IABIN Pollinators Thematic NetworkIABIN Pollinators Thematic Network

Making a Difference for PollinatorsMaking a Difference for Pollinators

PTN ConsortiumPTN Consortium

• Pollinator Partnership– San Francisco, CA

• Universidade de São Paulo– São Paulo, Brazil

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System– Washington, D.C.

• National Biological Information Infrastructure– Reston, VA

Importance of PollinatorsImportance of Pollinators

Why Does Pollination Matter to Us?– ~1K plants grown for food, beverages, fibers, spices, and

medicines need to be pollinated by animals in order to produce the goods on which we depend

– Wild areas depend on pollinators for their equilibrium 

Are Pollinators in Trouble?– pollinating animals suffer from habitat loss, pollution,

introduced and invasive plant and animal species, and diseases and parasites

– there is evidence of the disappearance of wild pollinators in natural areas and of distress and severe losses in managed pollinators, such as honey bees (CCD)

PTN GoalsPTN Goals

Develop a network of linked and integrated

databases among major pollinator data sources

and IABIN members that share critical pollinator-

related content through a common set of data

standards and exchange protocols.

Primary ProjectsPrimary Projects

Pollinator Data DigitizerPollinator Data Portal

Pollinator and Pollination Contacts Database

PTN ArchitecturePTN Architecture

Pollinator Data Content Pollinator Data Content GranteesGrantees

• 16 IABIN Grants provided for data content• 12 institutions• 11 countries:

– Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru

PTN Data ProvidersPTN Data Providers

• IABIN Grants Data providers– 244k specimen records– 75K+ interaction records digitized

• SpeciesLink network (Brazil): – 8 collections– 196k specimen records

• GBIF data (via US GBIF node)– ~800k records

• Total– 1240k specimen records– 75k+ Interaction records

IABIN PTN Grantees: • Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, CEPANN (35 069spm) (17 535int)• Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Brazil (15061 spm) (15061 int)• Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Colombia (50 220 spm)• Red de Agricultura Alternativa, RAAA, Peru (834 spm) (813int)• Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Valparaiso, Chile (36 010 spm)• Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala (7 934 spm) (7934 int)• Inst Smithsonian de Investigaciones Tropicales, Panama (22 000 spm)• Asociación Guyra Paraguay, Paraguay (4089 spm)• Universidad Central del Ecuador, Ecuador (30 000spm)• Universidad de las Américas, Mexico (18 002 spm) (4001 int)• Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Argentina (20 000 spm) (20000int)• Universidad de Chile, Chile (12 000 spm) (12000 int)• SalvaNATURA, El SAlvador (7 281 spm))

PTN Data ProvidersPTN Data Providers

PTN Data ProvidersPTN Data Providers

• 2 declined

Pollinator Data DigitizerPollinator Data Digitizer

• Digitization of occurrence and interaction data– 113k digitized– 215k+ by June

• Based on Darwin Core standard (TDWG)• Contains a Tapir data provider module• Supports spreadsheets• Available for free• Easy-to-use

Pollinator Data DigitizerPollinator Data Digitizer

Biodiversity Data DigitizerBiodiversity Data Digitizer

• Lessons from Pollinator Data Digitizer• Spreadsheets sync (bidirectional)• Data quality features

– auto-complete – all fields– auto-suggestions

• Taxonomy – full taxonomic hierarchy • Geospatial – Georeferencing tool

• Richer data content digitization– Multimedia (MRTG standard)– Bibliographic References (Dublin Core)

• Better user experience

Biodiversity Data DigitizerBiodiversity Data Digitizer

• Demos

Pollinator Data PortalPollinator Data Portal

• Access to occurrence and interaction data• 1100k of specimens in collections• 29k of pollinator-plant interactions

– Key for decision support in agriculture and conservation/sustainable management

• Datasets from multiple sources• Access to Pollinator Contacts Database

Pollinator Data PortalPollinator Data Portal

by species/classification direct search by species – Interaction

By countries By datasets

Pollinators of the Americas Pollinators of the Americas Project Data DistributionProject Data Distribution

Nov. 5, 2006~90,000 specimens & Observations(Source: L. Speers, GBIF)

Aug. 18, 2009281,037 specimens & observations (Source: IABIN PTN Portal)

Pollinator Contacts DatabasePollinator Contacts Database

Pollinator Contacts DatabasePollinator Contacts Database

• Approx. 200 experts and growing• Searchable by:

– Taxon– Discipline– Name– Country/Region of expertise– Country/Region of residence

Pollinator Contacts DatabasePollinator Contacts Database

search Data entry

PTN AccomplishmentsPTN Accomplishments

• Catalog grant: – web services to provide metadata

• Digitizer/Webbee– 700 images – MRTG standard– 2400 references – Dublin core standard

• Portal– providers metadata– Dublin Core– Federal Geographic Data Committee –

Biological Data Profile (FGDC BDP)

PTN AccomplishmentsPTN Accomplishments

• Built– Digitizer Tool– Data Portal– Contacts Database– List serv IABIN-PTN

• Tools are in– Portuguese– English– Spanish

• 4 International Training Workshops– Over 20 countries

represented– ~100 people trained

PTN AccomplishmentsPTN Accomplishments

• People Network– Strong relationship– Collaboration– Data digitizing culture – Data sharing culture– Willingness to be part of– Willingness to develop

other projects– Builds on IABIN “brand”– Time consuming but

essential

Goals for Future ObjectivesGoals for Future Objectives• Train additional PTN end users• Develop, test, and launch a data digitization tool that

will facilitate accurate transfer of data from database management programs into the PTN

• Expand the detail of entry information fields available to contributors

• Increase data entry efficiency and reduce error• Build a better network that is adaptable to local needs• Refine and increase data training in underserved areas• Increase the number of PTN entries and contacts• Develop analysis tools on top of PTN data and adding

other data layers

Sustainability of the PTNSustainability of the PTN• Transfer agreement to end June of 2011• PTN team received USD$180K over 36 months• PTN team contributed USD$400K in parallel financing• Working with Denny Grossman of Data Basin and

Richard Huber of OAS to discuss the future of the PTN• Submitted numerous grants for future funding to

various foundations• Submitted a PTN analysis tool proposal to the OAS

Sustainability of the PTNSustainability of the PTN

• Support from UNEP/FAO/GEF Global Pollinator project– Brazilian project tools

• Proposal to be submitted to Brazilian agencies– Development of new tools, analysis, data,

• FAO to support Contacts DB (+ crops)

pollinators.iabin.net

For More Information Visit

Prof. Antonio Mauro SaraivaUniversidade de São Paulo

Escola Politecnicasaraiva@usp.br