Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research
Expressions of Interest
Collaborative Projects Using Continent-wide Datasets
Eucalyptus
The collation of a large continent-wide eucalypt dataset of various types of data is nearing completion, and would seem to present opportunities for some innovative research projects. The extensive eucalypt collections held by the nine major Australian herbaria and several major survey agencies will be computerised with ERIN assistance by the end of 1993. Thus, we will have a large distributed dataset of approx. 200,000 records, from point-source data to information on habitats.
The Australian herbaria wish to gain some added value from these specimen databases, and from their commitment of considerable resources to databasing the collections. Thus, we are calling for expressions of interest in the development of collaborative projects to analyse, synthesise and utilise the eucalypt dataset on a continent-wide basis.
This collaborative project proposal will be coordinated by the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research and Environmental Resources Information Network (ERIN).
The main objectives of the proposal are:
- To make available the Australia-wide eucalypt dataset, consisting of herbarium specimen records and survey data, to interested scientists and biologists who wish to have access to these data for various research projects.
- To develop collaborative projects using these eucalypt datasets to be completed in a limited timeframe, the results of which will be discussed in a workshop/symposium and published in book form.
Once we have received your expressions of interest we intend to bring together those who may want to use the data, for a small workshop to discuss different projects and ways of analysing the data (see suggestions below). The workshop would function to familiarise participants with the type and quality of data available and some of the limitations of the data, and to discuss possible research and collaborative projects for planned utilisation of the database. At this stage it is intended that this workshop will be held in March 1994.
On completion of the projects, which should have limited timeframes, researchers would be brought together to present their findings and results in a small workshop/symposium. It is intended that the results of the various projects be published in a refereed book edited by staff of the Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research.
The Environmental Resources Information Network (ERIN) will provide infrastructure to support the program including initial collation and distribution of data and validation. ERIN will also provide some assistance with the proposed workshops.
Advantages:
There are many advantages in releasing a single distributed continent-wide dataset of this type including:
- The data will be made available to a wide range of users.
- The project will involve all herbaria, although it is likely that most analysis will be done by scientists elsewhere than in the herbaria.
- Interested users will have equal access and opportunity.
- It will allow the institutions who have put resources into establishment of the databases to benefit from their input, and to share the results.
- It will provide additional arguments for curators and collection managers to convince their departmental managers of the value of the collections and the databasing programs.
- It will help identify problems with present data-capture methods, eg. varying levels of accuracy, and thus provides a proofing system.
- It will give opportunities to those interested in analysing groups as a whole.
- It will provide a unique opportunity to analyse one of the largest datasets of its type in the world.
- It should stimulate analyses and projects to be completed in a limited timeframe.
- It should provide an excellent example of added value to such a collection database; this can then be used for support and to seek further funding of such computerisation projects.
- It will enable publication of some results and data analyses which may be difficult to publish in mainstream scientific literature.
Possible areas of interest for analysis of Eucalyptus dataset
- Phytogeography
- Validation and proofing
- Functional groups
- Systematics & biogeography
- Patterns of endemism
- Testing of modelling methodologies
- Survey analysis
- Climate change predictions
- Rare & threatened taxa
- Correlated patterns
- Subgeneric/ecological correlations
- Landscape characterisation
- Testing of reserve selection methodologies
If you are interested in being involved in analysis of any sort of this eucalypt dataset, please provide information indicating the nature of your interest and the type of analysis you intend to perform. Indicate possible collaborators in the project, expected outcomes and the timeframe in which you think it can be completed.
Send information to or contact:
J.G. West
On behalf of the Council of Heads of Australian Herbaria
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Eucalyptus Collabrative Datasets Page
Updated 15 November, 1999 by Andrew Lyne
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