EEA –State of informatics for biodiversity Content Vs Functionalities?

European Environment Agency

EEA –State of informatics for biodiversityContent Vs Functionalities?

Rania Spyropoulou, EEABiodiversity and Ecosystems group

Cross Domain- Eco Informatics I , June 2007


1. Who we are, what we do...(introduction)2. Getting data from Countries - the dataflow on designated areas- the dataflow on implementation of Habitats Directive3. Sharing data from NGO’s and other sources- the EUNIS data base4. Building regional cooperation in technology transfer- The biodiversity C HM tools

Outline of presentation


The European Environment Agency is the EU body dedicated to providing sound, independent

information on the environment

We are a main information source for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and

evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public

The EEA mission


EEA member andcollaborating countries

Member countries

Collaborating countries


European environment information and observation network (Eionet)

About 300 national institutions

• National focal points

• European topic centres

• National reference centres

• Other institutions


We (biodiversity) are here:

• http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity





We get data from EIONET Countries:

data flows on protected areas, water quality,

fisheries, land cover, nitrogen deposition

national reports on implementation of European legislation

and International conventions


the dataflow on designated areas

• An annual exercise in REPORTNET• Including Access database and site

boundaries• http://dataservice.eea.europa.eu/atlas/v

iewdata/viewpub.asp?id=2364• http://www.eionet.europa.eu/


the dataflow on implementation of Habitats Directive

• Conservation status of 216 habitat types and more than 865 species

• Reporting deadline is TODAY• Next round will be in 2013• A specific application was created to

host this reporting process, the ARTICLE 17 REPORTING TOOL


Article 17 IT TOOL :

• The purpose of the IT tool is to support national reporting of information that can be rapidly processed for compiling the European synthesis report by the Commission.

• IT tool follows the Explanatory notes and guidelines adopted by the Habitats Committee.


General Concepts 2/4

• The reporting tool uses XML based ‘factsheets’ for habitat types and species, including GML geographical data. WHY?

• Such a vast compilation of information needs to be comprehensive to humans but also to machines, in order to be rapidly processed.


Workflow cycle in ARTICLE 17 Reporting tool for a National Report

Draft National Report

Finish or go backto draft?

Complete(Final Submission)

Automatic QARelease(Submission)

Create envelope

Feedbackreport

Notification to other users

Notificationto other users


What is to be reported?

Assessment of range, distribution, area/population, structure and functions/habitat for the species and future prospects

• Submit national data Exercise• (the miraculus xlm/ gml files =

Formats are readable by machines) http://cdrtest.eionet.europa.eu/





Sharing data from NGO’s and other sources

• Birdlife and European Butterflies, data to be used in indicators

• Council of Europe, data on sites (Biogenetic reserves, European Diploma sites, etc)

• Ramsar Convention, data on boundaries of sites

• European Commission, data on Natura 2000 sites


The EUNIS database : Search for data

The Basic Knowledge storage and retrieval site for species, habitat types, sites of National and European interest

• Maintained by our European Topic Center on Biological Diversity/ updates twice a year

• A major contributor to GBIF• LOOK FOR THE WOLF• http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/index.jsp





The Biodiversity Clearing House of the European Communities (EC CHM)

• Software developed by EEA, shared freely with countries for developing their National CHMs

• More than 15 countries are using it, EEA takes care of updates, helpdesk and migration to new versions. Some CHms are hosted on the EEA server

• A tool for regional cooperation on biodiversity issues


Submit a story, news, events, + enter comments in public consultation

• The biodiversity CHM tools

• http://biodiversity-chm.eea.europa.eu/• Allow syndication = information

loaded on one web page is automatically harvested by another


Plans for the future

• Organise the Web sites: EEA thematic Area on Biodiversity- Biodiversity Clearing House Mechanism- Enhance syndication at the regional level.

• Maintain and further develop EUNIS as a Knowledge management tool- Harvest data from GBIF – Operationalise links to the updated World Database on Protected Areas

• Develop the concept of the Biodiversity Data center and the Shared Environmental Information System


Content vs functionalities

It is great to have the tools when you need to use them- How well can we plan for the future?

Thank you for your attention!

Documents

EEA –State of informatics for biodiversity Content Vs Functionalities?