Seven Recommendations to Make Your Invasive Alien Species Data More Useful

Quentin  J. Groom; Tim  Adriaens; Peter Desmet; Annie  Simpson; Aaike  De Wever; Ioannis Bazos; Ana Cristina Cardoso; Lucinda Charles; Anastasia Christopoulou; Anna Gazda; Harry Helmisaari; Donald Hobern; Melanie Josefsson; Frances Lucy; Dragana Marisavljevic; Tomasz Oszako; Jan Pergl; Olivera Petrovic-Obradovic; Céline Prévot; Hans Peter Ravn; Gareth  Richards; Alain Roques; Helen E. Roy; Marie-Anne A. Rozenberg; Riccardo Scalera; Elena Tricarico; Teodora  Trichkova; Diemer Vercayie; Argyro Zenetos; Sonia Vanderhoeven

doi:10.3389/fams.2017.00013

Seven Recommendations to Make Your Invasive Alien Species Data More Useful

Quentin J. Groom, Tim Adriaens, Peter Desmet, Annie Simpson, Aaike De Wever, Ioannis Bazos, Ana Cristina Cardoso, Lucinda Charles, Anastasia Christopoulou, Anna Gazda, Harry Helmisaari, Donald Hobern, Melanie Josefsson, Frances Lucy, Dragana Marisavljevic, Tomasz Oszako, Jan Pergl, Olivera Petrovic-Obradovic, Céline Prévot, Hans Peter RavnGareth Richards, Alain Roques, Helen E. Roy, Marie-Anne A. Rozenberg, Riccardo Scalera, Elena Tricarico, Teodora Trichkova, Diemer Vercayie, Argyro Zenetos, Sonia Vanderhoeven

Forest, Nature and Biomass

16 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Science-based strategies to tackle biological invasions depend on recent, accurate, well-documented, standardized and openly accessible information on alien species. Currently and historically, biodiversity data are scattered in numerous disconnected data silos that lack interoperability. The situation is no different for alien species data, and this obstructs efficient retrieval, combination, and use of these kinds of information for research and policy-making. Standardization and interoperability are particularly important as many alien species related research and policy activities require pooling data. We describe seven ways that data on alien species can be made more accessible and useful, based on the results of a European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) workshop: (1) Create data management plans; (2) Increase interoperability of information sources; (3) Document data through metadata; (4) Format data using existing standards; (5) Adopt controlled vocabularies; (6) Increase data availability; and (7) Ensure long-term data preservation. We identify four properties specific and integral to alien species data (species status, introduction pathway, degree of establishment, and impact mechanism) that are either missing from existing data standards or lack a recommended controlled vocabulary. Improved access to accurate, real-time and historical data will repay the long-term investment in data management infrastructure, by providing more accurate, timely and realistic assessments and analyses. If we improve core biodiversity data standards by developing their relevance to alien species, it will allow the automation of common activities regarding data processing in support of environmental policy. Furthermore, we call for considerable effort to maintain, update, standardize, archive, and aggregate datasets, to ensure proper valorization of alien species data and information before they become obsolete or lost.

Original language	English
Article number	13
Journal	Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics
Volume	3
Number of pages	8
ISSN	2297-4687
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3389/fams.2017.00013
Publication status	Published - 30 Jun 2017

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J. Groom, Q., Adriaens, T., Desmet, P., Simpson, A., De Wever, A., Bazos, I., Cardoso, A. C., Charles, L., Christopoulou, A., Gazda, A., Helmisaari, H., Hobern, D., Josefsson, M., Lucy, F., Marisavljevic, D., Oszako, T., Pergl, J., Petrovic-Obradovic, O., Prévot, C., ... Vanderhoeven, S. (2017). Seven Recommendations to Make Your Invasive Alien Species Data More Useful. Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics, 3, Article 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fams.2017.00013

J. Groom, Q, Adriaens, T, Desmet, P, Simpson, A, De Wever, A, Bazos, I, Cardoso, AC, Charles, L, Christopoulou, A, Gazda, A, Helmisaari, H, Hobern, D, Josefsson, M, Lucy, F, Marisavljevic, D, Oszako, T, Pergl, J, Petrovic-Obradovic, O, Prévot, C, Ravn, HP, Richards, G, Roques, A, E. Roy, H, A. Rozenberg, M-A, Scalera, R, Tricarico, E, Trichkova, T, Vercayie, D, Zenetos, A & Vanderhoeven, S 2017, 'Seven Recommendations to Make Your Invasive Alien Species Data More Useful', Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics, vol. 3, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fams.2017.00013

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abstract = "Science-based strategies to tackle biological invasions depend on recent, accurate, well-documented, standardized and openly accessible information on alien species. Currently and historically, biodiversity data are scattered in numerous disconnected data silos that lack interoperability. The situation is no different for alien species data, and this obstructs efficient retrieval, combination, and use of these kinds of information for research and policy-making. Standardization and interoperability are particularly important as many alien species related research and policy activities require pooling data. We describe seven ways that data on alien species can be made more accessible and useful, based on the results of a European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) workshop: (1) Create data management plans; (2) Increase interoperability of information sources; (3) Document data through metadata; (4) Format data using existing standards; (5) Adopt controlled vocabularies; (6) Increase data availability; and (7) Ensure long-term data preservation. We identify four properties specific and integral to alien species data (species status, introduction pathway, degree of establishment, and impact mechanism) that are either missing from existing data standards or lack a recommended controlled vocabulary. Improved access to accurate, real-time and historical data will repay the long-term investment in data management infrastructure, by providing more accurate, timely and realistic assessments and analyses. If we improve core biodiversity data standards by developing their relevance to alien species, it will allow the automation of common activities regarding data processing in support of environmental policy. Furthermore, we call for considerable effort to maintain, update, standardize, archive, and aggregate datasets, to ensure proper valorization of alien species data and information before they become obsolete or lost.",

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T1 - Seven Recommendations to Make Your Invasive Alien Species Data More Useful

AU - J. Groom, Quentin

AU - Adriaens, Tim

AU - Desmet, Peter

AU - Simpson, Annie

AU - De Wever, Aaike

AU - Bazos, Ioannis

AU - Cardoso, Ana Cristina

AU - Charles, Lucinda

AU - Christopoulou, Anastasia

AU - Gazda, Anna

AU - Helmisaari, Harry

AU - Hobern, Donald

AU - Josefsson, Melanie

AU - Lucy, Frances

AU - Marisavljevic, Dragana

AU - Oszako, Tomasz

AU - Pergl, Jan

AU - Petrovic-Obradovic, Olivera

AU - Prévot, Céline

AU - Ravn, Hans Peter

AU - Richards, Gareth

AU - Roques, Alain

AU - E. Roy, Helen

AU - A. Rozenberg, Marie-Anne

AU - Scalera, Riccardo

AU - Tricarico, Elena

AU - Trichkova, Teodora

AU - Vercayie, Diemer

AU - Zenetos, Argyro

AU - Vanderhoeven, Sonia

PY - 2017/6/30

Y1 - 2017/6/30

N2 - Science-based strategies to tackle biological invasions depend on recent, accurate, well-documented, standardized and openly accessible information on alien species. Currently and historically, biodiversity data are scattered in numerous disconnected data silos that lack interoperability. The situation is no different for alien species data, and this obstructs efficient retrieval, combination, and use of these kinds of information for research and policy-making. Standardization and interoperability are particularly important as many alien species related research and policy activities require pooling data. We describe seven ways that data on alien species can be made more accessible and useful, based on the results of a European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) workshop: (1) Create data management plans; (2) Increase interoperability of information sources; (3) Document data through metadata; (4) Format data using existing standards; (5) Adopt controlled vocabularies; (6) Increase data availability; and (7) Ensure long-term data preservation. We identify four properties specific and integral to alien species data (species status, introduction pathway, degree of establishment, and impact mechanism) that are either missing from existing data standards or lack a recommended controlled vocabulary. Improved access to accurate, real-time and historical data will repay the long-term investment in data management infrastructure, by providing more accurate, timely and realistic assessments and analyses. If we improve core biodiversity data standards by developing their relevance to alien species, it will allow the automation of common activities regarding data processing in support of environmental policy. Furthermore, we call for considerable effort to maintain, update, standardize, archive, and aggregate datasets, to ensure proper valorization of alien species data and information before they become obsolete or lost.

AB - Science-based strategies to tackle biological invasions depend on recent, accurate, well-documented, standardized and openly accessible information on alien species. Currently and historically, biodiversity data are scattered in numerous disconnected data silos that lack interoperability. The situation is no different for alien species data, and this obstructs efficient retrieval, combination, and use of these kinds of information for research and policy-making. Standardization and interoperability are particularly important as many alien species related research and policy activities require pooling data. We describe seven ways that data on alien species can be made more accessible and useful, based on the results of a European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) workshop: (1) Create data management plans; (2) Increase interoperability of information sources; (3) Document data through metadata; (4) Format data using existing standards; (5) Adopt controlled vocabularies; (6) Increase data availability; and (7) Ensure long-term data preservation. We identify four properties specific and integral to alien species data (species status, introduction pathway, degree of establishment, and impact mechanism) that are either missing from existing data standards or lack a recommended controlled vocabulary. Improved access to accurate, real-time and historical data will repay the long-term investment in data management infrastructure, by providing more accurate, timely and realistic assessments and analyses. If we improve core biodiversity data standards by developing their relevance to alien species, it will allow the automation of common activities regarding data processing in support of environmental policy. Furthermore, we call for considerable effort to maintain, update, standardize, archive, and aggregate datasets, to ensure proper valorization of alien species data and information before they become obsolete or lost.

U2 - 10.3389/fams.2017.00013

DO - 10.3389/fams.2017.00013

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2297-4687

VL - 3

JO - Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics

JF - Frontiers in Applied Mathematics and Statistics

M1 - 13

ER -

Seven Recommendations to Make Your Invasive Alien Species Data More Useful

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