of Natural History, Concarneau marine station, France

6. Thore Engel corresponding

   Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research · German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research · Friedrich Schiller University Jena

   Affiliation as printed

   Biodiversity and People at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the German Center for integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Helmholtz-Center for Environmental Research - UFZ

7. Knut Anders Hovstad corresponding

   Norwegian University of Science and Technology · Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre

   Affiliation as printed

   Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology ,

   Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway

8. Dora Ann Lange Canhos corresponding

   Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental

   Affiliation as printed

   CRIA - Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental, Campinas , São Paulo ,

9. Peggy Newman corresponding

   Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation · Atlas of Living Australia

   Affiliation as printed

   Atlas of Living Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)   Melbourne

10. Elaine van Ommen Kloeke corresponding Aachen Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden

    Naturalis Biodiversity Center

    Affiliation as printed

    ARISE, Naturalis Biodiversity Center   Leiden ,

11. Sophia Ratcliffe corresponding
    Affiliation as printed

    NBN Trust, NBN Atlas

12. M. Marianne le Roux corresponding

    University of Johannesburg · South African National Biodiversity Institute

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Johannesburg , Johannesburg ,

    e-Flora, South African National Biodiversity Institute , Pretoria

    University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

13. Vincent Smith corresponding

    Natural History Museum

    Affiliation as printed

    Digitial, Data, and Informatics, Natural History Museum , London, England ,

    Digitial, Data, and Informatics, Natural History Museum, London, England, United Kingdom

14. Dagmar Triebel corresponding

    Bavarian Natural History Collections

    Affiliation as printed

    State Collection for Botany, SNSB IT Center Core Facility at the Bavarian Natural History Collections ,

    State Collection for Botany, SNSB IT Center Core Facility at the Bavarian Natural History Collections, Germany

15. David Fichtmueller corresponding

    Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin · Freie Universität Berlin

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Biodiversity Informatics and Collection Data Integration at Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin   Berlin ,

16. Katja Luther corresponding

    Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin · Freie Universität Berlin

    Affiliation as printed

    Center for Biodiversity Informatics and Collection Data Integration at Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin   Berlin ,