Biodiversity data integration-the significance of data resolution and domain.

ABSTRACT: Recent years have seen an explosion in the availability of biodiversity data describing the distribution, function, and evolutionary history of life on earth. Integrating these heterogeneous data remains a challenge due to large variations in observational scales, collection purposes, and terminologies. Here, we conceptualize widely used biodiversity data types according to their domain (what aspect of biodiversity is described?) and informational resolution (how specific is the description?). Applying this framework to major data providers in biodiversity research reveals a strong focus on the disaggregated end of the data spectrum, whereas aggregated data types remain largely underutilized. We discuss the implications of this imbalance for the scope and representativeness of current macr

SUBMITTER: Konig C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6445469 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature